We live in a connected world. Really, pause for a moment and take a look around. Are you surrounded by people connected to the internet; typing away on their mobile devices? Now before you go back to whatever you were doing, take one more look, and ask yourself how many of these people has your business reached?
Internet marketing is not a passing trend. If your business doesn’t have plans how to reach your audience digitally, you need to reconsider.
While traditional marketing tactics are alive and well, there are gaps that only internet marketing can fill.
What is internet marketing?
Internet marketing (or online marketing) is a fairly broad term that encompasses a lot of marketing tactics and strategies such as SEO, content marketing, email, PPC, social media and more.
Compared to building a campaign or relying on the sales team (outbound marketing) to bring in all the leads, some internet marketing efforts are considered inbound marketing tactics — which is a long-term strategy. It can save you advertising dollars in the future because you’re where your customers are when they need you in a more organic way, whether that’s via Facebook Messenger or ranking #1 in Google search results.
Marketing your business online allows you to:
- Meet customers where they are. Remember all of those people you noticed with their eyes glued to mobile devices? Internet-connected mobile devices allow you to be wherever they are, literally.
- Create valuable (and quick) communication. The ease of two-way communication with current and potential customers through the Internet allows for instantaneous connection, thus boosting the likelihood that you’re able to create a dialogue and stronger relationships with your customers.
- Get social. The appeal of social media is that it encourages engagement. Whether likes, shares, or comments, it offers a space that enables information to be shared quickly and with very little effort. By taking advantage of social media marketing tactics, you cannot only grow brand awareness but can target and convert potential customers into loyal users.
Another aspect of operating a business – no matter the medium – is to offer your consumers what they want before they know they want it. Internet marketing allows you to follow trends and track analytics to make informed decisions for what’s to come.
That involves tracking.
The power of the internet allows you to track, often in real-time, what is happening through your marketing efforts. A few more things internet marketing can help you do include:
- Track your competitors. Paying attention to what your competitors are doing allows you to shift or continue your strategy on an ongoing basis. You can track competitor’s offers, watch their level of engagement with consumers, and react appropriately.
- Provide insight to what’s missing. Digital marketing can help you identify gaps in service and areas where your competition falls short. Who knows, one small differentiator could be your ticket to increasing market share.
- Save money. Digital data tracking saves you money by allowing you to target consumers who are searching for the kind of products you offer. In general, digital marketing is far less expensive than traditional marketing tactics like print, radio and TV.
- Beyond brick and mortar. In addition to the marketing, hosting your product or services online with eCommerce allows you to expand beyond the boundaries of the brick-and-mortar store. Customers across the globe who may never have been exposed to your company now have an opportunity to join you.
- Target customers near you. Local SEO and geo-location services provide the opportunity to market to consumers when they’re near your brick and mortar store, which increases impulse spending.
The big, panoramic picture
You don’t have to trash your traditional marketing tactics altogether, but you can definitely increase your reach and capabilities by adding digital marketing to the picture. Think of conventional marketing methods as the smaller picture; it allows you to focus your efforts on things like television, radio, and printed materials, but often at a high cost.
Digital marketing turns that view to a panoramic picture that ultimately expands your view because the limitations of a localized target audience no longer exist. When utilized effectively, Internet marketing can expose every web and mobile user to your product.
Don’t leave your online reputation to chance
Connecting the world to your business is no longer an impossible task; it’s your livelihood and worth doing right. Work with experience and protect your online reputation. That’s where Thrive comes in. We’ll work with you to coordinate an internet marketing plan specifically designed for your business.
Our SEO, social media, and content management experts understand how to position your business as an influencer in your industry. Thrive Internet Marketing rises to the challenge. Your business should do more than survive; it should Thrive.
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