Without consumers, a business has no reason to exist, which is why keeping customers happy is essential for a company to grow. Online Marketing and social media management are two key ways to reach new consumers, as well as engage and retain current customers. With so many different approaches, how should a business utilize online marketing and social media marketing?

The main difference between traditional and online marketing (which includes social media advertising) is that the consumer is already searching for a business online, not the other way around. Prospects are already in the mindset to purchase when they are researching products on the world wide web. It is up to the business to create a compelling message in order to convert them them from simply researching to purchasing. To do this, it is essential that the business knows the needs of its potential and current consumers, then provide answers to any questions they might have before, during and after the sales cycle.

There are two very effective tactics businesses should use in online marketing: Web Analytics and Social Media Management.

Web analytics provide a wealth of information about consumers- information that can be used to determine how best to market a growing business.  Analytics can tell a business what search terms brought consumers to a website, what interested them while on the site and what problems they encountered which may have prevented a sale or lead conversion. This will allow a business to optimize its keywords and website to reach the best consumers and to make sure they are happy while using the site.

It’s no secret that social media has become a major part of the world, and it is necessary for a business to join this conversation with a consistent social media presence. In the United States, 27% of the time spent online is spent on social networks, which in turn means that 46% of users turn to social media to read product reviews and get word of mouth recommendations from their peers before deciding on a purchase. Savvy business owners and major brands don’t leave that conversation to chance…they actually participate in it!

People love to have their opinions heard. An engaging social media presence is a great way to let them know a business is paying attention to them. Actively listening to and responding to consumers’ opinions will lead to happy and loyal consumers, as well as valuable insights into your company.

Guest Blog Post By Charlene Burke, CEO, Search By Burke

Successful businesses understand the benefits of “baked in marketing”.

Baking marketing into a product or service simply means creating something that is so interesting and valuable that people want to purchase it, and also tell others about it. It’s the key to success in any online marketing campaign.
Most entrepreneurs do the opposite

Take a quick look at your competitors, you will notice that they all seem to be doing the same things, with a few exceptions. They all seem to have the same ideas such as outspending the others on marketing, out-networking and undercutting one another on fees and prices. Unfortunately, what they are doing is wasting their time and money with their online marketing campaigns.

If you wish to get the best results, you need to be bold and do something different. This is not to say that you should change your online marketing strategy, but rather, what you market.

This is because you can waste a lifetime trying to sell a product or service that nobody is interested in. Any marketing campaign can be successful if the product or service is inspiring.

Usually, products and services that are of exceptional value sell themselves, as people who are impressed with the product or service spread the word. There are many business owners who rarely spend a penny on marketing because their customers do all the advertising for them.

Instead of inspiring people with stories behind their businesses, most small business owners do the opposite. They try to induce uninspired people into talking about them; with disastrous results.

You can do better!
Bake marketing into your business.