After establishing a company, you should start thinking of ways to add value to it to attract customers. Times are tough for small businesses because it is becoming hard to establish a loyal customer base since people have a wide range of options in the market. As a result, competition has become stiff.
Business owners are working round the clock to market their businesses and create brand awareness to get the upper hand in the competition. However, advertising can be costly to many small businesses, and they may be discouraged. Fortunately, online marketing has come to their rescue since it is relatively inexpensive and fast compared to other marketing strategies. For example, digital marketing services by MediaOne in Singapore.
Nevertheless, many business owners are adopting digital marketing due to advancements in technology and the growing number of internet users. In fact, 83% of small businesses agree that these strategies have significantly helped boost their profits.
Here are some ways you can use to add value to your online business.
1. Embrace social media
There are about 4 billion people around the world using at least one social media platform. A report submitted by Forbes shows that 25% of those people using social media platforms follow pages of certain brands online.
Therefore, social media is an effective way of creating brand awareness. Such platforms include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, and so many others.
To get started, you have to create a profile for your business and start working on gaining followers by posting informative and engaging content regularly to keep your clients engaged. You can also ask your clients for testimonials after using your products or services and post them on your page as a way to earn the trust of potential clients.
It would also be helpful if you carried out targeted social media campaigns. This way, you will be able to study the needs of your target audience extensively and create content specifically for them. They will feel cared for in turn and remain loyal to your brand.
Related: Increasing Your Business' Value as a Brand
One interesting thing about social media marketing is that it is entirely free. However, if you are not patient enough, you can use paid social media campaign to give your business exposure, but it is pretty cheap.
After building your social media, you should also work towards protecting it. Be active regularly to check what people are saying about your business. Answer their questions if they have any and handle their complaints.
At times, being active on social media may be overwhelming since you are also required to concentrate on other activities. Consider outsourcing your social media posting to companies specializing in it and using that time for other things.
2. Improve your website
At times, your business may fail to make sales because the website is not well-designed. If you are venturing into an online business, you can't afford to have a website that does not provide a positive shopping experience for clients or constantly crashes.
When you start a business, hire a professional web designer to help you build an effective website. If you had already designed one and your business starts growing, or you want to expand it, look for an expert to help you improve it and include all the necessary features.
Ensure your website is engaging, easy to use, and appealing to the eye. It must also include photographs, graphics, and videos, as well as useful, well-written content. Also, be sure to provide client reviews on your website regarding their great experiences. These testimonials help potential consumers trust the credibility of your business and also promote your website optimization.
Website optimization (and, Search Engine Optimization - SEO) is also crucial if you want your online marketing strategies to be successful. It will ensure your website appears at the top of search engine results pages.
As you are already aware, many buyers rarely navigate past the first page when they are looking for information. Most of the time, they find what they are looking for on the first page. It is therefore vital for your website to be at the top.
3. Join a Relevant Online Community and Participate
No matter the business you have ventured into or your target audience, the high chances are that there are many online communities that you can join. Community forums are one of the easiest ways for marketers to access helpful questions and subjects of interest of their target audience for free.
As you interact with people on these sites and forums, it is critical to provide valuable and insightful information rather than aggressively advertise your business. However, you might include a link to your site and mention which company you work for when doing so. This might assist you in building a solid network of contacts and establish yourself as a local authority in your area.
How Being Active with Online Communities Boosts your Online Marketing Strategy
The following are some of the ways you will benefit from being active with online communities
- You will understand customer challenges - Interacting with the online community will help you understand problems that consumers face better, and you will be able to solve them.
- Shorten the search phase for products - If you interact with people online, the chances of buying from you will increase since they have information about your business. Therefore, they will not waste their time visiting other sites that may not have what they are looking for.
- Helps you maintain a long-term relationship - Interacting with customers on forums where they get to ask questions and promptly answering them makes them feel valued. As a result, they will keep buying from your business.
4. Create An Email List
Creating an email list is essential for digital marketing. You should collect the names and email addresses of individuals interested in your products using a registration form on your website.
You can also get the names and email addresses of your prospects from their business cards. Alternatively, you might create a list of people interested in your company and ask them for their details.
Directing your emails to these people on your list is essential. These are your potential clients since they had previously shown interest in your business by looking you up or contacting you.
Your emails will inform them of what your company has to offer, and you may keep everyone updated about any special discounts, offers, or promotions you may be running.
Personalized re-engagement emails also influence people who had stopped buying from your business to come back. Be sure to include the improvements you have made to your products and give them discounts if they come back.
Brands have also embraced personalized email automation to follow up with consumers to know what they did not like about their products and make necessary changes. They can also be able to create customized content for their clients based on their interests.
5. Start an Affiliate Program
Your customers can be your most excellent brand ambassadors. If they are satisfied with your products, they will ask their friends and relatives to buy from you. You can start an affiliate program to reward them for sharing with people about your business, and as a result, they will be motivated.
You may choose to give these consumers a modest percentage of your sales or a predetermined monetary amount. Sometimes, you can choose to provide them with special discounts for the products they buy from you. You can also reward them with points to redeem any time they want to make a purchase.
To make sure this program is successful and efficient, you can use software programs to track the affiliate marketing programs rather than word of mouth. As a result, the company can capture all the data and know who rightfully deserves the reward.
Final Words
Marketing a small business can be quite a challenge due to the cost of advertising. However, advancements in technology have brought about marketing strategies that are cheap yet efficient. These marketing strategies have helped in promoting brand awareness for small businesses. Therefore, they can survive in a competitive environment.
