What is successful online marketing? We all like to get what we want RIGHT NOW.
- We want information so we go to the internet and search for it and get what we want RIGHT NOW.
- We want to re-supply our cupboards and cabinets so we reach out via phone or computer and get it ordered with the touch of a few buttons RIGHT NOW.
- We want to watch a certain show or movie so we use a provider, a recording, or an on-demand feature and get it RIGHT NOW.
We are certainly getting used to the RIGHT NOW lifestyle. But not all things work that way and an effective and successful online marketing and social media strategy for your business is one of them.
The difference for online marketing and social media
While you might get responses pretty quickly when you start posting and tweeting, to get the results that will provide a good ROI, you have to start and build. Just like babies must crawl before they walk and walk before they run, effective social media marketing is built in much the same way.
Planning and establishing specific goals at the onset will help you streamline what it is you want to achieve and give you the benchmarks needed to measure your progress.
Step 1 – Develop your stage
A business must build a stage using social media channels that are going to best serve its goals. Not every business benefits from Twitter, Pinterest, or LinkedIn. Knowing who your target market is and where they hang out are two questions that will answer which channels your business should develop. Identify the platforms and set up accounts and profiles that reflect your business, your purpose, and give hints as to the kind of participation you will have in the online venue.
Step 2 – Build a presence
This is where online marketing really begins. Through posting and interacting with others, you let them know you are there. You share your knowledge, ask for input, respond to posts, and, in general engage in the give and take of conversation and community. This is very much like striking up a conversation with a customer in a retail situation. You want to get to know them more so you can best serve their needs. They want to know they can trust you and believe you will do what you say you will do. It requires conscious effort and time but is well worth the time and effort it takes.
Step 3 – Develop campaigns
Once you have a following you can then begin to provide offers and build campaigns to create funnels to feed your goals. There are different kinds of goals in different campaigns. You could be working to drive people to your website, have a goal of people signing up for a mailing list, or actually making a purchase.
Step 4 – Measure and refine (or revise)
There is no escaping the fact that every business has to go through each of the steps to build successful online marketing. And then, in order to truly be efficient and effective, you have to measure your results and do more of what works and create new options that will directly affect achievement of the goals you set.
It’s important to note that there is not a given 1-2-3 magic formula that fits every business. Each business has its own offerings, goals and unique flavor. That’s why measuring the results and then refining the online marketing campaign is so important, second only to having an established plan and set of goals to be achieved.
And, because we live in a RIGHT NOW world, everyone has to realize that achieving online marketing goals takes time. Here at NuMedia Marketing, we know that is a challenge for many business owners. They want results, RIGHT NOW.
Smart business owners know that besides getting to the goals you want, online marketing is based on establishing relationships with potential clients out in the online community. They know that long-term relationships mean sales now and down the road. It just takes an investment of time and the patience to build it and set it in motion.
For the best results, small business owners should take the time to …
• Determine who they want to reach
• Know why they want to reach them
• Pinpoint what they want them to do
• Figure out the best way to get them to do it
• Set benchmarks and ways to measure their success
• Analyze what is, or is not, working
• Make adjustments to make everything work better
Start at the beginning and understand that online marketing is not a sprint to the finish line. No, online marketing is a long-distance strategy that can serve you well given time and patience. You are putting effort into building a long-term business, so do the same with your marketing. Contact NuMedia Marketing today.
