If you’re not taking advantage of internet marketing to reach more customers, you’re missing out on thousands of sales and plenty of opportunities. Small businesses and large corporations are using internet marketing for different purposes. There is a growing number of instruments to use too, from content marketing and social media to video marketing and live streaming.
There is so much to be gained from the proper use of internet marketing. If you’re running a small business and you want to take it to the next level, then these next several ways internet marketing can help your small business are definitely worth exploring.
Personalised relationships
We live in an era where stories and processes are just as important as outcomes and results. Some of the most successful companies and brands are connecting well with their customers on a more personal level thanks to internet marketing campaigns. As a small business, you too can take advantage of the different instruments to build stronger relationships with your audience.
You can do this by introducing the people behind the brand and the business to customers. Customers love to connect with people more than brands or logos, so putting forward key figures in your business is a great way to start. Don’t just stop at you as the business owner, though. All key figures inside the business have interesting stories to share; they are great branding opportunities.
The same can be said for processes. Take customers on a journey through your production line and you can convey key messages such as attention to detail and good quality control in a more personalized way. No matter your business, people will be interested in reading about how you work, your business processes and what makes you succeed.
If you are in the laser technology business, you can show your customers how your new laser engraver works; you can share how the new asset improves your production line and let customers be a part of the process from the start.
The right content will help build personalized relationships. When these relationships are established, selling will be so much easier to do.
Higher engagement
Internet marketing has transformed a lot in recent years, especially with the introduction of social media. Brands can now do so much more than communicate one way with their customers. This is an advantage you and your small business can take and implement as part of your internet marketing strategy.
Don’t just stream content to your customers. Take the time to respond to their questions, listen to their input and interact with them on a regular basis. Social media engagement is so much easier to maintain when you’re a small business. You can use the personalized content we talked about earlier to arouse higher engagement and strengthen that relationship even more.
Before long, you will start seeing customers recommending your brand or product to friends and colleagues. This type of word-of-mouth marketing is, quite simply, priceless. People trust peer recommendations more than they trust online reviews or marketing material. By engaging customers and strengthening your relationships with them, you can get recommended more often. Naturally, this too will translate to more sales.
Get customers involved
One last element to add to your internet marketing campaign is customer involvement. A sense of ownership and belonging can be priceless too, which is why getting your customers involved in key business processes can do a lot for your business and brand.
Bigger corporations may have trouble implementing this internet marketing strategy due to the complexity of their operations, but getting customers involved is something you – and most small businesses – can do with ease.
You can start by actually getting input from customers for your next products and implementing their feedback. It may sound simple, but customers whose feedback you implement will have that heightened sense of belonging almost immediately.
The same principle can be applied to after-sales suggestions and upgrades. If you’re selling digital products, you can take input and suggestions from customers to develop an update and then distribute the update for free to all existing customers. It is a simple gesture, but one that will go a long way.
There are other ways you can get customers involved too. Conventional campaigns work just as well, especially when your main goal is to increase exposure. You can ask customers to share their experiences with your products or services; you can even offer rewards for select customers whose experiences get featured on your site or social media pages.
Of course, these are just some of the ways internet marketing can really help your small business. Today’s best internet marketing instruments can really do so much. All you need to get started is a carefully planned campai
