Online marketing is essential to pretty much every business, big or small, hoping to resonate with more customers in the digital marketplace. The sheer number of digital marketing methods can be overwhelming so it is tricky to know where to begin.
If you are a small business owner, read on to discover which strategies will likely have the most impact, and could be the most useful for you this year…
What are the different forms of online marketing?
Now that people spend more time online than ever before, an online marketing strategy is the key to the success of your business. Below we will share 7 common types that you are most likely to utilise and benefit from today:
1. SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, deserves one of the top spots as it is an integral strategy to enhance your business. Any marketing agency in Dubai and around the world will make this a key part of broader online marketing strategies to garner more customers for you by improving your rankings in search engine results pages for the most relevant keywords.
SEO is a huge area involving all manner of on-page and off-page strategies, from building backlinks and keyword research, to website speed and content creation, which all come together to alter your ranking. SEO is crucial in getting your site in front of the right customers, so make sure you include this as part of your online marketing strategy.
2. Social Media
Social media is arguably the most powerful tool for marketing to emerge in a generation. Facebook alone gives you tons of ways to advertise products, engage with customers and increase brand awareness all in one place.
You can choose between paid or organic social media marketing, or use the two in tandem to create the biggest impact.
Paid ads can be targeted directly towards your ideal customers, you can join groups to increase engagement, and speak directly with individuals to gain feedback and increase loyalty.
Ignore social media marketing at your peril, because your competitors surely won’t!
3. Content Marketing
Content marketing is the creation and distribution of content that is relevant or interesting to bring visitors, attention and custom to your business. It can come in many forms including blogs, E-books, videos and more, and works in tandem with SEO and other forms of online marketing to increase your traffic.
4. Email Marketing
Using emails to gain and retain customers may not be new, but if you correctly utilise email marketing, you can potentially get returns above and beyond any other online strategy!
You do first need the email addresses to market to, so make sure you have an awesome lead magnet in order to get those signs up. You can plan initial campaigns, gather feedback and reviews, re engage former customers, and employ a host of strategies other to encourage sales such as offering VIP discounts and promotions.
Doing some research on your prospect’s areas of interest will grant you the opportunity to check in with them on a more personal level by suggesting a topic that is relevant to them. This is true regardless of the outcome you’re trying to achieve, such as winning back some former clients or presenting your products to new, potential prospects. Writing an effective just checking in email will help you show your subscribers that you’re interested in them and will increase your response rate.”
5. Influencer Marketing
Influencers have – pardon the word use – gained a shocking amount of influence over the last few years. All kinds of people from absolute A-list celebrities to former unknowns have gotten involved, and there are levels of influencers you can work with depending on your promoting needs.
Mainstream celebrities and industry experts can be hugely helpful as partners, but they can also set your budget back a fair amount. Micro-influencers, on the other hand, can charge more affordable rates and still get your product in front of up to 100,000 people.
6. Affiliate Marketing
Much as it sounds, affiliate marketing is where you operate a referrals system with other businesses online. You can pay a commission to influencers or companies that promote your products, or generate traffic and sales for you.
7. Paid Advertising
Last but by no means least we come to paid advertising. This cornerstone of marketing is still an often-used and successful form of marketing, involving paying to show your ad over social media, search engines and so on.
This method works well for products that people are actively searching for, making you visible and appearing higher than organic results. It is also an immediate strategy that can show a swift impact, while its SEO counterpart, can take a while to kick in.
So which should you use for your small business?
The truth is that a fully comprehensive and well-thought out online marketing strategy will likely include most if not all of these different forms. It is difficult to use one in a vacuum as many work off each other to give you the most impactful results.
Your marketing agency should be able to come up with a plan that enhances your visibility and conversion rates demonstrably, and in a way that fits with your budget and goals. There is no ‘beating the internet’ and reaching customers without having a diverse marketing strategy that covers multiple bases.
