As a team or a person operating a brick-and-mortar business, you may often find yourself jealous of those running their businesses online. It is not a secret that online businesses have certain advantages. One of them is taht they are able to partake in activities across global markets. However, you should not allow the fact that you are tied to a geographical location discourage you from taking advantage of the modern technologies. Learn how effective internet marketing can help your business.
Start with a website
Creating a website for your business will be a way of expanding your offline existence to an online one. Some business will turn to create social media profiles which are not a bad idea, but definitely a less professional one. A website should always exist as an online presentation of who you are. It should contain allnecessary contact details, your mission and a presentation (or a portfolio) of what it is you do. Use your social media profiles to keep in touch with your customers. Don’t forget to link them all to your website. It will help bring some additional traffic.
SEO
SEO is an integral part of every digital marketing campaign at a very basic level. It is one of the first things you should invest in. Get a help and optimize your website so it is accessible from a number of devices and recognizable by search engines. The better you are positioned with search engines, the greater your visibility. This will help you attract more organic traffic which will, as a result, help you maintain your rank.
Google My Business
Google My Business is an excellent tool you can use with your offline business. Since you are already tied to a certain location, as we have already pointed out above, it is time to let everyone know where you actually are.
Even though you may be just a local business relying on flyers, radio or TV advertising, and passersby for new leads, you can let the online world know where you are. The chances are that there are even people from your area who don’t know who you are. Help them find you when they actually need you. Such a person will probably get their phone and try to locate a local business. They won’t cling on to a flyer or a note with your details they’ve written down from a radio ad. Google My Business will allow you to set up your listings and be visible in local search results.
Create content
Just because your main business activities do not take place online, does not stop you from creating online content. A lot of small businesses turn to social media. They try to attract new leads through frequent activity on their profiles and engage potential new customers. Those who truly like what you have to share will see you as an expert or an influencer. They won’t mind visiting your store or an office to see what you have to offer.
Share your expertise
This strategy is related to content creation. The pamphlets, seminars, workshops, or any other events you may organize for your local community can easily be recorded and shared online. You could start a blog, a vlog, write an e-book, make tutorials on how to do certain things and use certain products. Show the world that you are a professional and an expert in what you do. People who look for solutions to their problems and ways of improving their lifestyles may be willing to travel further than you expect them to.
Advertise promotions
Think about a busy store having a sale. This type of store would normally have to get several extra pairs of hands. This means that additional workforce will be required to accommodate the growing demand and the number of customers. However, you can still sell out your supply with a minimum hustle for both you and your customers. Simply advertise promotions for those who decided to order items by phone or online. You can subsidize for the shipping your customers would have to cover by either throwing in a freebie or offering a discount for online purchases.
Email strategies
Two key elements of a successful email campaign is a good base of leads, as well as well-written emails which will manage to prompt a potential customer to reach out to you. A lot of businesses turn to this strategy by sending newsletters and sharing their offer. This is usually done through leads from the actual customers collected upon one of their visits to a store, or from those who have signed up for a newsletter through the business’s website.
When it comes to the actual sales, this strategy may be better suited for B2B models. This type of campaign is more straightforward, it includes more details of the offer, the services, or the product line.
Regardless of where your business is based, online or offline, consider online marketing. This is beacuse the Internet isyet another medium you can use to reach out to your audiences. If people trust your brand and believe in what you have to offer, they will not mind having to visit your physical location. Information flow is now greater than it has ever been, but people are selective and usually get content on-demand rather than being simply exposed to it. Your job is to always stay on their radar.
