Online marketing is one of the most competitive aspects of business today. Because so many companies have an online presence, it has become more important than ever before to become adept at seizing and holding market share. Here are three proven online marketing strategies that work.
1. Social media interaction
SMM, or social media marketing, has evolved into one of the most effective and inexpensive marketing strategies available to small and medium sized businesses. Companies that utilize social media strategies are 62% more likely to gain new customers than companies that don’t. At this point, customers almost expect that a business will engage in a social media outlet such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
2. Customer involvement
When consumers are asked to participate in real company decisions, the effects can be exponential. Things like product naming contests, logo design feedback, and “cutest puppy” photo contests help to make existing and future customers feel like the company is listening to what people are saying. Customer involvement can be elicited through social media marketing, online adword campaigns, and more. When a company’s existing and potential customers become involved in the conversation, they subconsciously become vested in the brand. This makes them more likely to return, more likely to purchase, and more likely to recommend the brand to friends and family members.
3. Forum posting
Companies that have dedicated representatives who post regularly to relevant forums have a marketing edge. When the public is discussing their happiness or dissatisfaction with a product on a forum, they rarely expect an official company representative to chime in. When the company does comment in a professional manner, it has a reverberating positive affect on the company’s public image. Appropriate forums include anywhere the service or product of the company is being discussed, or where the target demographic hangs out online.
Companies can no longer afford to ignore the sweeping changes that the online world has made on commerce. The consumer audience has shifted from the television set to computer screens and mobile devices like tablets and phones. Online marketing strategies can be just as powerful and just as effective when they are implemented correctly.
