In today’s technological world, it would be nearly impossible to succeed in business without including some sort of internet marketing. Yet the choices are becoming so overwhelming, it can be difficult to select the right forms of digital marketing for you. But the proper selection is important because it will help you connect with your specific audience.
When you’re determining which types of internet marketing you want to employ, there are two important questions to ask yourself: Where is my company now? Where do I want my company to go? The answers to these questions will help direct the path you take with your online marketing campaigns, allowing you to get the biggest bang for your marketing bucks. To help you make the best possible selections, read on to learn more about the various internet marketing channels available and the criteria that should be used to drive your selection process.
Internet Marketing Options: What Are Some of the Options?
- Email Marketing. Brand-building emails, email newsletters, customer conversion-focused emails and more sent to an ever-growing email list that consumers can easily sign up for in your store, or on your website and blog.
- Display Ads. Interactive advertisements, video advertisements, banners and more, often placed on third-party blogs or website to drive traffic to your business and create brand awareness.
- SEO. Link-building, keyword search and on-page optimization, which helps to increase your company’s rank in search engine results.
- Affiliate Marketing. Many companies, such as Amazon and eBay, have affiliate marketing programs that allow small businesses and solopreneurs to earn residual income by linking back to these bigger companies. Is that a program your large business could offer and benefit from?
- Pay Per Click. Google, Yahoo! and many others have PPC advertising opportunities to help increase traffic and visibility on a pay-per-click basis.
- Online Public Relations. Internet-based public relations agencies, such as PR Web or PR Newswire, can be an effective marketing method for increasing presence and traffic, or building your brand.
- Social Media Marketing. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, FourSquare and myriad other social media venues that help drive traffic to your website and increase your business’s visibility.
Consider These Factors
- Your Business Goals. At the top of the list are your business’s goals. Brand awareness, traffic increases, sales or public awareness are all goals that might be behind a marketing campaign.
- Marketing Budget. After defining your goals, budget is the next factor to come into play. The above internet marketing options provide something for every budget, from pennies to millions.
- Pool of Available Talent. The talent you have available on your staff is instrumental for pulling off a successful internet marketing campaign. Do you have writers, social media marketing whizzes?
Get the Most for Your Marketing Dollars
You wouldn’t throw money away on ineffective marketing strategies, but that’s what companies are doing when they use methods that are ineffective for their business or goals. It’s important to revisit the marketing strategies your company uses from time to time to ensure they’re still producing the results needed. As your business changes and as consumers continue to evolve, the internet marketing techniques you use will have to progress, too.
