The current pandemic has triggered a dramatic growth in eCommerce and the amount of people buying products online in South Africa. According to the 2021 We Are Social Data Report, 90.2% of South African Internet users aged between 16 to 64 searched online for a product or service to buy.
Using digital marketing, you can reach a larger audience in a way that is both cost-effective and measurable – not to forget efficient. While there are many complex strategies and tools available – here are a few to help you get started on your journey to growing your business online.
Social Media Conversations
There is no doubt that a lot of people are taking a lot more pictures than 10 years ago. A common trend is for people to post pictures of products and businesses they wish to share with their audiences.
As a business, having a page on the most relevant platforms for your brand ensures that your customers are able to continue conversation beyond the sale with your business. It also provides an extra channel of communication with your customers where they spend most of their time.
The most used social networks are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Youtube – does your business have an ACTIVE account on all or any of these platforms?
IT’S FREE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT – DO IT NOW! If a customer tags your page as a location, that is free advertising.
Another aspect of this involves joining the conversations that are either about your industry/service or directly about your brand. This requires a bit more time and resources as well as the skills for it – so only do it if you are confident enough or alternatively have the budget to invest in it. When done correctly, it generates much publicity for your brand and increases visibility of your brand amongst the community.
Paid Advertising
This is the best time to invest some budget into adverts on different networks like Google Adwords and Facebook Advertising. The beauty of paid search is its immediate results, and the fact that you have access to all the details on where each cent is going.
The most successful paid search campaigns come from strategies that are focused on their target audience.
One of the huge benefits of pay per click advertising is the fact that you only pay for what consumers click on. Whether you are a larger or small business, you can tap into the power of the search engine for a small cost. The ability to target and test specific markets and to run niche campaigns means that buyer interest is substantial. It’s a great low cost marketing strategy and an effective way to attract prospective customers.
Email Marketing
There are many reasons why email is such an effective tool for small businesses. It can help you create more awareness for your brand, expand your customer base, build customer trust and loyalty, showcase your industry expertise, and, ultimately, grow your revenue.
Once you’ve started growing your email list, there are many different types of emails you can send to your customers and subscribers on your email list. It’s important to understand the various types of email and how they work so you can choose the right one for your email marketing campaign.
Quality Website
It goes without saying that these days, every business should have a quality website that represents the organisation. Above everything else, credibility is the most important benefit a website brings to a business. If you do not have one already, then talk to us and we can have your website up and running in less than a week.
A website creates a home for all your online content, a property that your organisation truly owns. This is where you create the experience for your customers and you also get the opportunity to gather valuable insights that can help you improve your services to your consumers.
Engaging Content
One thing that must be present in all the first three listed must haves, is engaging content. Creating content that is so relevant to your customers, it makes them want to engage with it. This means understanding how your business fits into the life of your customers and how you can complement that with advice or insider information.
For example, if you are selling cooler boxes, you can write an article on what people have in their cooler boxes or create a questionnaire or trend on social media. Are you selling charcoal? Write an article on creating the perfect braai fire or create a funny montage of pictures from real people showing unsuccessful braai masters.
Either way, there is always an opportunity for engaging content once you put yourself in your customers shoes and also conduct as much research into your customers and industry as possible.
In Conclusion
There are many opportunities available for a business to increase revenues and find an engaged audience online. These are just a few of most basic components required for your business to succeed online.
There are many more complex strategies available to discover and plent more opportunities to grow your business through reliable marketing techinques.
If you would like to discuss some of these strategies with a trusted professional from Brains World, send a message and we will get back to you.
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