Anyone who’s been involved in Online Marketing or Digital Marketing over the last few years will have been excited about the vast array of opportunities available for getting in front of consumers. From Website design, through to Blogging, search engines, online advertising, email marketing and so on, the number of new techniques at a Marketer’s disposal compared to even just 10 years ago is quite staggering.
However, there are two sides to every story and the internet hasn’t just changed the way Marketers go about their business, it has also changed the way in which consumers process information and communicate that information between other people.
The best Marketers now are not just the ones who have the best advertising ideas of the most eye catching campaigns; they are the ones who can best harness the new principles of online marketing and apply them across their work. The Five things every wannabe Online Marketing Expert should know are:
1. Attraction Marketing is in.
Traditionally, marketing used to be based on the assumption that Companies were the main source of information about their brand and that potential customers could be attracted by advertising and direct marketing. The power of the internet has changed that, because consumers in general are now so bombarded by advertising messages they have become more adept at filtering out everything except that interests them the most. This is where attraction marketing comes in to its own, if you can engage people’s interest with your marketing, then they will come to you.
2. Make sure you offer Quality Content.
While it may be hugely time consuming to update your website or Blog several times a week, having a lot of quality content that backs up your authority and helps keep customers interested in you is almost always going to be of benefit to you. I say almost, because if you don’t take advantage of that traffic, then you will have wasted your time! Think of some of the Big Name Websites, every time you click on Amazon you will see different offers, different products and new information. If someones has been to your site and enjoyed what they saw, then they come back and see the same again they aren’t likely to give you another visit.
3. Make the most of different Distribution Techniques.
The internet allows for photos, videos and links to be shared easily, so keep things interesting by giving your customers information in different formats. If you limit yourself to text, not only will your information start to look boring, but you likely to be missing a trick. Think about using other online marketing techniques. Pictures see can engage people more quickly than text, videos allow people on the other side of the world to hear your voice and see your mannerisms, SMS messages can reach people even when they’re miles from their computer. Make sure you take advantage of the different mediums available, because you can bet your competitors are!
4. Social Media and Search Engines are Priceless – and Free
Social Media requires steady attention to ensure you are engaged with your customers, but it is well worth the effort. Social Media allows you to talk about your business, product, services and forthcoming projects in a conversational, informal way. If you hit the right note with your friends and fans then they will continue to spread the word for you. Likewise, search engines can bring people to your site who have never heard of you or your brand but they will be searching for exactly what it is that you do. They go from not knowing who you are, to reading your information within seconds. Make sure that your site if fully search engine optimized and that you link through to social media sites to allow people to share your details.
5. Online Marketing should not stand alone.
While Online Marketing is great, don’t abandon traditional methods if you have always used them. Newspaper adverts, business cards and Networking events all still serve their purpose. If you combine traditional marketing with online techniques you allow people to find and contact you in whatever way suits them the best, and you increase your authority because you are making your brand visible in as many places as possible.
Online Marketing is not a quick fix, and you shouldn’t consider it a miracle way to save your brand overnight. As with everything it can take time, effort and patience to get the results that you crave but don’t give up. Listen to feedback, monitor what does and doesn’t work and remember that if you consistently apply great techniques then online marketing should deliver you extra leads, increased sales and hopefully, higher profits.
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