Times have changed, consumer buying habits have shifted rapidly and savvy business owners and entrepreneurs are now making full use of the advantages of online marketing instead of relying on out-dated, glossy corporate brochures that only ever ended up in the bin anyway!
The Internet can no longer be brandished as a place for computer geeks and gamers. The internet is now a place where brands and people combine to create communities, where information and ideas can be shared on everything from political revolutions to reviews of products or services.
1. Highly Targeted
If you have a solid understanding of exactly who your customer is and what they do then online marketing means that you can speak directly to that person and you don?t have to waste resources on speaking to those that do not fit the profile.
Facebook demographic targeting, for example, allows advertisers to target specific categories such as age, interests, likes and dislikes. This means you have a far greater chance of getting to your ideal client first time around instead of taking a scatter gun approach.
2. Attract Your Clients to You
When marketing using other mediums, it can be expected that there will be a portion of the marketing dollar that will be wasted. You can play your adverts on radio or television to millions of people, however there is no guarantee that your audience will be paying attention.
The internet allows businesses to flip the table and actually attract potential customers when they are searching for key terms related to your business services.
If your business provides legal services in Boise, Idaho, then what better time to present your business and services to a client than when they ask the question,
?Where can I find a lawyer in Boise??
That is such a powerful tool to have in your arsenal and one of the great advantages of online marketing.
You can position your business in such a way through many different methods; online marketing for web page copywriting, Pay Per Click Advertizing and of course gaining top search engine rankings
3. Leverage
If you are a small business owner then without doubt the best advocate for your business is yourself. You know more than anyone else so let your online presence reflect that.
Think about the common questions that get asked of you and write an article, a blog post or shoot a video providing the answer and further useful information around the topic. Your passion and expertise will shine through and will in fact act as a great lead magnet to potential clients who are looking for your services.
Instead of answering the same question time and time again, the answer is there for all to see around the clock for years to come
All of this can be done without you actually having to speak to the customer until they themselves make a commitment to your business. This frees up your time which can be spent more effectively dealing with people who are ready to take the next step and become clients for your business.
4. Measurable
One of the many problems with traditional advertising methods is that it is very difficult to get a clear indication of what strategies or advertising campaigns are working or not.
The internet allows businesses to trace exactly where a lead or customer came from. Therefore if that form of advertising is producing results and others aren?t, then it is easy to cancel the non performing campaign and invest in one that converts. These means more leads, more sales and, over time, more repeat business.
5. Cost Effective
When managed correctly, one internet marketing advantage is Cost.
As described above if something is not working then you can shut that down and redistribute that marketing expenditure on a campaign that converts.
Due to market research you may discover that the best time to market to your target audience is after 7pm or even at 8 o?clock in the morning.
Certain online marketing platforms will allow you to target your audience for those exact times, therefore saving you money on advertising when your audience is not even there.
6. Going Social
The customer was not always the king. Remember Henry Ford saying,
?You can have any colour as long as it is black!?
It is very rare that organisations can dictate to the consumer. In fact, it is more likely that the relationship has gone full circle and now the customer is in control thanks in part to social media.
Using social media for business is increasingly important as it allows your business to develop a community of people who, if communicated with in the correct manner, could in fact become brand ambassadors and share your business and brand across their social media circles providing massive exposure for you and your brand.
These are a select few of the advantages of online marketing, there are many more, all of which when mastered can add great benefit to your business: increasing the number of leads, sales and driving brand awareness through having your information shared across the internet by people that find incredible value in your services.
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