4 Marketing Essentials for Any Business

Traditional and old-fashioned advertising methods, such as an ad in the local paper, are now borderline obsolete, and the very definition of marketing is synonymous with ‘being online’. This doesn’t, however, mean that offline methods are irrelevant altogether, as the best businesses should be combining both online and offline to truly get the most out of their marketing strategy.

No matter what your business, service or product is, here are 4 marketing essentials that you should know about.

1. It’s Important to Be Online, But Don’t Forget to Meet with Your Customers

While the bulk of your marketing will be behind a computer screen, hidden from the world, don’t underestimate the power of a physical meeting, being able to shake the hands of your customers and speaking with them in person. This isn’t the most direct or quick route for marketing, but it’s important to implement it wherever possible. This could include attending trade shows, exhibitions, workshops or even researching where your target audience is most likely to hang out. Then, aim to spend some time there.

If you feel like you need training and help to build confidence with your customer interaction skills, why not seek the assistance of network marketing experts trained in business speaking?

2. Implement Search Engine Optimization

You should tailor all your online content to encourage more organic traffic, as this is the biggest way to gain more sales. Organic traffic comes from professional SEO integration, which means your business will always be found as the answer to any search query relating to your business. To ensure that you get a leg up on the competition, competitor research is a must if you want to be aware of what your business competitors are doing in regards to SEO and how you can do it better.

3. Be Present on Social Media

Spending time on all social media platforms is always a plus, but you should also take extra time and care with the specific platforms that are best suited for your business. If you are B2B, then LinkedIn might be a better area to concentrate on than Instagram, for example. This doesn’t mean that you should neglect the other platforms, however; simply be aware of which one works best for you. Actively posting relevant and engaging content on any platform is good marketing practice.

4. Be Prepared to Still Use Direct Mail

A lot of people believe that physical advertising post is now mostly junk mail, but the right direct mail can have a positive effect. This could be a catalogue of your new products sent to existing, loyal customers, which might push them to return to your website and make a new purchase. Or, it could be a discount or coupon offer sent through the post rather than via email. Due to the sheer volume of emails consumers and individuals now receive, an advertising email is more likely to be ignored or unseen in a person’s inbox than their letterbox.