Why is online marketing important
In order for your business to achieve success on the internet, it is crucial to prioritize marketing efforts through advertising, promotion, and sales of your products and services. This is necessary because if people are unaware of your company’s existence, it is unlikely for them to visit your website, subscribe to your email list, or make purchases from your eCommerce store.
Online small business marketing is essential for:
- Brand awareness — Even if people already know you exist, you need to increase brand awareness by promoting your business across many channels. Even if you’re a well-established brand, expanding your reach to grow your business online is key with marketing so you can remind people you’re out here.
- Increase sales — The farther your reach, the more sales potential your company has. In fact, the better you market your company to your target markets and audience, and deliver on your promise to provide high-quality products and services, the better your reputation will be. Once you have a solid reputation, you’ll see more sales.
- Beating the competition — As you grow your business and digital marketing strategy, your competition will fight for your target audience and potential customers. However, by advertising, promoting, and establishing yourself as having more value than the competition, you’ll find yourself easily outselling everyone.
Now that you understand the importance of online marketing for your success, let’s examine a few excellent online marketing ideas specifically designed for small businesses.
Effective small business marketing ideas
We have compiled a list of the top small business marketing ideas that you can experiment with on your own website.
1. Build an email list
By now, it is likely that you are aware of the importance of having an email list and conducting regular email marketing campaigns to promote services and products on a business website. However, the process of building a substantial email list does not have to be complex or laborious.
If you use one of the top email marketing services available like Constant Contact or Sendinblue, the statement remains true.
2. Publish testimonials
As much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts, 85% of individuals have faith in online reviews crafted by other consumers.
By incorporating testimonials into your website, you not only enhance the presence of social proof endorsing your products for sale, but you also assist prospective buyers in making informed decisions by instilling trust in the opinions of your content customers.
OptinMonster has a dedicated testimonials page on their website and does an excellent job of displaying testimonials.
One more effective method to cultivate trust and motivate individuals to become customers is by showcasing reviews on your website, similar to what numerous well-known eCommerce sites do. There are numerous exceptional plugins available for product reviews that will simplify this process for you.
If you are interested in adding social proof to your website, consider these simple methods.
- Show real live user activity on your website
- Allow users to leave reviews on your website
- Collect user reviews on an existing form to see how people really feel about your business
Use the positive opinions that you gather to enhance conversions and sales by harnessing the influence of social proof.
3. Post valuable blog content
Consistently publishing valuable, informative, and entertaining content on your website is one of the most effective ways to market your brand. Your blog can become the core of all your marketing efforts if your content is of high quality. The best part is that starting a WordPress blog is affordable and straightforward.
Are you among the 51% of marketers who claim they lack sufficient time to regularly publish blog content?
4. Run a contest
One of the most effective methods to raise consumer awareness and promote your company is to organize a contest. Moreover, contests can be incredibly enjoyable. To encourage participation, you can offer your products and services as rewards in return for individuals:
- Submit videos or photos for a chance to win
- Pen an essay about a topic of your choosing
- Leave a review in exchange for entry
- Refer others for more contest entries
- Provide an email address in exchange for an entry
- Run an Instagram hashtag or photo caption contest
You have countless options that can range from being simple to being complex, and you can choose any of them.
5. Share user-generated content on social media
Using user-generated content (UGC) is another effective strategy for marketing your small business through social media. This method significantly influences 79% of consumers’ purchasing decisions, presumably because it is less biased compared to branded content. This allows prospective customers to witness individuals similar to them positively endorsing the product.
Encourage your current customers to share pictures, videos, and testimonials featuring your products by providing incentives. Regularly monitor social media posts that mention your brand name or hashtag, even those that were not explicitly requested by you.
The objective is to create a collection of excellent User-Generated Content (UGC) that persuades undecided social media followers to make a purchase, just like the instance seen with Andie Swim. Andie Swim shared a TikTok video made by one of its past customers on Instagram.
6. Produce video tutorials
Video marketing is the dominant force on various platforms in the realm of social media. An example of this can be seen in TikTok’s immense success. The popularity of TikTok’s one-minute videos was so significant that Instagram, a platform primarily known for photo-sharing, released its own version called Reels.
You can utilize Shopify’s free online video maker to create content for advertising your own business on social media platforms. This content can include:
- Reviews from happy customers
- Behind-the-scenes of running your business
- Video tutorials that show how to use your product
- Livestreams co-hosted with influencers in your space
One small business that utilized this free marketing idea is Dope Dog. According to the founder, Erin Mastopietro, they organized Instagram live sessions featuring experts in their niche, allowing the audience to ask questions, and also conducted a brief interview.
7. Jump on trending topics
When considering it carefully, it is evident that social media thrives on trends. Take TikTok as an example, as it is acknowledged for its ability to make songs become viral. As soon as a dancing trend arises, artists witness an influx of streams, breaking records. This is largely due to the fact that everyone shares videos of themselves dancing to the exact same song.
How can you identify trending topics before your small business’ social media content becomes mixed with others that are also joining the trends? Discover them before the crowd does using the following steps:
- Asking your customers
- Reading discussions happening in forums
- Running a competitive analysis
- Celebrating annual events
8. Partner with other small businesses
If you don’t have any budget, here’s a brilliant marketing idea: partner with other small businesses that have a similar target market as yours, as long as the products you sell don’t compete with theirs.
Imagine you operated an online store where you sold handmade crockery. Collaborate with another small business owner who specialized in selling handmade vases and rely on each other’s audience to conduct a co-marketing campaign, for example:
- Co-hosting a webinar
- Giving discounts to each other’s email list
- Shouting each other out on social media
- Becoming a guest on each other’s podcasts
- Going halves on fees to host a pop-up shop
Co-marketing offers the advantage of not only aiding other small business owners but also allowing you to access an established audience without any cost, unlike influencer marketing where many influencers demand payment to promote sponsored content.
9. Give quirky product recommendations
When shoppers visit a new ecommerce store, they have a multitude of thoughts racing through their minds.
Remove the hassle of comparing new products with unconventional suggestions, which don’t involve extensive time investment in product development. Rather than relying on generic categories that capture people’s attention based on their previous views, explore options that go beyond those.
Product recommendation lists are recommended by digital consultant Kayleigh Töyrä for:
- People who already have everything
- Gifts you may keep for yourself instead
- Things you don’t need, but may want
Kayleigh suggests that by using smart wording to boost sales, new businesses can engage in a more enjoyable method of up- and cross-selling.
10. Attend local events
While it is important to emphasize the significance of establishing an online presence, it is also essential to avoid the misconception that all marketing strategies have to be confined to the digital realm. Interacting with potential customers face-to-face by participating in offline events within the local community can be an effective approach to complement online tactics.
- Craft fairs
- Sunday markets
- Networking events
To ensure you have all the necessary information, it is advisable to contact your local council, as they often provide a list of events aimed at assisting small businesses within your area. Additionally, websites such as Meetup and Eventbrite compile various business-related events taking place in your local city.
If you can’t find any space to host an event, consider hosting one yourself. Look for a free venue like the public library, and take your inventory with you. Distribute flyers to help promote your brand and create awareness. Don’t forget to carry your business cards so that people interested in your products can have your contact information and visit your website at a later time, even if they are not ready to make a purchase.