When faced with a large amount of options is a consumer more likely going to choose to do business with A) a company that does not engage in online marketing to build a personal relationship with the consumer or B) a company that engages in online marketing to reach consumers anytime/anywhere and build relationships.
Let’s start small. It takes only a few minutes to create an online page on social media sites, including Linkedin, Facebook, MySpace, etc., for your small business. You can post specials, information and contacts, pictures, etc. Once consumers become aware of your page they can add you as a fan and your business has now built a personal relationship with the consumer through a social networking site. A local bar where I live proactively updates its social media page where it posts specials and weekly events; the page has over 700 connections. If I am going out to get a beer I have many options, but personally I am more likely to choose the bar that has news updates and specials on my personal social networking page every time I log-in.
Now let’s briefly take a look at another great use of online marketing to build relationships: company blogs. What are blogs you ask? –You’re looking at one! – It’s simply a web page where you make posts about varying topics and people can come and post comments or simply get the latest news on what’s going with your company. It’s a decent idea to get a company blog set up for your small business where you can engage potential customers and create a following. Blogs are also beneficial in that they allow you to convey the image and personality of your company. Be sure to try and avoid some common pitfalls of corporate blogging by having a clear and consistent focus, specifically designating and making clear who will be writing the blogs on behalf of the company, and have some kind of consistent posting schedule.
Next week I’ll take a look at some other areas of online marketing.
Eric
The entire Upspring staff is currently hard at work in revamping Upspring.com. We’re doing a complete makeover - this is our third try and as they say, third time’s a charm - and we’re confident it will be. We’re making it even easier for businesses and professionals to register and gain access to our free online social promotional tools. In the coming release, all US based businesses and professionals can sign up and get approved instantly. We’ll be offering more features and promotional tools that will give you more out of your Upspring account.
What Did the Super Bowl Teach Us About Small Business Marketing?
The Google ad during the Super Bowl illustrated a very important point for businesses this past weekend – if you haven’t seen it you can check it out. The undeniable trend that people are now using the internet (in particular search engines like Google) for all their information needs, for every aspect of their life. What does this mean for small businesses? It means that it is absolutely necessary to, at the very least, have a company website. Traditional forms of reaching customers, like the Yellow Pages and television advertising, are being replaced by the unstoppable force of seeking information online.
A common Google search for a resident of Seattle, Washington might be: “pizza place, Seattle”. A listing of company web pages, paid-for advertisements, and Google map restaurant locations will appear. If your company is not engaged in any form of online marketing then you are missing out on a huge potential consumer base. Having a company website allows you to control the message and image that you want your business to project. It can contain simple, yet extremely important, information like hours of operation and location. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked up a local pizza place on an internet search engine late at night just to see if they deliver or if they have any specials.
Having a company website also presents countless additional business and marketing opportunities. The option of having a company blog, engaging in paid online advertising, creating an online shop where customers can purchase your goods online, etc. – all become available.
The task of creating a company web site might seem daunting; however, it’s quite easy. Start by registering an appropriate and relevant domain name at sites like GoDaddy.com. From there you can either build your web page yourself, use free online web page building software, or hire an outside graphic designer/site builder to handle the task for you (this can vary greatly in cost depending on the desired web page).
The first step to engaging the world of online marketing and customer relationship building begins with your small business website.
Eric