Traditional marketing means such as television, newspaper advertisements, banners, and printing dominated the physical world. However, according to Statista, "as of April 2022, there were five billion internet users worldwide, which is 63 percent of the global population."
The internet is used for a substantial portion of consumers' lives, from research and entertainment to purchases; therefore, marketing operations also have to be there, which includes everything from lead creation to lead nurturing via the internet.
So when you use the internet to help market your services, we (in the industry) call it internet marketing. Small businesses and brands have a perfect opportunity to use various methods and platforms for communicating with prospects and clients, with tools such as email, video, social media websites, or pay-per-click ads.
However, internet marketing is more than merely utilizing these tools to reach prospects. It is part of a much bigger picture that comprises a variety of factors to ensure that your marketing reaches your target audience.
In this post, we will go through what internet marketing is and cover the following topics:
What is Internet Marketing?
Internet marketing refers to promoting a small business or company and its services via online tools that help generate leads, drive more traffic, and boost your sales.
It also goes by other names, such as digital marketing or online marketing, and it relies on digital channels to distribute your promotional messages.
Internet marketing is a broad phrase that encompasses a variety of marketing strategies and channels. It can be carried out using a variety of digital platforms, tools, and content delivery methods such as:
- Website content
- Social media
- Blogging
- Videos
- Podcasting
- Online advertisements
- Email marketing
- Sponsorships
- Paid promotions
With content marketing, the days of optimistic sales pitches and traditional marketing are long gone.
Small businesses with the above tools can now precisely target their prospective clients and deliver relevant content that resonates with them.
This is ideal since it is precisely what today’s consumers desire.
People don’t want to hear about your services if they don’t interest them.
Today’s buyers are more discerning about the information they’re willing to consume, from installing adblockers to clicking “Skip Ads” buttons.
Content marketing provides valuable information that answers prospects’ issues and is available on demand.
Why is Internet Marketing Important?
Internet marketing uses the clients’ online activity and connects them with your small business by reaching out to different places across the internet. Internet marketing provides relevant information to meet prospects’ needs and requirements and is available on demand.
Let’s take a look at the four essential factors reflecting the importance of internet marketing:
- Accurate Results
- Enhanced User Experience
- Cost-effective and Budget-Friendly
- Automation of Marketing Functions
1. Accurate Results
Small businesses can use internet marketing to define their target audience and learn about their users, gender, behaviors, or ages. As a result, you can get your services and content in front of the right people at the right time when they are most likely to buy or take action becomes easier. Therefore, internet marketing is an effective instrument for small business promotion.
2. Enhanced User Experience
Internet marketing allows you to better connect with your prospects and clients to provide them with a more tailored buying experience. For example, greeting them by email and making recommendations based on their tastes and interests will improve the entire experience.
The client should also feel unique here, which will eventually generate engagement for your small business. You should also evaluate advertisements depending on the users’ groups and pages. This will allow you to better target your buyer persona or the buyers you are looking for.
3. Cost-effective and Budget-Friendly
Compared to traditional marketing, internet marketing can be the most cost-effective and budget-friendly approach to marketing your small business.
It can help you obtain accurate results and drive interested individuals to your website. The cost of running PPC ads can be inexpensive and allows for running different versions depending on the services or areas you want to target.
4. Automation of Marketing Functions
Lead creation, client retention, and lead nurturing all take a significant amount of your time and work away from your core business. The beauty of internet marketing is that it allows you to automate some, if not all, duties. It will help you decrease the time and stress necessary to handle the whole operation.
Aside from that, the automation process helps users at various phases of the buyers’ journey. Automation tools include:
- Chatbots
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Email nurturing campaigns
As a result, it helps align with how your clients want to discover and hire you for your services. Furthermore, it can allow you to pivot as per your industry or business size changes.
5 Types of Internet Marketing
Internet marketing encompasses several techniques for driving web traffic, leads, and sales. All the categories below are proven to help you promote your small business and gradually develop your audience by delivering valuable, high-quality content.
Here are five types of internet marketing that will help fuel your small business growth online:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is about optimizing your website or blog to rank higher on the search results pages (SERPs).
SEO is regarded as THE most important aspect of internet marketing.
Here are some of the best practices for SEO:
- Small businesses should generate high-quality content for their target audience
- Small businesses should focus on improving the website design to provide a better user experience
- Small businesses should use a combination of primary and secondary keywords or keyword phrases
- Small businesses should make sure their website loads fast and ensure it is mobile-friendly or responsive
- Small businesses should consider adding videos, photos, illustrations, and images
- Small businesses should link to and acquire links back from authoritative sources in your industry
2. Content Marketing
The goal of content marketing is to share quality, industry, and niche-related content with your target audience. Content marketing is a critical component of internet marketing since it is the first thing a visitor notices.
Additionally, content marketing is supported through an effective content marketing strategy. This aims to ensure your small business regularly creates content and posts it online.
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a cost-effective internet marketing tool for establishing and growing your small business’s online presence.
You can pick from several social media channels to reach your intended audience and produce a variety of interesting content.
Platforms that work well for many small businesses are:
- YouTube
- TikTok
Combining social media with organic and paid marketing efforts forms a beautiful combination that can help promote your small business online.
Social Media not only raises your small business’s brand recognition but also requires interaction with the audience and the development of your entire brand voice.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing refers to the delivery of direct emails to prospects and clients via email. It allows you to communicate with your leads who will be interested in your services.
Email marketing, like social media marketing, is regarded as one of the most important aspects of internet marketing. Here, a small business like yours has the ability to design and promote several types of emails, such as:
- Newsletters
- Follow-Ups
- Recommendations
- Promotions
- Rewards
With email newsletters, a small business can use improved targeting and personalization capabilities to hit prospects and clients with reminders and promotions, increasing conversion rates.
Personalize emails by using their first name and acknowledging important occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries is the icing on the cake.
5. Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC Ads)
With pay-per-click ads (PPC ads), when a user clicks on a search ad or a display ad, you, the small business, pay for that click regardless of conversion.
Given PPC ads can help drive visitors to your website at a minimal cost and enables you to show up above the organic listings on the SERPs.
Strategies to Conduct Internet Marketing Effectively
There are several techniques that a small business can do to optimize the performance of its internet marketing. Here are five of them:
- Create an SEO and User-friendly Website
- Start With One Channel at the First
- Gradually Implement More Channels
- Create a Consistent Buyers Journey
- Automate the Process Wherever Possible
1. Create an SEO and User-friendly Website
A website is your company’s initial impression on a prospect; therefore, it should be visually attractive, incorporate a color scheme that follows your established brand, load fast, and browse easily.
Relevant keywords or keyword phrases should be used to improve the website’s quality for both SEO and content purposes.
A user-friendly website will help attract visitors and emphasize the services you provide.
2. Start With One Channel at the First
Often, small businesses want to be on every social media channel or platform. However, starting with one is better and expanding as you become more comfortable with your overall strategy platforms.
If a small business wants to nurture leads, emails may educate and market your services. PPC ads can be used to increase traffic at a lower overall expense.
3. Gradually Implement More Channels
Like anything, as your business and audience grow, you may want to implement more channels and touchpoints.
Start by experimenting with new or different platforms or channels. Then you will get an idea about the styles and communication required for them, and you can go forward accordingly.
4. Create a Consistent Buyer's Journey
Your buyer’s journey starts when the prospect interacts with your small business for the first time. Here, you need to step into their shoes and feel the emotions that they might have during the interaction with your business. You will want to think about:
- What kind of questions are they having
- What are you sharing to dispel their doubts
Understanding the buyer journey is one of the best internet marketing practices.
5. Automate the Process Wherever Possible
Internet marketing can be time-consuming and challenging. With the help of automation, chatbots, and email let, you save your most precious resource, your time.
Final Thoughts
In this post, I have covered a lot. I hope you have a better understanding of internet marketing and why it is important for your small business. If you are wondering if internet marketing is right for your small business or would like to learn more about how it could help your small business, then reach out to me today! I am here to help you and your small business grow by using the power of internet marketing.
