How to use the internet to grow your business? With online marketing, you can get more customers and increase profit. Entrepreneurs want to increase their online presence and returns on investments (ROIs). These are the shared feelings of business owners across various industries.
It does not matter if you are running an online or offsite business. Brick and mortar business types and internet business models are creative with marketing. Entrepreneurs aiming for success must wrap their minds around marketing on the web. Your aim could be one of the following:
- Build brand awareness.
- Promote a new product/service/feature.
- Engage potential customers.
- Reach out to old customers who have lost interest.
- Grow your business by increasing your ROI from your existing customers.
What will we discuss?
This article covers many basic aspects of online marketing. You will notice an online marketing overview. Spotlighted also are actionable online marketing techniques that will help you.
This internet marketing overview will cover:
- First, we will consider online marketing fundamentals.
- Secondly, we will look at the types of online marketing.
- Then, we will discuss internet marketing planning.
- Lastly, we will consider how you can assess digital advertising effectiveness.
Who would benefit from this digital marketing article? It may interest:
- Online marketing beginners.
- Those who desire to increase their online presence.
- People who want to start an online business.
- Existing brick-and-mortar business owners.
- Online marketing gurus.
Online Marketing Fundamentals
This section will give you an introduction to online marketing. It also will highlight various terms or processes associated with web promotion.
What is internet marketing?
Let us dissect the term.
The word “online” is synonymous with the internet. The internet is a virtual world. Computers connect to share information from this non-physical world (the internet).
Marketing is the art of advertising and promoting a brand to potential consumers. The general purpose of marketing is to convert protentional consumers into paying customers.
Online Marketing Definition: It is the method of using internet mediums to advertise brands.
Combining the two words and their purpose, let us now define web advertising. Internet Marketing uses various mediums via the internet to advertise services and products.
You can interchange online marketing with various terms. From time to time, you may hear about digital marketing and internet marketing. At other times you may hear web marketing/advertising and online advertising. They all refer to internet marketing.
Online Marketing vs Offline Marketing
Online marketing is an advertising technique done via the internet. Whereas traditional marketing is advertisements done offline.
Populating the internet are various web-based communication channels. Web-based channels are websites, blogs, video sharing, social media, podcasts, and more.
A user can connect with brands and information via these online channels. Internet marketing focuses on leveraging these channels to promote a business.
The purposes of internet marketing are to attract and engage potential customers. You can track and measure the performance of your online marketing strategy.
Offline marketing techniques use mediums such as radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and television. Years ago, traditional marketing was the only way to advertise a brand.
Who wins the advertising battle between online marketing and traditional marketing?
Winner: Online marketing.
Internet advertising revenues continue to surpass traditional advertisements. Wikipedia reports that online marketing spends over $50 billion more than television advertisements. This shows that online advertising works. The research estimates also suggest web marketing’s remarkable growth. Online marketing wins because its increase, power, and reach, have no signs of slowing down.
Online Marketing Planning
Proper planning will help you to build an online presence for your business. Understand the motivation behind your desire to leverage internet marketing techniques. Besides this, you must create a healthy internet marketing plan.
Once you decide to begin an online marketing campaign, assess your competition. Your competitors are using the internet for marketing. Moreover, they are using top online marketing strategies and tactics. You want to use the same web marketing methods, but better than your competition does. But as a supplier, focus on your business and your customer.
- First, you must be able to define your business.
- Second, have an expert idea of who your ideal customers are.
- Thirdly, understand how you can make your online marketing strategy effective.
- Fourth, choose the right online marketing technique for your brand.
01. Your Business
Steer your internet marketing strategy in the right direction. By knowing what your business is about. If you are an already established company, you already know your entity. You can identify the needs, goals, mission, and vision of your business.
Do you have a business plan? Now is the time to take it out. Remind yourself of the vision and mission of your business. See what your business objectives are? If they are old, create new ones. Set new goals.
Rely on these concepts of your company and focus your advertisement strategy on that.
What are the needs of your company?
From the perspective of a business, think about the objective of your marketing plan. What are you hoping to achieve with your online advertisement and promotion strategy? Your company needs could be one of the following:
- make a larger audience aware of your brand;
- help more and new customers to convert into ROI;
- have more shares and followers on your social media platforms;
- direct traffic from social media to your website;
- increase visitors to your website and/or;
- have more newsletter subscribers.
Assess the goals and needs of your business. Then, outline how your marketing plan will meet those needs.
What are you promoting?
For instance, you could be promoting a new product. You may have made some additions and enhancements to an existing application. You want customers to know about that upgrade. It is that time of the year when you want to add further value to your customers’ buck. So, you are offering a deal, bargain, or discount you want to encourage them to capitalize on.
Is it a long-term goal or a short-term goal?
Your online marketing plan can run permanently. Webhosting companies, for instance, always offer a significant discount for first-time customers. On the other hand, your marketing may be short-term. A deal or discount that will only exist for one week or this month.
02. Your Customer
Understand your customers. This is key to understanding digital marketing techniques that will suit your business. This means that you must create a relationship with your customers. As an entrepreneur, you aim to build a relationship with your customers. Get to know your customers on a personal level. Aim to be their friends. Then work on cherishing that friendship.
More website visitors equate to more customers. More customers mean more sales. You know where this is going. More sales mean a greater return on investment (ROI). The goal of your internet marketing techniques is for you to gain some amount of ROI.
Closing: Assess Online Marketing Effectiveness
With marketing, you direct visitors to your business. You also give them relevant information that will convert them into customers.
Web marketing and advertising are effective. Hence, companies are spending a bunch of money on internet marketing. We are talking about billions of dollars spent on advertising the web every year.
Digital marketing is fast and targeted. This is the right option for most companies. Internet marketing is getting products and services seen and heard. It is bringing new and repeat clients to businesses. It makes the availability of products and services surpass geographical boundaries. On a large scale, paid advertisements aid global web marketing.
Digital marketing for small businesses could be inexpensive. They are many ways to capitalize on composite digital marketing trends. Be familiar with how to improve your website visibility. Use various internet marketing techniques to reach your target audience.
