Online Marketing in a Nutshell!

In most of our recent articles we have argued that if you are not utilizing online social media for advertising and marketing, you are wasting a unique opportunity. As one of our faithful and dedicated readers recently pointed out to us – perhaps there are some people out there who do not have the full one-hundred percent knowledge to apply this to.

With that in mind, we have created a useful sample list of most forms (if not all) of online social media advertising that most companies and individuals can use at no or minimal financial cost.

We hope you enjoy them and more importantly, find them useful!

1: Website
Straight out of the gates is one of the earliest and most recognised forms of advertising and self-promotion on the internet for as long as the internet itself has been around.

A website is a definite MUST for your business, regardless of size.

These can range in definition from your most basic of sites including Name, Location, Business Hours etc… to your fancy, full graphical interactive type website or one with an online store that you can use to capture sales.

We always advocate letting professionals do what they are best at. A backyard, thrown together site will look exactly like what it is. A professional site on the other hand, will be designed in such a way as to make it upscale-able cutting edge, as long as the time and effort are taken to ensure that this form of advertising and marketing is kept up to date.

2: Search Advertising
Can anyone say ‘Google’? Yep, Google is the undisputed king in this kind of advertising and marketing.

They have made this type of marketing and advertising popular using short ‘Promoted Links’ when users of their services go searching on the Google site.

This is a possible ‘low-cost’ mechanism to allow you and your business to reach potentially millions of users.

Unlike most traditional forms of advertising, these types of marketing and advertising only makes you pay when a user clicks on the ‘Promoted Link’. Return On Investment in this type of marketing and advertising is great!

You can also, as part of the Google service, ensure that your advertisements are ‘Targeted’ to particular parts of the market.

So, for instance, you sell used cars. You can set up your advertisements to target ‘Keywords’ that will be the type of search criteria that someone looking for a new used car may be searching for.

3: Blogs
Blogs have become much more noticeable of late and for good reason.

A useful Blog enables you to create an ongoing conversation with your customers and readers of your blog.

Blogs are used for a large variety of reasons from personal ones to business.

Promoting your new line of products or achievements on your blog enables your readers and clients to know exactly what you are up to at any given point, as well as perhaps gaining some useful knowledge in certain areas.

Perhaps your company sells gardening equipment. Your blog may perhaps be set up so that you can answer peoples questions regarding their gardens, garden designs etc…, all the while marketing and advertising your company as the undisputed expert in that area of expertise.

4: Mailing Lists / Emails
Mailing lists and email newsletters and promotions are somewhat akin to a blog. The basic difference between the two is that while users and readers must visit your site to read your blog updates, with a mailing list they decide to receive your news in an email format.

This format allows you stay in touch with your customers periodically without the need for the customer to visit your site.

Great caution and care needs to be used when you are thinking of using a Mailing List / Email Newsletter form of advertising though.

Most countries nowadays have very strict guidelines on the use and updating of peoples’ personal email addresses and information. They must ‘Opt-In’, which in a nutshell means that they must ask to be put on your list and there also has to be a very simple ‘Opt-Out’ solution to enable people to remove themselves from your list.

We always advocate the use of extreme care when handling customers and readers email addresses. DO NOT SELL these lists as 99% of the time they will be used by unscrupulous individuals to send SPAM out.

Treat these email addresses in the same confidentiality status as your existing customer base.

5: Social Media
Which brings us to the current Grand Daddy of online advertising and marketing.

This latest trend in marketing is becoming more popular with each passing day. The social media presence is not really new, it has been around for years, but lately people and businesses have seen the opportunity that this form of media presents to business, no matter what size.

In our view, if you do not have a Facebook or Twitter account then you are passing up an opportunity to indirectly and directly interact with millions of possible clients.

These form the 5 basic principles of online advertising and marketing, as they stand today.

Things to keep in mind using online marketing in today’s world:

- Be Patient.
These forms of advertising, especially Blogs and Social Media, will take a while to get up to speed. It will NOT happen overnight.

- Persevere
You believe in your product and company right? Believe in this process. It will not disappoint you.

- Treat This As Other Marketing And Advertising
You would not hand out a blank cheque to an advertising or promotion company so do the same thing here. Set a target budget, both in monetary terms and time/effort spent, and stick to it!

- Update, Update and Update!
Keep yourself and your business at the forefront by ensuring constant, relevant information! Update your blog, newsletter and website as much as possible!

- Ensure You Have An Consistent Online Presence!
Make sure that anyone who has the ability to update, answer questions or promote your business in the online world knows what the image you want to portray about your company is!

Elite Business Solutions Frank Perez has successfully combined all the skills of a designer, programmer, and marketer to continuously and consistently deliver business solutions entailing everything from marketing to software. He is highly regarded and sought after for his professionalism and integrity.

Frank runs an elite business marketing and software design firm based out of Melbourne, Australia. Frank is available for guest blogging, article writing, speaking events and software projects.

Frank Perez
Owner
Tazz 1 Pty Ltd
Follow Franks Blog on http://tazz1.com.au/b2evolution/blog1.php
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