Guide to Online Marketing

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur, online marketing is going to be one of the most useful tools at your disposal. Online marketing is something you can generally do all on your own from the comfort of your own home. And as an added bonus, you have the potential to connect with thousands of potential customers.

So what are the must-dos when it comes to online marketing? And how do you ensure that you’re taking each initiative on is being done in a way that will benefit your business? We answer some of your questions on the next pages.

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Guide to Online Marketing

As a small business owner, your website is one of the most important marketing tools you can have. In the era of Google and Bing, this is going to be how people discover you. To not have a website is the 2015 version of not listing your business’s number in the phone book.

If you don’t know the first thing about, building a website, hire someone to help you make it. Also check out other website that you like - both within you industry and all over the web - to create one that meets the required standards.

Building a Website

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Social Networks

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While a website is a good central online destination for your small business, social networks are equally important. Social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others can help you share information with current and prospective customers from just about anywhere.

When setting up your social networks, you’ll want to make sure that you’re using the networks that will resonate with your customers. For instance, if you’re a plumber, you probably don’t need to be on Snapchat unless you have a really great strategy. But if you’re a wedding photographer, an Instagram profile can help people get a clear idea of the work you do.

Paid Ads onFacebook or Twitter

Social networks generally let your promote posts or create custom ads to reach new customers. For instance, on Facebook, if you can create posts that target people who live in your area, like similar business, or have interests that your customers usually have.

The trick here is coming up with compelling copy and a solid image that speaks to your potential customers and gets them to click on it. Again, as with a website, if you don’t feel comfortable taking on paid advertising on these platforms, hire someone who can do it for you. Chances are, after working with someone for a short period of time, you’ll be confidentenough to do it on your own before too long.

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BloggingHave interesting thoughts on the state of your industry? Want to share those thoughts with others, and boost your SEO ranking the process? Try adding a blog to your website.

A blog can be a great forum for writing about past projects, giving your thoughts on current events, or just having some fun with your loyal followers. Also, the more relevant content you create for your blog, the better your SEO ranking will be. That means you’ll be more likely to appear higher in search results when people look for you on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

There are a few general rules you should follow if you plan on starting a blog. First off, be sure to post regularly. There’s nothing worse than a blog that hasn’t been updated in months, or even years. Also, be sure to create great content. Short articles with accompanying video, photos, or graphics does a better job of telling your story than a long text-only post ever could.

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NetworkingIn today’s workforce, networking is a skill that all of us need to have. But networking isn’t just for happy hour bars anymore. You can use the web to network with likeminded individualsand find new partnerships.

For instance, LinkedIn Groups can be a great place to connect with people in your industry, or even other people who are eager to utilize the web to promote their business. Here you can find new ideas, build a community, and maybe even find a new customer or two.

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