Marketing used to be something really simple. You make a commercial, write an ad, put up a billboard and call it a day. That’s no longer the case with the development of the internet. That’s not shock, but if you have no awareness of what you need to be versatile in, then you may be shocked and you many not understand why your business isn’t blooming like it should be. Internet marketing strategies aren’t optional anymore, you have to be aware of them. If you’re not a marketing expert, you’ll need to get one.
Here are some examples of things that you need to be versatile in where you’re business is concerned, beyond that fantastic product and great customer service.
Website!
Your
website is your what your front doors used to be. It’s what represents your company to everyone passing by on the internet. It’s what makes them stay and shop for your product, or move on down to the next company that sells toys! Your
website is what makes you set apart form the rest of the pack. If you have a great website, when you’re customer lands on it, they’re going to feel like they’re home. They want to stay with you and not go anywhere else. Your website is the same as your being dressed in fine clothes or wearing a bathing suit when someone walks in your business.
Not only does your website have to be good from someone’s laptop or desk top, but it has to be
responsive to cell phones. What that means is that you have to have your website be able to adjust and make the needed changes for viewing when it’s on a cell phone verse on a desktop or lap top.
Social Media!
Social media is what coffee shops used to be. Coffee shops used to be where you’d go and talk to people and in the process of a cup of coffee find out what they liked and didn’t like. What was the best place in town to get advertising for your job? What is the best place for toys? Now you go to social media and you throw your question out there.
Even if you don’t know what company’s are social media, you know them. You’ve heard of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and a never ending list of social media sites. Social media is where people now meet and greet and let everyone know what they think about everything, including how a company is doing. If you’re not on social media, you’re missing a huge market!
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the fancy name for internet marketing. It’s the umbrella term that includes such things as Growth Hacking, Social Media, Marketing and Reputation management. SEO takes you from being lost among millions, to being on the front page with the big boys. It’s the difference in 300 a month and 1000’s a month. If you’re not making what you want to be making, you need SEO.
Marketing Strategy!
Where are you going? What’s your target market? What impact do you want to have? Where do you see your business in 10 years? These are all questions that a
marketing strategist asks when they first come on board. They are the ones that can invision where you are, but more importantly where you can be. They not only can invision it, but they have the ability to get you there.
Part of the talent that comes with being a strategist is their ability to know when doing something that is counter-intuitive is actually the correct thing to do. A strategist doesn’t understand the concept of a box, let alone being in one. They are a unique breed that most people can’t begin to understand, but they are critical to your business growing, developing and being their in 10 years.
All Of Them!
The answer to your next question is all of them! That’s right, if you’re company is going to grow you are going to need all of these people in your business. That’s especially tough in the beginning, when your company is a mom and pop type of store, but they are all needed. You can look at what you have and what you’re going to need to determine what is first, and move from there. You can do it! It is possible! Just take your first step and before you know it, you’ll be flying!!!
