With so much you can do and so much information out there, it's not surprising so many people find it frustrating and in the end don't get started at all!
3 Easy Ways to Get Started in Online Marketing
We often meet business owners who are starting to think about online marketing but are confused and really dont know where to start. With so much you can do and so much information out there, its not surprising so many people find it frustrating and in the end dont get started at all!
So weve put together 3 things to help you get your online marketing off the ground as quickly and easily as possible.
Before You Start
Making a plan is the best place to start. Most people are on tight budgets at the moment but its worth working out what you can afford to spend each month. Once youve set aside a small budget, then plan who youre going to target. Its important that youre clear about your target market as it will make your marketing more focused and easier in the long run. Then work out how much time you have to spend on marketing, as you cant do everything and run your small business at the same time!
1. Blog
Most of you probably already have a website, but if not and you cant afford to get one built professionally at the moment, then you can start with a blog site. Blog sites hosted by Wordpress.com or Typepad.com make it easy to get an online presence without spending much money. The site is hosted by them and they have a number of free templates to choose from. You can be up and running in no time!
A blog can also go a long way to promote your service and allow you to interact with visitors on your site. Search engines also love blogs and if youre proactive in keeping it up to date, you may find your posts being indexed quickly, leading to more visits to your website. However, if you sell a range of products, you really do need to invest in an e-commerce website.
2. Social Media
Setting up profiles on the main social media networks should be next on the list. Theyre all free to use and huge numbers of people use these sites every day. Having said that, you do need a plan as to how youre going to use these sites and who you want to target, so its important you write your profile in a way that will attract your target market. Its worth setting up profiles on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn. LinkedIn is particularly good for business service professionals, although we still think its worth trying all 3 whether you sell a product or a service.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a very cheap & easy way to keep your name in front of your customers and prospects. When you meet people, ask them if you can add them to your list. The same goes for your customers. Its important to build up a list you can market your products or services to, and chances are if someone buys from you once, theyll buy from you again, so you need to make sure these people remember you! Email marketing isnt as daunting as it sounds, nor is it expensive and the advantage is that you can find out what response you get from your newsletters too, such as who opened it. If you plan ahead what to write or promote each month, itll make life much easier!
These 3 things can go a long way to getting your online marketing off the ground. Theres a lot more to it, so if youre looking for more tips, make sure you dont forget to read our twice weekly blog posts !
© Savvy Marketers, 2011
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About Savvy Marketers
Sam McArthur and Louise Barnes-Johnston are the Savvy Marketers! For a free copy of "The Ultimate Small Business Guide to Marketing via the Internet" visit: www.savvymarketers.co.uk
We offer internet marketing strategy, consultancy and training to small professional service businesses and e-commerce sites. Our combined experience and expertise covers areas including: social media marketing, search engine marketing, blogging & email marketing.
Sam
Fortyfirst
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