Boosting Your Reach With Online Marketing

3. Interact With Your Customers and Clients

When someone posts something about your business or brand, be the company that is willing to have a conversation. If it’s a compliment, say thanks. If it’s a grievance, respond promptly and ask what you can do to resolve the issue. If it’s just a shout out, say hello back and perhaps offer them a coupon or a special deal.

4. Measure Twice, Cut Once

As that old adage has it, prepare before you begin. Do some testing before you launch your online marketing campaign. Since a majority of people access news and email via their mobile devices, make sure your website uses a responsive design and all your sites display properly on smaller screens. Test how your website, emails, and other online marketing tools look on smartphones and tablets. Send your messages to people in your company before launching them to your customers and subscribers. In addition to display issues, this is also a great chance for others to check for any errors in your copy.

5. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

It’s okay to repurpose and reuse content for different audiences. If a post did particularly well on Twitter, for example, don’t be afraid to include it in your next email message. Maybe you received a lot of feedback and questions after an email campaign; consider expanding the content into a blog. You can then post the blog on your website and LinkedIn. You know your audience; you know what they prefer. But you don’t have to bake from scratch every time.

6. Be Patient; Be Flexible

You’re doing everything right, you’re having great conversations, your posts are relevant, and your stats look great. So why aren’t sales through the roof? Online marketing takes time. And you need to do some analysis to see what’s working and what’s not. Are there certain days or times that work best for your posts? Do people respond to particular topics? Does one channel (Twitter, Facebook, etc …) seem to resonate more with your followers? Is there a particular format—images, blogs, videos—that your customers like best? Examine what is working, then go back to the drawing board and tweak your online marketing strategy. Remember: You want people to enjoy your content and then take action.

7. Keep it Simple

You don’t need to be on every social media platform, send weekly emails, or write weekly blogs. Pick the network(s) your customers prefer. Survey your customers about how often they’d like to receive emails or read blogs. Remember that it’s better to succeed at one strategy or on one channel than to be mediocre across five platforms. So don’t spread yourself too thin. Focus on what you do well and what your customers want.

8. Don’t be Afraid to use Humor

If you can make your clients laugh, you’ve created a bond and they’re more likely to remember you. And, according to research, good memories simply last longer. Laughter unites and unifies people. Whatever your brand, whatever your product, try to bring a smile to your customer’s faces.

Keep an open mind and keep experimenting as you find the best ways to connect with your customers. Online marketing is a powerful and economical way to tell people how you can help them. Done right and done with purpose, it can boost both your reputation and your bottom line.