You had the idea. You have the passion. You are ready to start or take your online business to a new level. There is not a better time than now to get your online business up and running. With so many people being online, and our society moving to a more online based type of the “new normal” if you don’t get online– you will be missing out. Growing and branding your business online does not have to break the bank. With a little planning and a good strategy, you can grow your business online with low cost ads or even organic ( free) content.
First things first.Your online business starts with a website. Make sure you have one and you have given your website a facelift, and make sure it looks good on a mobile device. Your website is your most valuable marketing tool.
Best Practices for Growing and Branding Your Business Online on a Budget.
Paid Advertising…
Google Ads- Google Ads are a great low cost way to drive traffic to your website. You can set a small monthly budget of $60 – $ 100 and gain much traction to your website. You can run the ad as long as you want or cancel. I would suggest that you do some research into Google Ads to find out more information. They are easy to set up and very affordable plus very effective.
Facebook /Instagram Ads- You can target the right audience with Facebook and Instagram ads. The good part is you can run your ad on both. You can set a budget of as low as $5 a day and run an ad for 5 days to get more likes, get people to your website, and much more. These ads are low cost and can get your business in front of thousands of people at one time. Running these ads is like having your growth strategies on steroids.
Organic (free) content
If you are not ready for low cost advertising, then you want to be consistent on posting good content online.
Blogging- blogging is a good way to boost your business. When you post a blog to your website, Google sees this as fresh content and you get more traction with blogging. I suggest blogging once a week or twice a month. You can add a link to your website and start blogging for free.
Video Marketing- adding video to your marketing mix will help you brand and grow your business. You can make short videos with your phone and upload them directly to your social sites. Videos will also increase your engagement. You can make one short video with your phone a week.
Email Marketing- this is goldmine for small business owners. Email marketing is still one of the best ways to reach your present followers and to reach out to new followers. Your email should always offer value to your followers and be a source of information. I suggest sending an email at least once a month. Having a lead magnet on your website is key for getting new emails. A lead magnet is what you give away for free ( like a PDF) in exchange for emails.
Social Media Outlets-social media cannot be overlooked. A social media presence is key for branding and growing your business online. Pick 2-3 outlets and work those on a consistent basis. Choose the outlets where your audience is and deliver valuable content when you post on a weekly basis. Don’t forget to engage with your audience through liking, commenting and sharing.
These best practices are proven strategies for branding and growing your business online. But, you must have a strategy. I suggest choosing 2-3 days a week to implement these practices on a consistent basis. Give yourself a 30 day challenge and go all in for 30 days. You will see your business take off to a new level.
