It’s not difficult to market your small business online. Although there are many things you should learn to maximize your results, I would not advise anyone to wait to start learning about online marketing.
Second, it’s not necessary. It’s not required. Jump in instead! Start today… you’ll learn a lot along the way.
Your online marketing efforts can either reflect positively or negatively on the success of your business.
Let’s get started. Start today with these seven online marketing strategies.
Blog
Blogs are a great way to market your business. Blogging can position you as a leader in your field, increase traffic to your site, build a loyal following, and create buzz about what you offer.
The return on investment can be high, even though it requires a lot of time.
It is very easy and free to set up a blog if you already own a website that uses the popular WordPress software. If you don’t have a service that lets you add a blog, you can still host your blog and link it to your business website. The all-in-one solution is the best option, as it allows you to maintain your brand’s overall unity.
After you’ve set up your blog, you can start publishing articles that will help you attract your target audience. Your blog should not be a place for advertising but rather a position to deliver content that’s helpful and engaging. It may feel as if you are giving away your best ideas, but this will increase your community and credibility.
Join Twitter
Start using Twitter if you haven’t already. Set up your profile, select some interesting people to follow, and start sending out your useful, engaging tweets.
Remember these tips when using Twitter to promote your business:
- Twitter is not a place to “advertise.” Don’t “advertise” on Twitter. Your tweets should be centered around sharing useful information and interacting with your audience.
- Stay informed. Please set up your Twitter account and tweet a few things, but don’t let it sit. If you can, update your account a few times per day. You don’t need to spend a lot of time to do this. Share an article that you found interesting, answer someone’s questions, or retweet useful content.
- Be personable. Twitter is a tool for communication, not broadcasting. It’s good to share useful articles and announcements, but you shouldn’t do it all the time. Ask questions, answer questions, and start a conversation. Interaction is the key.
- Create a compelling and concise Twitter bio. Tell people what you can do. This bio will help you to attract quality followers.
Answer questions on LinkedIn
It is easy to do this every morning or twice a month, whenever you want. This will help you get your name out there and show off what you know. You can create a LinkedIn profile for free if you do not have one. Find and join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your field of expertise.
You can find questions asked by other group members and answer them. You can also ask questions to start a conversation. LinkedIn Polls are another way to do this, besides groups.
Don’t just advertise your services, but rather give genuine and helpful answers to questions. Offer useful advice and suggestions and direct the person asking to your contact details if desired.
Helping others and showing your knowledge can help you build your credibility and earn business leads.
Guest author
You can also write articles that are helpful for blogs your customers or prospects visit.
In return for your contribution, you will receive a bio of the author with links to your blog/website and social networking profiles.
Guest blogging is a good way to get exposure in your field, reach out to a new audience, and improve the SEO of your site (because the links are coming from other websites).
Your guest posts must be informative and helpful rather than sales. The majority of blogs will not publish promotional articles, and even if they do, you won’t get the same benefits in the long run.
Growing your online presence involves establishing yourself as an expert in a particular niche and building a community of customers who value your advice and brand.
Comment on Blogs
Join in the conversation regularly on blogs that are relevant to your field. With minimal effort, you’ll be able to make new connections and share your insights and thoughts with a whole new audience.
Always make sure that you add something valuable or thoughtful when commenting on blogs. Do not pretend to have read the article and then copy another person’s comments. Add your thoughts or compliments to content that you’re genuinely interested in.
Create an email newsletter
Ev.en, in our Twitter-driven world, email marketing remains a powerful tool for growing a business.
Set up a free account with one of the many email marketing services to capture emails directly on your website. I recommend AWeber and MailChimp, both of which offer affordability and flexibility.
Expert source
Showing up as an authority in another’s blog, video, podcast, or article is a great way to prove your expertise. This strategy will also give you the opportunity to gain exposure to an entirely new audience.
Bloggers, journalists, and other media are always on the lookout for experts to interview. You can either add your name and contact information to different directories or offer your expertise to someone interested. My recommendation would be to sign up for a HARO account and respond to questions that you find interesting on a daily base. It’s unlikely that you will be quoted in each article, but it is possible to get some good publicity by volunteering a few moments of your day.