The key to running a successful business is to obtain a steady stream of paying customers. Of course, this is much easier said than done. Fortunately, however, the internet exists and it can expose your business to thousands of potential customers.
This is where online marketing comes in. Interested in learning more about marketing your business online? Then read on. We’re going to tell you everything there is to know below.
Why Is Online Marketing Important?
Online marketing is important because, well, everyone’s online. Not only are modern consumers almost constantly on social media but they also use search engines to help them find relevant businesses and services.
As such, if you’re not marketing your business online, you’re missing out on substantial amounts of potential traffic. Sure, you might reach some customers through TV and radio ads but those mediums pale in comparison to the online world.
Types of Online Marketing
Online marketing comes in many different types. We’ll discuss these in detail below.
Social Media Marketing
One of the most popular forms of online marketing is social media marketing. This is exactly what it sounds like it is: marketing that occurs on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Other platforms you’ll see it on include Instagram, Linked In, and Reddit, to name just a few.
The great thing about social media marketing is that it enables you to market your business for free. Just create a profile for your business, share some content, hope that others share it as well, and wait for new users to add you.
Social media is particularly effective for helping a business stay in touch with its current customers. This is because it enables businesses to communicate with customers directly, either through comments, likes, or otherwise.
Social media marketing is hugely beneficial to small businesses, in particular. It can help transform a simple business operation into a legitimate company through sheer force of connection. Other forms of marketing can’t offer that.
Note, though, that there is more to social media marketing than sharing content and conversing with commenters. Social media platforms also offer paid advertising. And to make it even better, they allow you to target specific demographics with your ads.
So, if you wanted your ad to show up on the Facebook wall of, say, 18 to 35-year-old men who live in Des Moines, Iowa, and who like basketball, you could. All you have to do is pay the requisite fees and specific your target metrics.
SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the process of getting a website to rank for keywords on search engines. In getting that website to rank for targeted keywords, you can provide it with substantial amounts of regular traffic.
There is a great deal involved in SEO. Not only do you need to place relevant keywords within your website copy but you also need to build backlinks, create local citations, produce regular content, and more. These things require a great deal of time and effort and are almost impossible to facilitate on one’s own.
For this reason, if you feel like pursuing SEO for your business, you should utilize the services of a professional SEO company. A professional SEO company will help you with all aspects of SEO, giving your website the best chance possible against competitors in its niche or industry.
SEO can occur on both the global and local levels, so whether you’re trying to rank against all other companies in the world, or just against the companies in your town or city, you can make it happen.
SEM
SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. This is similar to SEO in that it involves getting one’s website noticed through search engines. However, whereas SEO occurs organically (Google decides where to rank websites based on their authority), SEM occurs inorganically.
See, SEM involves paying money to rank for specific keywords. If you wanted to rank at the top of the page for the keyword of, say, “plumber in Houston”, you could simply pay for its use over a designated period of time.
The key with SEM is to choose the right keywords. This can be a little difficult if you’ve never done it before. For optimal results, consider utilizing the services of a digital marketing company.
Email Marketing
Email marketing involves advertising through — what else? — email. It includes building up an email list and then sending out targeted emails over time. It’s highly beneficial in terms of retaining past customers and can help to secure new customers as well.
A proper email marketing campaign is actually a fairly technological endeavor. There are all sorts of email marketing tools out there that can help you to reach those on your email list. However, using those tools properly requires a decent amount of trial and testing.
If you need help launching an email marketing campaign, consider utilizing the services of an online marketing company.
Content Marketing
The last form of online marketing we’re going to discuss is content marketing. Content marketing is the act of using content to gain advertisement for your business.
This content can come in many forms, from written content to video content to augmented reality content and more. Regardless of what form it comes in, it needs to appeal to those viewing it.
Though this content should be appearing on your website, it also needs to appear in spaces where it can gain exposure. The most common spaces for this to happen are social media platforms.
Online Marketing Is Vital
There’s no doubt about it: if you’re running a business in the modern world, you need to engage in online marketing. No other form of marketing has more reach. In short, online marketing is vital.
Need online marketing services currently? We here at AZcreates have you covered.
Contact us now to get the process started!