Online marketing takes many forms and basically, you need to decide which ones suit you and your business best, then do them consistently. It’s quite possible to marketing your business online without ever spending a penny, so there’s really no excuse NOT to do it.
Types of Online Marketing
Social Media – This is an area that many people just don’t see the value of. If you are one of these people, then don’t use it. You won’t see results if you don’t understand how to use social media. However, if you are interested in learning, pop over to the sidebar there and under Categories, click on Social Media to learn more.
Paid Advertising – Yes, you can certainly spend money on advertising, but I wouldn’t recommend doing this until you know what you are doing. It is extremely easy to lose money on things like pay per click ads. If you do decide to start using paid advertising, then you should look at banner ads or text links which are offered for a set price.
Blogging – You might not think of blogging as a marketing strategy, but it really is. The search engines pick up on blogs very quickly and you will find that the incoming traffic to your business site when you have a blog is greatly increased.
Article Marketing – Those of you who read this blog regularly already know that I am a big believer in article marketing. All it takes is time, unless you want to outsource your writing.
Search Engine Optimization – By optimizing your website, you ensure that it is easier to find your site on search engines. It’s vital to choose the right keywords, however, or you will find yourself with too much competition in this area.
Networking – Similar to social media, but minus the confusion, online networking can be invaluable to your business. This includes blog commenting, emailing other work at home moms to make connections, attending wahm or blogger meetups when possible and participating in forums.
How to Set Up a Marketing Plan
Now that you know which types of internet marketing available to you, it’s time to set up a marketing plan and get some work done. This is where it really pays to be consistent. Think of each blog comment, article or banner as a point added to your reputation. You will slowly build up your reputation online and that will result in more traffic. Consistency is key.
Pick two types of online marketing from the list above. For example, social media and article marketing. If you go with social media, you will need to narrow it down to two social media sites, such as Twitter and StumbleUpon.
Now, write down what you need to get done. I would suggest starting slowly so you won’t be overwhelmed. For example, you might decide to send out 5 tweets a day, with one being self-promotional, stumbling three new sites a day and sending out a page of your own once each week. For articles, you might want to set a weekly goal since it is easy to fall behind in writing when it comes to daily goals.
Once you have your marketing plan, write it out by hand and hang it up where you can see it. Make those tasks part of your daily to-do list. Once you are comfortable with them, start adding to the list.
Making Your Online Marketing More Effective
If you find that you simply have too much to do and never manage to get to your marketing, keep in mind that this WILL hurt your business. You’ll be losing out on clients that you could have had. The solution? Outsourcing.
Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to submit at least 2-3 articles a week for article marketing, but don’t have the time to write or to submit them. The solution here would be to hire a freelance writer who can provide you with 12 or so article per month and a VA who will submit them to article directories for you. It won’t cost that much and you are getting consistent marketing for your site. If you have a little more money, then consider upping the number of articles you purchase. If 12 a month can gain you traffic, imagine 50?
Online marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. If you make a plan, keep it simple, yet consistent, you will most definitely see an increase in traffic and sales.