Digital marketing is an effective way to reach audiences in today’s online oriented world. Not only is it a more direct way to reach your target audience than traditional marketing platforms, but it’s a less costly solution to get your brand out there for the world to see. When you’re running an online business, this is especially critical because you’re relying entirely on Internet traffic for success.
Make sure you’re using the right marketing strategies and tactics to reach the right audiences and grow your business in a healthy and beneficial way. Here are some important marketing tips for a successful online business, designed to help you grow and prosper in the online world.
Integrate Your Social Media Channels
You already know that you need to be active on social media and on your website. Now you need to ensure that these platforms are working together through social media integration. When you cross-promote your social media channels and website, you open up new doors for increased traffic and visibility. There are many ways you can do this, such as including social share buttons on your website, sharing website content on your social media pages, and adding social media links in your emails.
Establish Yourself as an Authority or Thought Leader
Marketing and growing your online business is all about trust. The more people trust you and your brand, the more willing they’ll be to make a purchase or recommend you to their family and friends. One of the best ways to do this is through your content. There is a ton of content on the Internet. You need to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry to stand out and make sure you’re communicating with your audience. Make people want to come to your site because you give them credible information that actually helps them, and you’ll establish a long-term connection.
Email Marketing Works
Despite what you may think, email marketing is still a relevant tool to use in your digital marketing strategy. Not only that, but email marketing has a really high ROI and doesn’t cost a lot to use. At least 50% of Americans check their email every day, and most state that email is their preferred way for brands to contact them. Even something as minimal as a monthly newsletter can help your business improve customer relations, nurture leads, and offer discounts or promotions to help boost sales.
Make Sure Your Website is Optimized
Ultimately, all of your marketing efforts, whether you’re running ads or sending out emails, are going to lead people back to your website. Drawing in that traffic is a key component to gaining conversions or making online sales. However, when they get there, you need to give them a reason to stay, and that includes a seamless user experience. Make sure your website is fully optimized and up to the task so that you’re not continuously sending people somewhere they won’t stay.
Stay Engaged
No matter what type of online business you run, whether it’s an eCommerce store or an online service, you need to be engaged with your audience. People need to feel that you’re actually listening to them, not just shouting your message at them. This is where social media marketing has an advantage over traditional marketing. On social media, you can have meaningful conversations with people. When you do this, people feel more positive about your brand because they feel like you’re actually listening to them instead of constantly trying to promote things to them. It may take a while for them to convert, but the long-term payoff is worth it.
Avoid Falling Into the Black Hat SEO Trap
It may seem tempting to try to cheat the system to get your SEO strategy up and working in as little time as possible. But black hat SEO tactics often come with a price. Black hat SEO tactics are practices that some digital marketers use to push their strategy quickly and get to the top of the SERPs using shortcuts like keyword stuffing and link spamming. However, search engines, social media sites, and even spam filters all recognize these tactics and may penalize you for it, with negative consequences for your SEO strategy. Don’t take the risk, and if you’re working with a marketing agency that promises quick or nearly instant SEO results, consider that a red flag. SEO takes time and, when done correctly, builds up slowly but strongly.
Always Provide Value
At the end of the day, you need to make sure that you’re solving a problem your audience may be having. Providing them with valuable content focused on their own problems is an effective way to connect with people. Study your website analytics to see what content people are spending the most time on, or search for high-volume keyword terms that are relevant to your business and publish new content around those. When you give people value, they’ll continue coming back, and your business will be in their mind when it’s time to make a purchase.
