Guest article by Superfast Business Wales
With everyone competing for online space, how do you get people’s attention, and keep it, so they want to buy from you?
In this article we’ll show you some easy ways to promote your business and find new customers online as well as stay in touch with existing ones.
Email marketing
Email marketing is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact technology market research firm, The Radicati Group predicted that by the end of 2021 there will be 320 billion business and consumer emails sent per day. Email marketing is still one of the cheapest and most effective online marketing tools. And, with most people permanently glued to their phones, using email means you can reach customers at all times.
However, with so many emails flooding inboxes how do you make yours stand out? Personalize your email wherever possible; it helps to make the reader believe you’re talking directly to them. Make sure your subject line grabs the audience’s attention enough to make them want to open the email and find out more. Don’t over sell; keep it short and snappy, and appealing enough to tempt people into clicking on the link and taking action.
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Use analytics to measure open and click through rates and tweak your email campaigns if something isn’t working. If you know when customers are most likely to respond you can schedule emails for these times using platforms like MailChimp or HubSpot, both of which offer free versions.
Make sure you’re compliant with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) – visit the Information Commissioner’s Office to find out more.
Join our free digital marketing webinar.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Google dominates the world of search engines which makes Google Ads the biggest ad platform in the UK for PPC marketing. To start using Google Ads first decide what you want to achieve, e.g., this could be more visitors to your website or more phone call enquiries. You then choose your location – you can keep it local or go global if you like, and finally set your budget. Google will also provide help with creating your ad text. Once live your ad can pop up in Google search results, on Maps and across Google’s partner sites.
There is a cost involved but Google Ads lets you set a budget cap, with no minimum spend, and you only pay for results. You can also pause campaigns whenever you want. If you’re new to Google Ads, there are guides to help you get started. Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) works in a similar way but may be a cheaper option as it owns less of the search engine market. Both platforms allow you to monitor and measure results so you can keep track of what works and what doesn’t.
Facebook Ads
Facebook is still the king of social media and represents a great advertising space for small businesses. Facebook Ads allow you to reach specific audiences based on their location, demographics, interests, behaviour, and connections. This means you can target people which are likely to be interested in your product or service regardless of whether they’ve searched for you.
Facebook Ads can be a cost-effective way of reaching a huge audience. As with Google Ads, Facebook Ads give you access to analytics so you can measure how well your ads are performing and allocate spend accordingly. And if you don’t have money to spend on social media advertising you can still make use of social media for free – read our ‘How to use social media’ guide.
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Google My Business
Think with Google stated in a 2018 article that there was a 500%+ growth in ‘near me’ mobile searches containing variations of ‘can I buy’ or ‘to buy’ over the previous two years. Looking for something nearby is one of the most common things we do on Google.
Surprisingly though, many businesses haven’t added or claimed their local business listing on Google. Why do you need one? In short, to make it easier for customers to find you instead of your competitors. If you don’t have a physical store or deliver services to people., e.g., pizza delivery, you can still have a Google My Business listing.
Google My Business is a free tool which gives you an online business profile which will show up in Google searches and Maps. You can add contact details, opening hours, website, description, products and services, and post photos. You can also respond to reviews left by customers. If you’re not sure if you have a profile, check first. Google will sometimes create a profile based on third-party information. If a profile of your business does exist, then you’ll need to claim it and make sure it’s got the right info.
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