How can your business have online marketing success?
What does it take? What are the key online marketing foundations?
These are questions I was recently asked, and I decided to answer in this podcast with a look at the 4 key foundations I believe are absolutely essential to online marketing success.
Is your business doing well in the 4 areas I note below? They are essential and cover your website, social media, email marketing and more. Let's walk through the 4 in detail!
Ready to dive in?
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To succeed in marketing your business online today, you really need to be strong in these 4 fundamentals. Each plays a part, and the sum together makes a cohesive strategy. The 4 keys are:
By content, we mean a blog resource center with great articles.
The starting point of success online is quality, regular content on your business website/blog. This is the "home base" for any company and one which needs to be carefully crafted and meticulously maintained. It is the source for quality information to share on social media. It's the "footprint" that can be searched and discovered online. Let me say that another way...good content on your website helps both SEO and Social Media.
SEO value comes from having keyword rich, resource blog post articles that answer questions, build trust and offer value. These posts can then be found by those searching the web, and they serve as great material to share on social media. This is not product specific, but more about the application of and resource material. The "how to's" are great.
Content needs to be generated at least weekly if not more to build a footprint out on the web.
For social media, it's imperative online to amplify your quality website content, you have to be fluent and fluid in social media sharing, engagement, and conversation. Knowing the difference between being a bullhorn and being a magnet (see www.magnetmarketers.com) is key. Social media really needs to flow as a relationship building tool, one where the end goal is to help and add value to others.
With average users spending 40 minutes on Facebook a day cumulative, it and other social media networks are where the people are spending time! You want to reach them and connect? Go there!
50% of your social media efforts are simply to attract the right type of person to you (the ideal customer persona) and to engage with them. 30% of your social media efforts are to drive them to a specific lead capture on your website via social (more on that below), and 20% is direct sales offer. Largely Social Media isn't a direct sales channel! It's a discovery and connecting tool that can be ultimately used to move people to your website.
The last 2 keys, list building, and networking flow from a solid web content foundation and are key business strategy tools.
First, list building and lead nurture. For lists, we mean email lists. Getting their name and email is moving from a fan to a lead you can nurture. A solid lead nurture list for email marketing is critical for online success.
This is best done on your website. Soft offers of value (ebooks, videos, coupons) that give a value-adding resource are the way to grow leads. I recommend adding our Waftio lead capture tools to your site as pop-ups and active widgets work best to capture the attention of your visitor. Simply ask for name and email and offer the resource while getting permission to add them to your list.
Then nurture that contact and build trust through regular, resource-rich emails over a multi-week time period, ending with a sales offer.
Networking online to build relationships and partnerships that can benefit both parties is the quickest and strongest way to really ramp up online once you have your foundation in place. Find near-product/service partners you can do joint ventures with. Share their content, and have them share yours!
So, in my opinion, you've got to look at 4 keys.....Active social media presence, great content on your website, list building lead capture tool for email addresses and peer networking to build momentum and partnerships. It's possible! Go for it!
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I’m an Indiana Hoosier native where basketball is the top sport. Every team heads to the locker room at halftime to evaluate the first half and create an updated plan for the second half. That plan includes adjustments based on reviewing what worked and what didn't. The “halftime” is a key review point where the game stops, the team pulls away to huddle in the locker room away from the fans, and they come out prepared and ready to succeed in the second half.
That’s what this podcast is all about, taking the time to pull away for a bit to evaluate, learn, and set some strategies for your business to succeed in the second half. Join me by subscribing and let me be your “business halftime” to help you find great success going forward!
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Grab my helpful checklist that includes strategy for social media lead generation. Click image!
