The Internet has completely altered the way we access and share information. Every business, big or small, is looking for new and super-effective ways to share its message and products with customers online. Every business has an audience out there on the web, and social media promises better connections with existing customers as well as a way to find new ones and extend your reach.
The web has not only made it easier for businesses to find customers, but made companies more accessible to their markets. Customers look at how a business presents itself online the way they used to look at the company’s sign outside the building when deciding whether to shop there.
Online media gives businesses a new way to create a brand for themselves, just as it has given customers an outlet to get their voices heard. It’s easy to get discouraged by social media. Staying relevant online means creating interesting and relevant content, paying attention to the industry, and responding to customer comments. All of that takes time, but in the end it can help to increase your customer base and lift the company to new heights.
Here are three building blocks to a successful online marketing campaign:
1. Create great content
Social media sites are nothing more than a platform for creation and sharing. No one is going to follow a Twitter account or like a Facebook page if it doesn’t produce content worth reading or looking at. This can be challenging for a business, because you have to promote your products without becoming boring or repetitive.
There is no doubt that investing in graphics and video, in addition to well-written blogs and articles, will elicit a greater response from your audience. No matter what industry your business belongs to, there are creative resources you can tap into. Companies should create original content and share relevant content from partners, customers and professionals in the field.
2. Choose the platforms
The Internet is vast. While there are obvious go-to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, others can be just as valuable. For example, Pinterest has recently become one of the hottest social media sites, and the businesses that are using it have seen their images and content get shared to an ever-expanding audience.
Maintaining a presence on the main networks is important, but paying attention to the latest trends and newer sites could give your business an advantage if you jump on the bandwagon early. Where a company has an online presence, and what trends it follows, will affect its audience and the messages it sends out.
3. Engage the audience
A business should be looking not only to build an audience but to create a connection with them. Generating interesting content and putting it up on websites where people will see it is a good start, but the company should also create a conversation.
Customers want to feel they are being heard. Responding to comments and encouraging people to leave feedback will make your business more approachable. It will make your company more human. Connecting with the customer creates a relationship that is harder for competitors to crack.
Combining content with personal connections
Businesses will find that Agency Marketing—advertising, copywriting, graphic design, web development and more—creates the groundwork for building a solid brand in the digital environment.
Interacting with customers and using social media to its fullest are the best ways to expand an online audience that remains engaged. Providing great service and products is one thing, but actually connecting with customers will make sure they keep coming back. Imagination coupled with a welcoming Internet connection is what a business needs to find its audience online.
