Ideal for startups and established businesses alike.
The internet has provided us with so many innovative, doctrine defying ways to manage and market our businesses in recent years that any transactions predating it just feel a little, well, quaint.
But as anyone who has harnessed the power of the internet for their business will know first hand, the world wide web presents as many problems as it does opportunities. It’s easy to get tangled up if you don’t approach things with a diligent mind. No wonder so many companies fall at the first hurdle.
But, with a little perseverance, a fledgling business can take flight and, in time, be soaring. Here’s how to get the most from your internet advertising campaigns; our 5 insider tips for successfully marketing your products online.
Welcome Customers In Rather Than Reaching Out
Which is a rather round-a-bout way of saying ‘make sure your website stands out’.
When discussing online marketing, your website is something so often neglected. But isn’t it annoying when a company’s homepage is just its Instagram? For some types of consumer, this represents an immediate end to interest in your product or service.
In fact, according to Sortlist in their article on the 20 best London advertising agencies, ”almost 40% of eCommerce websites fail to make it out of the ground in the first year, due to insufficient setup.”
Instead, potential customers like to see a fully formed website which inspires confidence by running smoothly, slickly and speedily, before they sign up to your newsletter, reach out over email or make a purchase. Make this first point of engagement count by ensuring your website looks clean, moves quickly and reflects the vibe of your brand succinctly.
What’s more, you should make sure your company’s website is performing to its full potential on Google, using search engine optimisation techniques to reach the maximum amount of people possible.
Social Media
‘Alexa, tell me a social media stat which is appropriate to this article’…
Well, here’s a pretty incredible one; a staggering 4.59 billion people are signed up to a social media account worldwide in 2022. That’s more than half the global population!
Just think how many millions of marketable mortals are out there right now, scrolling and feeding on what they find. When the numbers are this great, it would be business suicide not to harness the power of social media to reach more potential customers.
The best part is this; setting that marketing machine into overdrive needn’t cost you a fortune. In fact, it needn’t cost you a single penny. While of course you can invest in various social media platforms’ placement and ‘paid for’ options, it’s eminently possible to achieve the same reach via free social media channels. As long as your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tiktok pages are informative, zeitgeisty and unique, then the sky’s the limit in terms of possible reach. Of course, engaging with a social media marketing company to finesse those finer points won’t harm here.
Don’t be too generic and certainly don’t spread your net too wide on these ‘big four’ platforms. The beauty of social media is the opportunity it grants you to really drill down into what makes your product special and hone in on the people you truly want to reach.
If you’re selling hot sauce, for example, then jump on spice specific hashtags, like #habenero, #chilli and #sriacha. Should you be peddling hip hop apparel, then boldly engage with DJ events, club nights, and promoter’s social media channels. If your business focuses on yoga equipment, donate branded items to a yoga instructor who has a following on Tiktok, and your products might appear in a skit. You get the picture right? Now, paint it.
Engage with your niche audience directly and personally and you’re more likely to see up take on your products. You might even achieve the holy grail of customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
Working with a trusted B2B sales and marketing company can also help you streamline your social media strategy and ensure maximum success in reaching potential customers. As explained by the folks behind apnTech, they may also submit all the public facts about your company and push that data to the top directories, apps, and social networks to improve your brand recognition and reach. Not only will this save you time and effort, but it can also help to increase your brand’s credibility and customer base.
SMS Marketing
We realise this one isn’t exactly ‘online’, but it can be managed via internet platforms efficiently. Though the idea of SMS marketing is a relatively modern one, we wouldn’t blame you for thinking it feels almost antiquated now. We all remember those clumsy, all CAPS texts on an old Nokia, signed off with ‘to stop receiving these texts, send STOP to #66400’. As such, the idea of successful SMS marketing already seems old school.
But to dismiss its reach and impact is to make what could end up being a costly error, particularly in the early stages of marketing your product or business. Though the internet is blessed with a plethora of modern marketing channels, SMS marketing is actually considered by many experts to be the most effective way of reaching potential customers.
As Neil Patel explains, ‘’SMS marketing is underrated…texting has by far the best engagement rate of any marketing medium. Emails can sit unread for days, phone calls can go unanswered, but text messages are almost always read immediately after they’re sent’’.
Well, when you put it like that…
Email Marketing
We hope this email finds you well…
Those dreaded words, of randoms reaching out en masse, have lost some of their clout over the years. Particularly when you see your email address is part of an 100 strong contacts list…
But as the digital transformation consultancy Network London tell us, “by directly contacting your potential clientele, personally and with unique hooks, you will build a rapport with them which you can turn into future sales”.
So, establish a bond and grow on it before peddling your product, and you’ll stick far longer in the memory than those automated, robotic pitches we’ve all received plenty of over the years.
Local News Websites
By networking with local news and journalistic publications, you can achieve positive marketing via channels which reach a whole different market segment to social media. Whilst not wishing to generalise, readers of local news may make up a different demographic to those who are regulars on social media. As such, brand loyalty should be found via divergent methods for best results.
To get covered on local news websites, your company needs to generate feel-good stories which promote a positive brand image. Organise charity dinners, have your team run a marathon to raise money for a local cause, donate a % of your profits to help disadvantaged people in your city…all positive ways to impact your community which will also buy you positive publicity online.
The Bottom Line
The world of online marketing is forever changing, shape shifting and redefining itself. That said, some constants remain. With a focus on positive branding, a slick website, and the tried and tested outreach methods of social media, SMS and email marketing, your company will be better positioned to engage with as many potential customers as possible. Good luck!