Investing time and energy into your marketing helps you boost sales, brand awareness, and business credibility.
Here are a few must-know methods that are guaranteed to help every new business on their digital marketing mission. With these 5 beginner tips your business will be flying ahead in no time.
Go organic on social
Marketing doesn’t always have to cost money. In fact, some of the most effective means of connecting with your audience are absolutely free, like organic social media. Over 5 billion people use social media, so figure out which platforms your audience are on, and set up a profile or two.
Organic content is a great (free!) way to help your audience understand who you are and the culture of your business.
Fasthosts says: People love a personal brand over a faceless organisation, so show your personality beyond the shell of your website, build your following and engage with people through posts, photos and videos – brand awareness will come naturally.
Launch paid ads
Want to reach further with your sales messages and say the right thing, to the right people, at the right time? Time to launch some paid ads!
With paid ads, you have full control of your budget and ad spend – plus you can customise the time that your ad runs, whilst reaching the exact audience segment you want.
There’s a few avenues you can go down here, from targeting specific social media platforms, like Instagram, to search engines with Google Ads. The latter is often referred to as PPC, or Pay-Per-Click advertising, which means you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. Easily manage and keep track of live performance stats, such as the CTR (click through rate), and stop at any time!
Fasthosts says: Segment your audience by demographics, interests, and behaviours to increase ad success.
Set up for SEO success
SEO (search engine optimisation) is the strategic technique of tailoring your website with relevant keywords, images and original targeted content that helps you rank higher on the SERP (search engine results page).
SEO can be applied to work on a local, national or global level, with different tactics employed for different industries. For example, if you want to be the first business that appears on Google for ‘retro radios in Rotherham’, then an effective SEO keyword that reads just that can help get you there.
Fasthosts says: Effective keyword research and application can be overwhelming for beginners, so don’t be afraid to ask for external help to get going on this one. Ready to dive into the topic? Google Garage is a great free course we recommend!
Slide into their inbox
According to HubSpot, email marketing is one of the most effective channels for driving conversions, with a 2.8% CVR (conversion rate) for B2C brands and a 2.4% CVR for B2Bs. It’s a great way to get directly in front of your audience with the potential for personalised messaging, to promote products or services, launch campaigns, advertise special offers and all the rest.
Build an address list through sign-up call-outs or online sales – with permission from the buyer of course, GDPR is watching you – and send your audience an email worth opening to drive those sales! Just don’t fall into their spam folder.
Fasthosts says: Increase your open rate with a short, sweet, and potentially personalised subject line. Try not to exceed 9 or so words – oh and don’t forget an emoji.
Get Google listed
Ever clicked on a business on Google Maps, Yelp or TripAdvisor to quickly find out opening times or contact details, only to discover they’re either non-existent, all over the place or out-of-date? It’s a first world problem, but in the impatient mind of a digital consumer, it’s an instant turn off.
Taking control of your business listings is the solution. Make your business accessible for those who seek you out or come across you online to avoid leading your audience down the wrong path… or in fact, nowhere at all.
Fasthosts says: We have just the tool to make this quick, easy and effective for you.
Master your marketing with Fasthosts
See, digital marketing isn’t so hard after all! Well the basics anyway. But if you want more time to focus on running your business from the front while still being in control of your marketing behind the scenes, then we have an Online Marketing Suite with your name on it.
From SEO, ads and listings, to an intuitive marketing radar which empowers you to see what’s being said about your brand in real-time. Give us a buzz today and let’s start boosting sales together for your business.
