Advertising an online store can be time consuming and costly, yet some of the most successful strategies are simple and inexpensive to execute. Luckily, some of these popular tactics don’t take long or cost much at all to implement.
1. Content Marketing
Content marketing (https://backlinko.com/hub/content/what-is-content-marketing) refers to the practice of producing, publishing and disseminating promotional content through various media channels in order to build awareness about a brand without resorting to overt approaches such as traditional advertising (think sociable animal mascots on cereal boxes or loud television commercials).
Content can strengthen brand authority by positioning you as an authority and thought leader within your industry. Content can build trust between consumers and your brand that ultimately results in more repeat purchases and higher average purchase values. This is important as building a community in today’s day-and-age is a great way to keep your customers coming back for more of whatever you’ve got.
Content advertising strategies commonly include blog articles, infographics and videos – be they short or long form; live or prerecorded. Some brands even incorporate podcasts as part of their strategy to reach listeners who prefer listening rather than reading or to show a more personable side of their company.
2. Social Media
Social media allows individuals to connect digitally with friends, family and like-minded individuals they otherwise wouldn’t meet in person. From early MySpace pages in 2000 to Facebook and Instagram today, these networks enable people to communicate on an international scale.
Facebook, X and Instagram are the three go-to platforms for business advertising. Facebook allows businesses to target ads by location or time; X offers similar functionality allowing local businesses to increase foot traffic with targeted advertisements on X or Instagram.
Pinterest can help businesses build brand recognition and link-based traffic through visual content, such as photos or videos shared through pin boards. Users create boards of images or videos that they share with followers. Depending on your needs, other platforms like Snapchat and TikTok may also be of value; these apps tend to appeal more strongly to younger audiences while offering interactive solutions such as short videos.
Holding firm on something important to your target audience can be an excellent way to cultivate engagement and build trust. Take for instance the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge which raised $220 Million while simultaneously increasing awareness about this disease among millions of social media users.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing involves sending commercial emails to existing and prospective customers in order to build relationships, generate leads, and boost eCommerce sales. Email advertising boasts an attractive return on investment (ROI) when compared with other digital strategies.
An effective email advertising strategy requires a detailed plan. Deliberating on your goals helps determine the type of content shared, who your target audience is, how often emails are sent out and the success or otherwise of campaigns.
Email advertising campaigns offer many options for brands to build trust and establish long-term customer relationships, as Soho House uses this strategy for its members to stay informed on events at its prestigious club.
4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization strategies are essential in positioning your website, blog or eCommerce store at the forefront of Google’s results pages. Without these rankings, no matter how useful or informative your content might be to consumers; they won’t find you!
An effective SEO strategy involves conducting keyword research, optimizing content on your site to match user searches, and encouraging visitors to access pages using meta descriptions – not ranking factors but playing an important part in user experience as they appear alongside page title and URL in Google search results.
Search engines exist to provide users with high-quality search results, and are constantly adapting their algorithms in response to user intent, making it integral for marketers to understand and anticipate what people are searching for on search engines.
5. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing refers to leveraging the social media presence and reputation of influencers in order to promote your brand. It has become one of the most effective advertising direct marketing strategies, both small businesses and larger corporations alike. Something like this can have an impact for years to come when it gets down to it.
As part of influencer advertising, it is vitally important that you identify who your ideal audience is in order to select appropriate influencers for targeting and create relevant content.
As part of your campaign goals, it is a good idea to set some clear objectives. Some companies may focus on driving traffic while others aim to convert leads with special offers and discount codes. When trying to generate sales through influencer advertising campaigns, it’s recommended to track their performance so you can recognize them appropriately when necessary.
Finally, it’s also a good idea that you plan your campaign’s budget carefully. There are various methods of paying influencers such as per post or video view or setting a flat rate fee – each month setting a budget will ensure you don’t overspend!
6. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be one of the best ways to expand your business, providing brand awareness and top-of-funnel sales leads. Its highly scalable approach lets you see results immediately.
Word-of-mouth marketing involves customers recommending your products or services to friends and family. It can be an effective strategy for all kinds of businesses, particularly those targeting a smaller target audience, like Dropbox leveraging this tactic by offering free storage space to new users who refer their friends.
As I said in the above article, influencer and celebrity partnerships also play a part in word-of-mouth marketing (also known as Word of Mouth) – for instance HelloFresh has used micro-influencers as part of this approach to drive customer acquisition.
Experiential marketing creates immersive experiences to build consumer trust. Online or in-person, experiential marketing provides the perfect way to do just that – Sephora uses experiential marketing by offering their customers the option of trying makeup before purchasing it!
Product marketing refers to introducing new products into the marketplace. It can be an extremely effective strategy for B2C companies as it helps build brand trust and differentiate themselves from their competitors – Coca-Cola has long been considered an industry leader with their centuries-old branding campaign that’s become associated with Christmas celebrations and other festivities.
