mylocalbroward.com

Tips to create an online marketing strategy for your business

Published: 03/13/2010 by By Andrea Freygang, publisher of BrowardNETOnline.com

2010 will likely go down as the year of social media marketing. More and more consumers are using iPhones, Blackberries, and laptops to connect to information at their fingertips. Today’s consumers want reviews, they want multimedia presentations, and most of all, they want to connect. Traditional forms of reaching new customers aren’t as effective (and can be cost-prohibitive), and as a business owner trying to market themselves in a highly competitive market, new ways to reach the customer must continually be found. While consulting with business owners in the local Broward market, most seem to have questions about online marketing and how to navigate it. With social media bursting at the seams in growth and your competition sure to be found on those networks, sometimes keeping up with multiple online networks can be difficult. It also takes some trial and error to find a pace, and a budget, that works for you and your business.
A recent study by the Harvard Business Review found that Facebook changed customer behavior for the better. According to the study, Facebook page fans “spent about the same amount of money per visit, they increased their store visits per month after becoming Facebook fans and generated more positive word of mouth than nonfans. They went to (the business) 20% more often than nonfans and gave the store the highest share of their overall dining-out dollars,” among other things.” (Source: http://hbr.org/2010/03/one-cafe-chains-facebook-experiment/ar/1.)
But Facebook is only one part of the social media and online stream. There’s Twitter which utilizes 140 characters to send a message and to chat. LinkedIn is a professional site, more resume-based. The centerpiece to any online strategy must be a Web site, possibly a blog updated on a semi-regular basis. Other items to consider include online directories (think online Yellow pages), advertising on other Websites, pay per click marketing, search engine optimization (optimizing your site to be found by search engines, thus driving traffic to your site without paying advertising dollars), building links, email newsletters and more.
It can be rather mind-boggling, but here are a few tips to help you get started.
1) Your website doesn’t need to cost you thousands of dollars. Some businesses have major customization needs, but most can get by on the plethora of affordable options for under $1,000. The Internet is rife with theme templates for your Website. Find someone who can set you up with a decent Website, and shows you how to update and make basic changes. The last thing you want is a Website that you have to hunt down and/or pay a graphic designer every time you want to add a small piece of content or information.
2) Make sure the site is search engine optimized to garner more traffic. Search engine rankings are accrued over time. Anyone who promises thousands of immediate links and page one rankings in Google in 24 to 48 hours is likely a scam artist who provides spam links which only hurt your site, and waste your precious dollars. The key is quality inbound links to help in search engine rankings. Good content also helps.
3) Social media such as Facebook, Twitter and others can be overwhelming with the different options. Hire someone one a contract basis to manage your accounts based on a personalized marketing campaign, or pay someone to train you on how to set up and use the features so you can manage it yourself. Daily updates aren’t required, but checking in at least weekly and interacting with your followers is key to developing good relationships that hopefully translate into future sales. Check in weekly even if you have someone else managing your online presence on a day to day basis.
Bonus tip: When using online social media, use caution when clicking links sent to you—look for clues that it is a spam or virus-filled link.
4) Other ways to consider maximizing your presence online include videos, both on your Web site and others such as YouTube or online directories which offer opportunities to showcase your business as well as provide a quality link to your site. There are free ones directories out there, but consider investing in paying for a few quality listings in targeted niche sites. Also consider placing banner ads on local blog sites or trading banner ads or links with partner sites to grow your online reach.
These are only a few things to consider when creating an online marketing plan for your business. Navigating the online world can be daunting to the uninitiated, but with more and more businesses going online, having a presence is integral to the success of your business, no matter how small.
Andrea Freygang is publisher of www.BrowardNETOnline.com, an online newspaper covering news and more in Broward County as well as www.mylocalbroward.com, an online directory site for local Broward businesses. She is also an online marketing strategist, focused on providing affordable solutions for small businesses. If you are interested in learning more about how online marketing can grow your business or how to create a custom plan and learn how to use the tools on your own, contact her at andrea@browardnetonline.com or by calling 954-822-7501.