It’s Time to Create a Solid Online Marketing Plan!
Jennie Lyon
CEO | Online Marketing Expert | Award-Winning Author | Host ???Digital Marketing Made Simple Podcast
As small business owners, the internet has given us so much. It’s often used for procrastinating, with cat videos on YouTube or reading random articles on Wikipedia. But that’s the “bad” stuff. It’s also given us social media networks that we can use to connect with clients directly. It’s given us email that we can use to send newsletters. These marketing uses of the internet didn’t even exist until a few years ago but are now essential parts of a business marketing plan. So, do you have your digital marketing plan in place? And if not, how about using a virtual assistant to create one for you?
It’s incredible just how many small businesses still lack a functional and attractive website. Having a website is just as important as having your phone number in the yellow pages was back in the 20th century, if not more so.
And when I say a “website,” I’m not talking about a site that you threw together a decade ago. I mean a modern website with valuable content and a design that looks good on any device, whether it be a 4K monitor or a smartphone. Unless you have extensive web design experience, this might be out of your reach. And even if it isn’t, it can still take countless hours to get every little detail right.
Even ignoring the way it looks, you need to pay attention to the way it reads. Webcopy on a website needs to be written in a very particular way to engage viewers without scaring them off. Paragraphs should be short, giving potential customers the critical points about your business rather than giant blocks of text.
Before you can create your new website, you need to know precisely what doesn’t work about your current one. That is why we offer extensive website audits. We go through every single page and paragraph of your website, telling you what works, what doesn’t, and, most importantly, WHY. We want you to be in control of your website redesign, so you need all of the tools and information you need to make informed decisions. Then, once you know what you want, we can get to work writing new webcopy, designing new graphics, and creating a brand-new webpage from the ground up!
Social media marketing is about far more than just sending out a random tweet every couple of days with a cute dog photo (although there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with cute dog photos!) Meet Noodles, the Pug and Olive, the French Bulldog!
For social media marketing to work, it needs to be a coordinated campaign that incorporates every single one of your social media channels. These should include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and any other networks where you could potentially connect with your customers.
Social media posts should be interesting, engaging, and contain valuable content that will bring your followers directly to your website or a product landing page. They should also be sent out at times of optimal engagement so you will get the most eyes on them as possible.
Finally, you need to think about the way that your social media profiles look. When was the last time you updated your bio? How old is that photo of you? Do you need new cover images? Are all your graphics high resolution? If not, your social media might need a facelift!
Alongside our website audits, we also offer social media audits where we comb through your social media, checking out your most popular posts, your follower demographics, and how active you are on a daily basis. We can then make some recommendations that will really get your social media humming!
Email marketing is the third pillar of online marketing and one that many small businesses ignore. This has always baffled me. If you have your customer’s email address and their consent to send them an occasional message, then you have a golden ticket right into their inbox! That’s why one of the most valuable things in a company’s possession is their email list. This list of all of their customers is the key to connecting with them on a very personal level.
Another problem is that, even if a company understands the importance of email marketing, they often misjudge the kind of emails they should be sending out. Their communications may come across as SPAM, ending up inside their customers’ Junk Mail folders rather than being clicked on within their Inbox. The ways around this are to craft outstanding subject lines that will draw attention and include genuinely valuable content that customers will want to receive. If all you’re doing it sending them empty marketing copy, they will ignore your emails. But if they know that they might get a free ebook, a fantastic special on one of your products, learn something valuable, or discover a brand-new service that you are offering, they will absolutely spare a click and a few minutes to check out what you have to say!
The internet has been a gift to small businesses. Rather than having to compete with huge corporations over marketing space in print and audible media, they now have a level playing field online. Your website can look just as good as one from a major company, and your social media can be just as active. You only need the right person helping you manage everything behind the scenes as you go about actually running your business. I handle all of the digital marketing of many of my clients, giving them the edge they need to make a splash online.
In fact, let me do you a favor, download my free workbook that walks you through partnering with a virtual assistant! If you need help getting your marketing strategy in place, collaborating with a virtual assistant can be a huge help!
If you’d like to talk about how I can help bring all of your digital marketing up to date, please contact me for a free consultation!