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With the advent of the internet, and more recently the phenomenon that is Web 2.0, the face of traditional marketing changed forever. Many companies have embraced the whole concept of online marketing and are reaping the rewards with increased sales and profits. Small businesses are relieved to be able to eke out their already stretched marketing budgets with some low cost and free activities.
Unfortunately the enlightened participants in online marketing are only the very tip of the iceberg.
Many more small businesses have yet to dip their big toes in the Web 2.0 pool of strategies, indeed they’re still struggling to understand how to make their website work for them. These people are asking the question ‘Why does online marketing matter?’
- It makes sure people can find you. Now that so many have access to the internet, either at home, at work or even at their local library, they’re actually more likely to search on the internet than pick up a telephone directory. If you’re not there, they can’t find you.
- It’s a great avenue to quickly build your professional reputation as well as providing a way for clients to communicate their satisfaction at your products or services. Setting up a blog or forum to encourage feedback is a great customer service tool.
- Access to the biggest database in the world gives you a wonderful means of keeping tabs on what your competitors are up to. Subscribing to their blogs and feeds brings the information straight to your desktop.
- With so many low cost and free tools available, you can find ever-more innovative ways to get your marketing message across to hordes of potential clients – instantly!
How are you using online marketing for your business? If you’d like to share any success stories, we’d love to hear about them! And if you haven’t started online yet and would like some help, we’d love to hear from you as well!
About Louise
Louise Barnes-Johnston has been working in social media marketing since 2007 after realising that it was a powerful marketing tool which would enable her clients to raise the profile of their businesses on the internet, even when working to a limited budget. Her specialism is in researching social media practices; trying out the most effective online tools and then sharing the best of them with her clients.
