When it comes to marketing a small business online, there are certain tactics that appear to stick around. These online marketing tactics are not anything new, and they seem to be important enough that the end of nowhere in sight in terms of their viability, effectiveness, and importance in the small business Internet marketing arsenal. Here are those three tactics you should plan on using for a long, long time:
- Search engine optimization – There are a limited number of ways people will find your website. They may find it by word of mouth, social media sharing, or they can find it by searching for specific concepts in one of the several search engines online. Because search is one of the most important and effective ways that people find websites, a small business owner should devote some time to understanding how search works and ensure your website is designed and written in such a way that searchers are likely to find it when they go looking. For instance, searchers looking for a new pet will search for “buy a dog” or “buy a goldfish.” If your pet store sells dogs or goldfish, then those would be important keywords for you. Make sure your website is optimized for search.
- Social media marketing – The Web by nature is social. People have been socializing in one form or another online since the very inception of the Internet. In the early days, it was through bulletin boards. Then forums came into vogue. Today, it’s social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media may change form over time, but you can bet that it will always be necessary for business owners to meet new people through social networks and drive traffic to their websites. You can be intentional in this effort without being annoying. It’s important for your business.
- E-mail marketing – E-mail marketing is still one of the most effective ways to promote a business online. If you can attract an audience through e-mail and deliver regular updates that hold people’s attention, then you can sell more products and services. E-mail marketing doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
When it comes to small business Internet marketing, stick to the tried and true, proven methods that work over and over again. Only try the new stuff when it makes sense for your business and there is a promise of a high payoff.