AN ONLINE MARKETING FOUNDATION

Technology

Even though more than 75% of the U.S. population is online, web marketing is still an underused marketing tool among many small business owners. Many business owners admit that they don’t understand web marketing, are afraid to use it, and believe that if it is ignored it will go away. Consequently, they are missing out on one of the most powerful marketing tools today.

Online marketing has limitless opportunities, the only requirement is a  willingness to learn and to manage the process. The same key components make up all effective marketing regardless of the medium used:

• Awareness: Marketing builds awareness. You can have the best product or service in the world, but if nobody knows about it your business will not survive.
• Inform and communicate: Effective marketing communicates, educates and informs. Getting your message in front of current and prospective customers is the key to success.
• Making connections: Effective marketing makes, builds and sustains relationships.
• Service: Marketing is all about serving before selling.
• Sales: Effective marketing is the main support your sales effort receives.

In the past, marketing efforts were pushed out by business owners to the entire world; online marketing allows for a targeted one-to-one relationships. A few of the  benefits of online marketing include:

• Twenty-four hour/ seven days a week availability
• Worldwide visibility
• Eliminates costly store front
• Easier access to your target market
• Ability to acquire and retain customers
• Dollar and time savings available with a streamlined on-line marketing system.

BizQuack will add more on-line marketing suggestions, in daily blogs as well as in future educational sessions. In preparation to incorporate effective on-line marketing, make sure you have answers for the following questions:

• How will your product/service benefit your target market?
• What is your Value proposition; what makes you different?
• Do you have a correctly developed story to tell?
• Have you identified your target market?
• Do you understand the importance of good content?

As you can see, all marketing uses the same basic principles. You will need to know these facts in order to grow as we look at on-line marketing.

Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell. Seth Godin