When you are in the process of starting a brand new business, one of the most difficult hurdles you will face is getting the word out there about your exciting new venture. After investing in all the costs necessary to get the start-up off the ground, many entrepreneurs face issues such as lack of capital and funds when it comes to the next step – digital marketing.
However, this doesn’t mean that the marketing process should be ignored completely. After all, if people aren’t hearing about your new business, you will be missing out on potential sales and will probably end up losing money.
In today’s online environment, digital marketing is the way forward. Although there is still a place for traditional methods of advertising, online marketing is where the industry is headed.
But with so many different methods of digital marketing available to you, how do you know which avenues you should be targeting for your start-up?
We have deconstructed the digital marketing minefield and come up with four of the most effective techniques for marketing your start-up. Tried and tested methods, these forms of digital marketing are a sure-fire way to boost the reach of your business when done right.
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is one of the main methods of digital marketing. Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is the process of getting your business ranking organically in search engine listings for specifically targeted keywords.
One of the main drawbacks of SEO is that it is a long-term investment – for start-ups looking to see instant results, SEO may not be the best option for you initially. Having said that, there are also many benefits of search engine optimisation. Businesses which find themselves ranking within the first few pages of search engine listings usually see far more traffic than those lower down the listings, and those who are fighting it out for the coveted number one position will see an even greater volume of traffic and conversions.
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2. Pay Per Click (PPC)
The ‘quick and easy’ companion to SEO, Pay Per Click aims to get businesses right up there with their competitors via the use of sponsored search engine listings and results. As the name suggests, with PPC you pay a certain amount of money each time someone clicks through to your site from the sponsored result. The actual amount of money will depend on how competitive your chosen keyword is.
This means that entrepreneurs in particularly competitive industries should be extra careful when using PPC, as the competition can often end up pricing start-ups out of the market. However, for those wishing to target niche, localised or less mainstream keywords, PPC can work wonders when it comes to visibility and directing traffic to your site.
3. Social Media
Social media is becoming an increasingly useful tool for digital marketers. It’s also perfect for start-ups, as the most rudimentary forms of social media marketing don’t require any funds to be invested. Of course, greater results come with increased spend, but social media can also be useful to start things off by building a valuable, engaged and informed community of followers.
To begin with, it may be useful to build an idea of your business’ model target customer. This can then help further down the line when you are devising a social media marketing strategy, as it will enable you to ensure you are targeting the right social networks and sharing content that will interest and engage your target user.
The beauty of social media is that it can also be used as a method of interacting with both existing customers and potential customers. This makes it easy to view feedback, which could be especially useful for a start-up, as well as answering questions and responding to any queries which may crop up. Followers will also then see that you have an active social media presence, which can help to build trust and help to cement your new found brand identity in the online environment.
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4. Blog Content
Last but not least, our final digital marketing technique focuses on blog content. Along with social media, your business’ blog is one of the most visible aspects of the marketing process that your customers will see, so it is important to get it right. A blog needn’t be a time-consuming thing to produce – stick to a couple of posts a month to start with, then you can always branch out with additional content further down the line when you get more time. If you are struggling to think of ideas for blog topics, it may be worth investigating your competitor’s websites to see what they are posting. Other suggestions include sticking to industry-specific news and updates, or some more fun, informal posts could help to generate a buzz.
Successfully navigating the field of digital marketing can be a tricky task, but there is no need to worry about wasting valuable resources on ineffective methods of marketing. Simply follow our guide, do some research, and plan out your digital marketing campaign ready to boost your start-up to greater success.
