Branding is the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product or service in the mind of the consumer.

Marketing is the promotion and sale of services and products, and a natural extension of your Brand.

Online Marketing allows far more opportunities than conventional business marketing because of additional channels and marketing platforms available on the Internet.

Your goal is to reinforce your Brand with marketing through Email, SEO, and Social Media to reach undiscovered customers where they spend time searching, reading, socializing and shopping.

A few tips to enhance your Marketing Efforts:

#1   Perfect a Method to Sell One Product/Service Successfully

Don’t concentrate on too many things at once. Focus on one product/service at a time. Once a success method is documented – move on and apply that method to more of your products/services.

#2   Guide Site Visitors to Achieve Your Goal

Data may show your website receives 1000 visitors a day, but if you aren’t making sales – then what’s the point?

Set up a specific trail for people to follow aligned with your goal.

Gather leads by asking people to subscribe to your list by offering something free that’s either useful or meaningful to them.

Then follow-up with a sequence of Emails arranged to educate and nurture them about your product and Brand.

When they feel comfortable and ready to make a buying decision, they’ll become a customer.

#3   Make Each Message Compelling

Each message on your website, in your Blog and in your newsletter should focus on translating the value of your products / services, defining an incentive for the reader, and showcasing your Brand core ethics.

If your message:

• Is the same as hundreds of others
  
  
• Is rather boring
  
  
• Doesn’t evoke emotion
  
  
• Lacks originality
  
  
• Offers nothing of value

- then people will leave without becoming familiar with your business.

#4   Participate in Regular Twitter Q&A Sessions

• Assign one day each week or month (i.e. every Monday, or the second Tuesday of each month) for a Twitter session.
  
  
• Ask people to post questions related to your products, or business. Then provide answers to their questions.

• Pick a unique #hashtag related to your weekly Twitter Q&A. This #hashtag is great for Branding, and can be searched so people can locate and participate in the sessions.

• Announce your Twitter Q&A sessions on your website and in your newsletter, ask your community to include your #hashtag in all their tweets.

Use this opportunity to educate your audience about your products and your business. These sessions will bring your audience together and they’ll enjoy interacting with you and each other.

#5 Add a Blog to Your Business Site

Businesses who utilize a dedicated Blog receive 67% more leads than businesses who don’t market with Blogs.

A Blog acts not only as an extension of the ‘personal touch’ side of your business but also increases SEO by sending targeted visitors to your site, services and products.

When you start a Blog, think of it as a direct way to communicate with your customers. Be prepared to post something on a daily basis. Posts don’t have to be long and involved – but something new should be posted each day. When people see gaps with nothing new on a Blog, it reflects negatively on their view of the business. If you open your Blog to Comments, be sure to review on a daily basis and provide answers and/or feedback.

Post relevant and timely information that’s relevant to your audience:

• Daily and Seasonal Sales & Specials
• New and Limited Time Products
• Product Recalls
• Photos of People Who Have Purchased & Love Your Products, add buyer testimonials
• Employee Accomplishments
• Business Awards Received
• Charity & Community Involvement

#6   Coordinate Content with Search Inquiries

Many times, what we think are the perfect keywords, are not really what people are using in their search terms. You may be missing out on search traffic because you don’t appear high enough in the search index for the search terms people are using.

Example:

Keywords used in content on your website:

beautiful blouses

Search Terms used by those looking for beautiful blouses:
cotton print blouse, short sleeve 100% cotton blouse

Use Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics to determine search terms people used that visited your site. Take note, and adjust your content to those keywords.

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