10 Ways to Market Your Business Online

Online marketing is a beast that is always changing and always has new ideas on ways to market your business. Here are 10 tips to help you navigate where to start focusing your marketing dollars and energy.

1. Create a blog and post quality content regularly.
If you are looking to gain authority in your industry and gain the trust of potential clients, a blog is a wonderful way to do that. By sharing the information, you have with the world, you automatically become the expert. Not only will your potential customers love what you have to say, but Google will as well. When Google sends its spiders out to comb the web, when they see you have updated content, it indexes you higher in the search engines. You can’t go wrong by writing a blog and sharing information.

2. LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups is a wonderful way to help establish your authority in your industry. Many times, consumers will ask questions on the group and look to the experts for advice. If you are always offering assistance, people will begin to recognize your name. Once they recognize your name, you are a trusted source of information. Once you are a trusted source of information, the chances of them hiring you sky-rockets.

3. Instagram Influencers
This isn’t a free way to get your name out, but it is a helpful one! By connecting with power users on Instagram and utilizing their connections to help you spread the word, you will reach a larger audience a lot faster than you will organically. You will have to pay the influencer to help you market, but it can be a way to help you launch quickly and with a trusted name standing behind your brand.

4. YouTube Tutorials
Video content is one of the most popular forms of content online. The views from a well-crafted YouTube channel are astounding! It doesn’t take much to put together a quick how-to guide to post on your YouTube account. If can be just a few minutes long, but if you are providing quality content, you will keep your viewers coming back for me. PLUS, once you have the video loaded on YouTube you can spend the link out to your other social media accounts and you have more content to provide there as well. It’s a win-win when you are marketing your business online.

5. Email Marketing
As annoying as all the email marketing can be for a consumer, if you are careful, watch your analytics, and provide information your list is looking for – email marketing is a powerful tool. It is often overdone and borders on being annoying for the consumer. If you would like to send out a daily email, be sure you let your subscriber know when they sign up. That way they know what to expect from you! Providing special email specific coupons or deals can help you build a relationship with your audience as well. Pay close attention to your analytics and your open rates. This will tell you a lot about your audience and help you tailor information so that it is the most effective for your business and it makes your email list excited to see mail from you!

6. Pinterest
I cannot express enough how vital Pinterest is for your online marketing. It is an SEO GOLDMINE! Each pin that you put up on your account that links back to your website gives you more authority in the eyes of Google and other search engines. And the more of these backlinks you have to your website, the more it shows the search engines that you are serious about your business and they will rank you higher in the searches. Doing this organically is the way to go. Paid advertising has its place and we certainly don’t knock it, but there are a lot of things you can do organically that don’t cost you money. And a higher rank of Google that you don’t have to pay for will always speak louder than paying for one of the top three spots.

7. Offer Something Free
In this digital age, companies are always offering free advice to consumers on social media. Are you looking to teach an online class soon? Offer a free white page or how-to guide to get the interest of people on social media. Throw a few dollars at paid advertising so you reach a larger audience. Put up a special page on your website for the download or email capture to email your free guide to the consumer. Once you have their information, give them a few days to review the information and let them know you will be teaching a class that they might be interested in. Don’t be overly salesy, but let them know you have valuable information in your class. Chances are you will see more sign-ups for your course and more enrollment in your programs.

8. Use Hashtags
The use of hashtags on networks such as Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Flickr, and Tumblr are very important. Search hashtags that other company’s in your industry are using and see what is most popular. A simple search within each network will give you some great ideas. Don’t forget to be creative with your hashtags as well. Create a couple for your business that identify it as yours. Use your company name, your catch phrase, etc. when creating your hashtags. And don’t be afraid to have a little fun with them as well. There is no rule that hashtags must be serious and perfect to be effective!

9. Sponsor an Event
If you are a part of an organization like a chamber of commerce or a business association, sponsor some of their events. A lot of times these organizations will include marketing the event on their social media, websites and in the community. It’s a terrific way to support a local cause and you get the benefit of a little extra marketing too! Another win-win for everyone.

10. Google My Business
Having your company online with Google through their Google My Business platform is one of the most important things you can do for your SEO and the marketing of your business. Included in this program is the Google Plus listing and Google maps for your business. This helps consumers find your business with the map feature and if you utilize your Google Plus page for your business with content, you have a winning combination when it comes to Google’s SEO algorithm.

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