Ever wonder why some businesses are hugely successful with online marketing and others aren’t? So many people spend time and money on books, tapes, and seminars trying to discover the secret.
Want to know the secret? We are here to share it all (no magic handshake or Guardian’s Oath required to obtain the information)!
The Secret to Online Marketing
Truth be told, it’s not just one thing, but a combination that gives great online marketing it’s magical powers:
Know Your Audience – Spewing your message out to the masses won’t do you much good because not everyone needs or wants your product. So, first things first, get to know your audience. You want to know who your target buyer is (where they hang out online; when are they most likely online; do they use email/mobile/social; what are their demographics; and what are their pain points or reasons for needing your product).
Create profiles of your target buyers and whenever you create a new online marketing piece, pretend you are creating the message for that ‘person’ — this will help you to craft it in a format that resonates with them directly. Also, since you know where they hang out and what type of marketing is most likely to catch their eye, you’ll know what kind of content to create (i.e. email, social media, or a mobile ad).
- Create a Plan and Stick to It – Once you know exactly who your audience is, it’s time to devise a plan for connecting with them. Your content calendar or marketing schedule will be your plan of attack and will define what you want to talk to your audience about, on what day, and via what format.
Why is this so important? We’re glad you asked! You don’t want to bombard your audience constantly nor do you want to send disparate messaging. Creating a marketing calendar that clearly defines when you will email, post to social, run ads, create blogs, etc. will allow you to control the number of times you connect with your target market. It will also allow you to clearly define a strategy for what your message will be and how you will build excitement.
- Measure and Adjust – Once your plan is in motion, monitor it daily and/or weekly. This will allow you to see how your strategy is performing and make changes on the fly. Unlike traditional marketing in a magazine or television ad, you’ll be able to see real-time performance, make changes, and maximize your efforts while your campaigns are in flight versus having to wait until your ad spend has completed its run. This flexibility is a huge bonus to online marketing and why it’s so popular with businesses of all sizes.
Still need a little advice on how to set up your online marketing? Or perhaps you’re looking for an outsourced agency to handle your online marketing needs during the upcoming holiday season? Give SBOS Web Solutions a shout and let us show you how to make a splash with your online marketing!