Whether you’re starting a business, selling products online, or blogging content it’s important to know how to reach your audience. While the phrase ‘marketing strategy’ may seem a little daunting, developing one isn’t as hard as you may think.
In today’s day and age, it’s easy to be discouraged by how saturated the market has become. The internet has democratized areas of media and business that were once exclusive only to small group of people. Nowadays, anyone can start their own photography business online. If they wanted to, anyone can create a website, manufacture products, and subsequently start a business. Of course, it takes a lot of time and money to do something like that, but the point is that as technology becomes easily accessible, so too does the people’s ability to access the market.
That’s why a marketing strategy is important, it allows you differentiate yourself from the mob and create a niche that works for your target demographic. Obviously there’s much more to marketing than this, but to get things started here’s a short list of some very important tips that you should be thinking about.
Hone in on your demographic
If you’re a writer, you want to know your audience. You’ll want to develop a knack for understanding the kinds of words, phrases, and ideas certain demographics are more responsive to. For instance, if you’re writing content for a fashion blog, you don’t want to be writing like a PHD candidate submitting their thesis on contemporary art.
The same goes with any business, don’t try to sell your product to the wrong consumer because it’s a waste of energy. Take time understanding who is buying your product and why. Once you find out who your audience is, the rest falls like dominoes.
Make sure you’re at least a little bit knowledgeable of SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is incredibly important when you’re marketing your business. If you want your website to be the first thing that pops up on Google, Bing, or Yahoo! you`ll want to be using SEO strategies.
This could mean anything from using certain keywords, making your URL more appropriate, or optimizing your site’s metadata.
Delving into the Ad Space
When people think online marketing the first thing that pops to mind is online advertising. It’s the perfect tool for anyone looking to get their business out there. If you have the money, consider buying up ads on different regions of the web. This will get your product, company, or service out there for everyone to see.
But make sure you’re not creating spam ads, misleading ads, or downright sketchy looking ads. When I say sketchy, I mean ads with flashy, questionable headlines like “this magic pill will help you lose weight!” The last thing you want is for people to think your ad is just another bad link to an unsavory website.
Making social media your best friend
Taking advantage of the multiple platforms available to you like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, will not only allow you to engage with your audience but also update them on everything that’s happening, like up-coming sales or shows.
But you want to be smart with how you use social media. Always think twice about what you’re going to post because at the end of the day it’s your reputation on the line. A small miscalculation or a poorly worded argument could alienate your audience and cause you to lose followers literally overnight.
You also want to keep up to date with trends or fads. Often times there will be trending hashtags, profile pictures, Instagram filters, or Snapchat filters that everyone is using. By having fun with these trends it’s easy to snag a few followers and gain exposure.
Post, post, post
No one’s going to continue reading your blog if you post every 5 months. Even if you’re audience is in the hundreds, you should be posting daily regardless. Not only will it allow you to get better at generating quality content, but it will also show to your audience that you’re website is actually functioning and up and running.
It’s important that you schedule posts or coordinate with someone who can. Always ensure that something is going up and that it’s relevant and of good quality. I know it’s hard sometimes to think of a good topic, but a little research goes a long way with pitches and content.
And there you have it, 5 simple marketing tips that you can now use for your online business, blog, or whatever else you choose. Building a strong media presence is certainly difficult, but don’t be fooled by the difficulty. With enough research, effort, and experimentation it’s possible to do virtually anything. So get out there and exploit the wonders of the online web!