5 Online Marketing Tips For Small Business Owners

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Thanks to the Internet, it’s now possible for you to get the word out about your business in ways previous generations of entrepreneurs never could. In fact, it’s possible that with a single post on social media you might become the next hot thing, with people falling over each other to give you their money.

Possible isn’t the same thing as probable, though, and it takes a lot of work behind the scenes to become an overnight success. Which is why if you’re putting together an online marketing strategy, you should keep these tips in mind.

Tip #1: Ask What Value You’re Giving Your Customers

Too often a business is concerned with how many people will hear its message, or see its content, without asking what they’re giving to their potential customers. So ask yourself; why should someone pay attention to your marketing content? Are you giving them a discount, or a free gift, that makes your message worth bookmarking, or sharing? Do you have an entertaining commercial people will want to watch, and tell their friends about?

Remember, any business can stand on a soap box and shout. But the substance of your message, and how it hooks people who hear it, matters.

Tip #2: Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew With Social Media

Social media is a great way to get the word out about your business, and to start building a network and following. However, it’s a good idea to pick a social media platform, and to get established on it before you try to extend your reach to another one. While you can use Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and LinkedIn to grow your reach, don’t try to establish yourself on all of them simultaneously. Pick one, and once you’ve got a foundation, build on it.

Tip #3: Don’t Just Broadcast All The Time

Have you ever been to dinner with someone who does nothing but talk about themselves the whole time? Even if they’re a genuinely interesting person, and their life is interesting to hear about, you probably got bored long before the check came. Don’t be that person. Whether you’re utilizing social media, a video-sharing site like YouTube, or just trying to establish yourself in a community by posting on forums, you need to have conversations with people. Listen to feedback, offer opinions, and show that you’re not just a pre-programmed bot tossing out links and advertisements. People respond to businesses that are genuine, so don’t be afraid to show people who you really are.

Tip #4: Be Regular

People love routine, and you need to be able to tap into that if you want online marketing success. Send out messages to your email list on the same day of the week, or on the same day of the month. When you make social media posts, keep to a theme and a schedule. Make sure people who like your business, and who like what you’re doing, know when to tune-in to hear what you’re talking about. You’ll get better results than you would just shooting out messages whenever the thought occurs to you, or whenever you have the time.

Tip #5: Look At The Numbers

Every marketing attempt, no matter how well researched, is a crap shoot. Sometimes a sure-fire campaign strategy sinks for reasons you couldn’t have predicted, and the silly, off-the-cuff idea you had goes viral. If you’re marketing online, though, look at the numbers your attempts are generating, and try to use them to see the bigger picture. If your social media hits get more sales than your pay-per-click campaign, then it might be time to shuffle over your resources. Studies have shown tha Tuesdays and Thursday’s are the best days to send out your email, but If you get a better response posting on Friday afternoon or Monday morning, add that into your overall strategy.

Numbers don’t lie, so follow where they lead you.

To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategies and grow your business, give us a call at 661-702-1310!

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