Online marketing is the promoting and selling products or services
using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium. Online marketing is also known as
internet marketing, web marketing, digital marketing and search engine
marketing (SEM). Digital marketing methods such
as ecommerce marketing, social
media marketing, social media
optimization, e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, e–books, and optical disks and
games are becoming more common in our advancing technology. In fact, digital
marketing now extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such
as mobile phones (SMS), callback, and
on-hold mobile ring tones.
There are many ways to promote your home
business and reach potential buyers online including:
Websites: can be the Internet equivalents of offline brochures or mail order catalogs and they are a great way to
establish your business domain. They can use text, images, and audio and video elements to
convey the company's message, as well as inform existing and potential
customers of the features and advantages of the company's products and/or services.
Email marketing: Along with a website, email is viewed
as one of the best ways to maintain a connection between a business and
potential and existing customers. Email addresses of customers and
prospective customers may be collected or purchased, although results are best
from emails you collect from your
website. You can entice people to give you their emails through a quality free
offer, called a lead magnet. Once you have the email, you can send a newsletter, special offers, and other information your target market would
be interested in.
Banner advertising: You can buy ad space on other websites that cater to your
target market. Pricing can vary depending on the volume of people who visit the
website, and the size and placement of your advert.
Publicity: You can submit and post to the press regarding something newsworthy about your home business
online or through an online press release distribution service. While press releases
can work, they are time consuming and do often get ignored.
Participation on
blogs, forums or discussion groups. Answering questions, posting comments, expressing opinions, or
making announcements in a discussion forum is a great way to connect and help
your target market, while showing off your expertise.
Article marketing: Writing articles related to your business and submitting them to be
published on other websites or email newsletters is another great way to reach
your target market for free. Although mass distribution of a single
article across the web doesn't have the same benefits it once had, submitting exclusive
articles to a specific site can still
reap many rewards, boosting your credibility, and reaching a market that might
not otherwise know about you. Plus, some website will pay for your article.
Social Media: In an
increasingly connect world where consumers expect the companies they do
business with to engage with them, social media is an ideal way to interact
with prospects and customers. They key to social media
marketing success is to choose the platforms your
market is mostly like to use whether it's Twitter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram,
etc. Further, because it can be a time
suck, you need to develop a plan and
use effective tools to maximize your results.
Internet
marketing is effective and very affordable, and as a result, it should be part
of your business plan and
your marketing strategy. However,
Internet marketing is so vast that it's nearly impossible for a single-business
owner to do it all. But, there are certain online marketing tactics that all
business owners should have. At the very least, a home business should have:
1) A web presence: Depending on your small
business, this can be a website or blog, or as basic as a squeeze page. You
need a central place to send all your prospects that you own. While many people
have turned to sites like Facebook to create their web presence, because you
don't "own" the space but Facebook can (and often does) change it's
rules so you should have your own site.
2) Email list: Many new small business
owners put this off, which is a mistake. While some people might think social
media replaces email, it doesn't. People who connect with you through email
have made a greater commitment and are more likely to see your messages, than
simply following you on social media. Further, research shows that email
marketing has one of the highest marketing strategies. Email marketing gives
you one of the best results for the cost in time and money.
The use of digital marketing in the digital
era not only allows for brands to market their products and services, but also
allows for online customer support through 24/7 services to make customers feel
supported and valued. The use of social media interaction allows brands to
receive both positive and negative feedback from their customers as well as
determining what media platforms work well for them. As such, digital marketing
has become an increased advantage for brands and businesses. It is now common
for consumers to post feedback online through social media sources, blogs and
websites on their experience with a product or brand. It has become
increasingly popular for businesses to use and encourage these conversations
through their social media channels to have direct contact with the customers
and manage the feedback they receive appropriately.
Online marketing can deliver benefits
such as:
- Growth in potential
- Reduced expenses
- Elegant communications
- Better control
- Improved customer service
- Competitive advantage
Word of mouth communications and peer-to-peer dialogue often
have a greater effect on customers, since they are not sent directly from the
company and are therefore not planned. Customers are more likely to trust other
customers’ experiences. Examples can be that social media users share food
products and meal experiences highlighting certain brands. This was noted in a
study on Instagram, where researchers observed that Instagram users' posted
images of food-related experiences within their social networks, providing free
advertising for the products. And therefore, it is increasingly advantageous
for companies to use social media platforms to connect with their customers and
create these dialogues and discussions.
By Sheba Joy
Intern
Kyusa
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