For small businesses, email marketing may be a marketing strategy you use. But, did you know that there are “golden rules” to follow. In fact, for a small business, forgetting any of these rules can lead to an obvious decrease in the effectiveness of your social media marketing campaign, which is something you don’t want to happen.
Like any strategy that relies on writing, the top rule is pretty basic: Keep your email marketing messages interesting to your readers. It definitely isn’t your intention or in your overall plan to send out boring emails, but it happens. Many small businesses that use email marketing get “stuck in a rut.” They write information that may seem interesting to them but is (yawn) boring to their readers who could be potential clients. Just because you think something is exciting, doesn’t mean that everyone else will agree. So, the question is, how do you know if your email marketing messages are appealing? Here are a few ways.
All great strategies have guidelines to follow. Email marketing can be a great tool for a small business, but it also can backfire and be a waste of time and money if not conducted properly.
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Social media marketing for small business – any business – has changed dramatically in the last several years. One way it has changed has been the introduction of smartphones. No matter where you are --New York City or Adams/York County, knowing how to use your smartphone to help you in your social media marketing efforts will ultimately save you time and money.
Today, an increasing number of people are receiving all their information on their phone. Emails, social networking, voicemails, banking, news, business and entertainment are all conducted on phones. Remember the day when you felt “naked” when not wearing a watch? Today, most people would agree that without their smartphones in tote, their lives literally come to a screeching halt. With Apple recently launching the iPhone 4S, an even more powerful tool, smartphones will continue to drive email, social media and mobile marketing. If you had doubts about using any of these methods to promote your business, think again. By integrating your smartphone capabilities into a “smart” marketing campaign, you will dramatically impact your marketing efforts. By using mobile marketing, small business owners get ahead or at least “on time” for the game of business. Smartphones allow you to respond quicker to emails. Social media marketing is instant with responses to Twitter, Facebook and others being at your fingertips. In fact, research has found that people who own smartphones are most likely to be “hyper” users. They constantly check email and Facebook. Just got your smartphone? Consider creating a mobile version of your website. Also, find out which type of social media presence work best for your business -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Don’t forget to track your results. Talk to a small business owner who just received a smartphone and ask him if he is better off with one. He will say a definite, “Yes.” As much as digital media consumes our lives, it also opens doors to new opportunities. Can a small business brand itself? What exactly does that mean?
Branding is a term that dates back to ranchers adding a symbol onto their cattle and other livestock in order to claim ownership. If your bulls had a Circle K on their backsides and wandered off, then anyone who found the bull later could identify it by its brand. The Circle K became a recognizable symbol that signified the ownership of an asset. Today, business branding has come to mean the same thing with regard to particular products, services, intellectual property, and business processes. What do you think of when you hear or see the words McDonald's, Coca Cola, ExxonMobil? Can you picture their logos? Does the Golden Arches immediately come to mind when you think about McDonald's. Your small business can enjoy the same benefits of branding. Create a logo or an image that is associated with your company name. Put it on all your marketing collateral - both print and digital - and use it to claim ownership of all your business assets. Over time, you can plant that symbol into people's minds and "brand" yourself upon their conscience. Branding is good marketing no matter what size your business. If you have a small business and you're wondering where to start in terms of marketing your business online, I've uncovered at least 15 places online you can start marketing your business. Here are the 15 best online marketing channels for small businesses. Try them all and see which ones work best for you.
These are not all the online marketing channels you have, but they are some of the best ones for new businesses. I encourage you to check 'em out. Here in Adams County, there are still small business owners who think that Internet marketing doesn't apply to them. But there are a growing number of small business owners who are taking an interest in online marketing. And they're starting to ask questions.
Which is more important - blogs, e-mail marketing, or social media? That's a good question, but the answer isn't so simple. All three have their places and to what degree you engage through each channel depends on your own marketing goals, the type of business you own, and where your audience is. In many cases, a good mix of all three is the best approach. E-mail marketing is a mainstay of online marketing. It was an early channel and is still strong. I highly recommend an e-mail strategy for most businesses - especially retail businesses. Blogs are good marketing tools for a number of reasons. First, the search engine optimization benefits are incredible. Secondly, there are the huge branding opportunities available for serious business bloggers. Then there are the social benefits involved in having a blog that is highly trafficked and elicits a lot of direct reader feedback. Finally, social media is good for building relationships and driving traffic back to your own Web properties. Which of these tools is right for you? Maybe we should talk about it. Give me a call and I'll consult with you on a strategy that makes sense for your business. If you own a small business in Adams County, Pennsylvania and you've been wondering which Internet marketing strategies would be most profitable for your business, have I got good news for you. I've discovered 5 specific Internet marketing strategies that you can employ that would benefit your customers and be profitable for you.
These 5 Internet marketing strategies have been around for a while and a variety of small businesses have used them. They've been used by businesses across many geographic regions and in a wide variety of niches. I believe they will work for you too.
These are not the only Internet marketing strategies your small business can take advantage of, but they are all very widely used and to great success. |
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