If utilized properly, the internet has the power to increase your sales no matter the size of your business. This is because the internet has the power to reach a large scope of audience 24/7. Most people rely heavily on social media to increase their online presence with the hopes of increasing sales. Many people hesitate with online marketing thinking that it is expensive especially for small businesses. There is also the issue of competition in the internet which is fiercer compared to competition in the real world.
However, if you really want to build your online presence and use it to boost your sales, there are ways of doing so. Here are 5 easy ways of building your online presence and increasing your sales.
Interact on Social Media
Social media is a flexible platform and ideal for small businesses to make their presence known. The key to having a successful social media presence is interacting with your followers on a regular preferably daily basis. If you don’t have time to monitor social media activities daily, assign an employee to do this for you.
Interaction is important because customers want to feel important and appreciate it when their feelings and concerns are heard and addressed. Having a Facebook or Twitter presence has a big impact on customer loyalty. Aside from this, you can gain insight from your relationship with customers on social media.
Claim Your Online Real Estate
To increase your presence and boost sales, boost your brand presence by claiming your online real estate. Get on Google Maps, Google My Business, Foursquare, Yelp, create profiles in social media accounts like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, Youtube and the like. This will help boost your SEO rankings too while giving your brand recognition.
While you’re at it, get reviews and testimonials. Pick good review sites such as Yelp, Facebook and Google My Business not only for brand recognition but also to boost your credibility as a business.
Invest In Paid Social Media Marketing
Paid advertising on social media can be a cost-effective way to get brand recognition and boost sales. One of the best reasons to invest in paid social media advertising is its ability to target a specific set of audience and analyze how effective it is in doing so. When you advertise on Facebook for example, it will ask you how much you are willing to pay per click every 1,000 impressions and give you feedback on how each impression converts into leads and sales.
You can think of paid advertisements as giant billboards and TV adverts. By advertising on social media you are building an online presence by focusing your campaign on impressions instead of clicks and follows.
Invest in Paid Search Engine such as Google
One of the most powerful tool a website owner has for boosting sales is paid search engine advertising because it clearly states your customer’s intention. When a customer searches for something on search engines, he or she is giving a clear signal of their needs and desires. Google for example, allows users to set keywords, choose specific categories and demographics ad location so that your target audience is narrowed down and you get results that is relevant to your content and promotion.
On-Site Blogging
Provide thought leadership for your customers and readers by writing a blog on your website. This can serve two purposes: you can boost your SEO content by causing your website to appear organically on search results page and blogs that show thought leadership for your industry gives customers and prospective customers a reason to trust you, making you and your business more credible and authoritative. These efforts will increase your SERPs rankings which can lead to a boost in leads and sales.
Your blog should encourage customers and readers to contact you to discuss matters further. There are also some people who are just looking for advice instead of a purchase. If you give them expert advice, they are more likely to buy from you.
Participate In Industry Forums
As with blogs, participating in industry forums will make you more credible and authoritative in the eyes of your customers and prospective customers. The more credibility and authority you have, the more customers are likely to trust you. Forums are a great venue to build credibility and reputation and lots of forums allow signature links with your website or social media profiles embedded.
However, it is good to remember that it is not about bombarding these forums with your offers and promotions. It is about adding value, building a credible online presence and establishing yourself or your business as an expert in your field or industry. If you get this right, sales will not be far behind.
