social media top ten online marketing tips

  1. Ensure articles are of genuine value – yes you want them to be keyword rich but don’t compromise quality in the process. You want to be viewed as an authority in your industry, not a spammer.

 

  1. Network online – locate the industry experts whom you aspire to emulate. Benefit from their experience and expertise and, where possible, interject your own thoughts and observations. You too will gradually develop your reputation and soon enough other users will want to make frequent trips to your blog to see what recent pearls you’ve been posting.

 

  1. Ensure your web address is mentioned EVERYWHERE – signatures, business cards, e-literature, brochures, headed letter paper, etc. Your website is your shop window so make sure people know where to find it. In the early days this can be one of the quickest and easiest sources of traffic.

 

  1. Capture visitors’ details – each time a visitor browses your site they do so because they want something you have. Allowing them to leave without any means of contacting them again in the future must be avoided at all costs. Offer them something in return for their details. What about a free eBook with tips or other important information relating to your industry? Once it is produced it is free to distribute and will increase your ability to capture leads enormously. Just make sure the content is of real value. People won’t appreciate being duped. If an eBook is not appropriate given your target market, entry into a free prize draw could be another option.

 

  1. Choose your domain name carefully – for many businesses this decision is dictated by the existing company name. However, if you feel your business may have some flexibility in this area, I urge you to think carefully. It’s arguably the single most important decision you will make with regards SEO, and therefore one worth taking your time over.

 

  1. Press Releases – Once upon a time you needed a brother in the local newspaper or a genuinely ground breaking innovation to warrant a press release. Well not any more. Now you can use online PR distribution services to promote your message to your target audience, providing you with useful backlinks and real authority. Again, just keep the content interesting and of genuine value to the reader.

 

  1. Start a monthly newsletter – Capturing details of prospective customers is the hard part, so make sure you then do something with it. Send out monthly newsletters but remember, people are bombarded nowadays with e-shots so you must make yours standout. The subject line will usually determine whether or not the mail is opened so make it compelling. Put yourself in the recipients’ shoes – would you open a mail with that subject line?

 

  1. Blog – The blog is in many ways the best place to begin your Internet marketing journey. The concept is fairly simple – write meaningful articles with high keyword density and inject real personality. Make it fun and interesting. The tendency for corporate blogs is to stay professional. That’s fine but ultimately people want to read about people. They want to see real life, not corporate sales spiel. Try to incorporate pictures and videos where possible. It breaks up the text and brings the whole page to life.

 

  1. Don’t neglect more traditional methods – Internet Marketing is the process of developing your offline business through online means. However, don’t forget the reverse also applies and by referring back to traditional methods you can really stand out from the crowd. Send a hand written letter to your most important customers. They will appreciate the personal touch.

 

  1. Be patient and set realistic expectations – An effective Internet marketing campaign will completely transform your business, as it propels your lead generation and enhances your ability to engage effectively with existing clients. However, this does not all magically fall into place overnight. Set a realistic plan of action over a period of three-six months. The first phase is the hardest but stick with it and soon enough you will begin to reap the rewards.