Getting into internet marketing for small business is something that intimidates many business owners. Local small businesses have to watch every dollar they spend, particularly on advertising expenses. One ill-advised campaign with a poor return on investment can put a business behind for months. Luckily for small businesses everywhere there some thrifty yet effective internet marketing strategies that can have a big impact on the bottom line. The trick is in getting the most out of free advertising methods, and using your dollar wisely with paid methods.
Internet Marketing For Small Business: Social Media Marketing
Using the popular social networks to your advantage is one of the best ways to get new prospects to your business without spending a dime (or very few of them). You’ll want to create a Facebook page and a Twitter account dedicated to your business. To get the most out of these accounts, you’ll first want to link them so that Twitter posts are forwarded to you Facebook page and vice versa. Next, you will need to make daily posts with information pertaining to your niche.
Don’t just post about your business; this is an amateur mistake and will get you nowhere. Post industry related tips, advice, and links to current events. The idea is to become a valuable resource to your fans and followers, and build your reputation as an expert. On Twitter, follow other experts in your industry, as this will attract their followers to your profile.
This method does take time and effort, but building a strong social presence is an absolute must for small businesses today. It will be well worth the time you put into it. The more value you can offer your fans and followers, the more likely they are to bring you their business. If you have room in the budget and are short on time, you can assign someone to manage your social presence for you for a reasonable monthly fee.
Internet Marketing for Small Business: Video Marketing
There’s no denying that video marketing is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. Creating and distributing marketing videos for your business is another cost effective method that gets results. YouTube videos are showing up more in Google’s search results, and many people are now searching directly on YouTube. Getting a decent video made is also easier than ever; you can get a professionally made video for $5 on fiverr.com and other gig sites, and for another $5 you can get it distributed through Traffic Geyser to all of the popular video sharing sites. Making instructional videos related to your niche that target low competition keywords is a great way to build expert status and drive traffic to your site.
Internet Marketing for Small Business: Niche Blogging
Maintaining a niche targeted blog ties the above methods together into a comprehensive low cost marketing solution. Update your blog regularly with industry related news and current events. Add your marketing videos into relevant posts, and update your Twitter and Facebook accounts with links to your blog posts. You’ll be surprised at the marketing reach this will give you, especially considering the low costs involved. Whether you outsource these tasks or do them all yourself, you should see a very healthy return on investment in terms of both brand recognition and increased revenue. Internet marketing for small business does not have to be difficult or costly, start with this simple system and build your efforts as profits increase.