Having a strong online presence is good for business. Over 70% of today’s customers search for the information they need online, including information about products, services, and brands. In the previous article, we talked about some of the reasons why your business absolutely needs a strong and positive online presence.
The next step to take is actually establishing your online presence. There are plenty of strategies to incorporate and ways to do it, but in this article we are going to focus more on the top three mistakes you need to avoid when trying to establish your online presence.
Not Having a Target Audience
Internet marketing is rather different to conventional advertising. You’re not trying to reach as many people as you can on the internet. You can, but it is not the best way to get started with setting up a strong online presence.
Instead of maximum reach, you aim for optimum reach. This means targeting audience segments that are in line with the products and services you offer. If you’re a coffee shop in London, your main focus should be to reach customers in London instead of trying to reach a global audience.
Internet marketing is particularly good for this purpose too. Local SEO now allows you to gain more exposure among the viewers near you. Social media and other internet marketing instruments can be used in highly targeted campaigns too. Even better, you can use your marketing budget more effectively with clear targeting.
Not Using Video Marketing
Video marketing is the highlight of internet marketing trends today. The available broadband networks and the devices customers use all make consuming video content much easier. Videos also work better with today’s internet users and the shorter average attention span they have. Not utilizing video as part of your online presence is indeed a mistake.
You can start by establishing your own YouTube channel. Start producing videos that deliver value instead of those that are purely promotional. Video marketing works similarly to content marketing; your primary focus is sharing valuable information and not hard-selling products and services.
“Videos are perfect for telling compelling stories and engaging the audience on a more personal level,” according to the Head of Productions of Spiel, John Lee. As the leading creative agency for video marketing, Colombatto further explains that even a simple how-to video can be made more interesting with compelling visuals and story.
Getting Caught in the Competition
It is one thing to pay attention to what the competitors is doing, and it is another to copy their strategies frequently. Establishing an online presence is about creating a personalized, relatable image of your brand online. Trying to do what other brands are doing will only make you lose that personalized brand identity.
You can learn from what the competitors are doing, but always formulate your own messages and internet marketing strategies. Let the audience know your brand for what it is and the messages it represents. Be sincere, take the time to connect with the audience, and you will have a strong online presence in no time at all.
