Statistics show that almost 70% of Americans shop online. And almost half of them bought their first item on Amazon. Whether you have an independent store or run an Amazon FBA business, there’s no denying that now’s the best possible time to go big on online selling. With more people discovering just how convenient online shopping can be, both small and large online stores can find their audience and establish a profitable business.
However, with bigger audiences comes fiercer competition, so if you want to stand out, you need to have a comprehensive marketing strategy for promoting your business online.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the best ways you can promote your business in 2021 and beyond.
Take Audience Research to Another Level
Audience research isn’t the most fun part of running an online business. And yet, in most instances, it can end up having the most impact on how successful your marketing efforts end up being.
That’s because no matter what specific strategies you end up using, they will only work if you are targeting the right buyers in the first place. You could have the best messaging in your industry and still fail if the people you get in front aren’t interested in the first place.
And that doesn’t mean just settling for a vague idea of the people who might be interested in what you have to offer.
Instead, you have to be willing to talk to your real customers and get to know the people that make up your best customers.
That way, you can avoid making assumptions about your sales strategy and can make informed decisions about every part of your marketing.
But how can you get specific answers directly from your customers? Well, the simple answer is this: by talking to them!
The best approach is to schedule a few interviews with some of your best customers. Make sure that they are the type of client you want to attract, as you will use the insights you gain to put together future marketing campaigns.
Ask questions about their experience with your brand, why they chose you, what they like the most, and what they’d like to see improved. Pay attention to the language and specific words they use, as that can help you write the most compelling copy that stands out from others and speaks to your audience in a language they can relate to.
In addition to running interviews, you could consider sending a survey to your subscriber list or even adding a poll to your site to get specific answers about something you want to double-check.
The questions you ask should help you make more informed decisions, as putting in all that effort will only be worth it if it leads to more sales.
Use Lead Generation Tools
Lead generation tools are becoming much more prevalent, with solutions like Zoominfo becoming more used across industries. In fact, there are more than a dozen Zoominfo alternatives that are very popular as well, making this type of software much more accessible to businesses of all sizes.
But why should you use lead generation tools in your business?
Well, the number one reason is quite obvious – with better tools, you can achieve better outcomes, increase your ROI, and make the job of your sales teams much easier.
But there’s more to it than just that.
It can help you streamline various processes in your company, allowing you to completely eliminate practices like cold calling and making each interaction with a prospect much more informed and useful.
Because of lead generation tools, you don’t have to guess about what your customers want or where they are at; you can use these tools to generate valuable insights that will put you in a much more informed position you can use to build authority.
For eCommerce stores, lead generation tools can help make the most out of the site’s visitors, offering them more timely and engaging messaging and providing various incentives for them to stick around and buy, all on autopilot.
Create Content That Showcases Your Brand
No matter what type of online business you are running, having a comprehensive content marketing strategy should be at the top of your priority list.
Unlike what some marketers may still believe, content marketing is not just filler text on your blog that you can use to improve SEO. Sure, it does play an essential role in improving your rankings, but content can offer much more than just that.
For one thing, content can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and quickly build your brand’s authority.
If you know your audience well (which you can do with the help of audience research), you can use that knowledge to develop hyper-targeted and relevant content that speaks to the core of the biggest issues your ideal buyers are facing.
You can showcase your expertise, build trust by providing helpful advice, and gently position your products as the best solution in a situation.
If you have multiple products, you can even help people figure out which one suits their needs best, which will not only lead to more sales but will improve customer satisfaction in the process.
Use Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing sometimes gets a bad rep. But when done correctly, it can still be one of the fastest ways to drive sales in as little as a few hours.
If you can find the right influencer and develop an appealing offer, you’ll instantly get in front of an army of loyal followers who are very likely to be interested in what you have to offer, especially since you’re recommended by someone they like and trust.
But at the same time, the expenses from running an influencer campaign can quickly pile up if it doesn’t generate returns. You can start increasing your chances of success by identifying your campaign’s goal. For instance, if you have a new product launch that you want to get noticed, think about the type of audience and the type of message that would suit that product best.
Then, look for influencers that have the right audience and the right voice for delivering your message. Remember, you don’t have to work with A-list influencers with millions of followers, as there are plenty of micro-influencers that can be just as effective and much more affordable.
Finally, once you have a shortlist of candidates, negotiate the terms, develop the post together, and carefully track the results so that you can make adjustments next time.
Final Words
This year is a great time to be an online business, as even small companies have plenty of opportunities for promoting their products.
Using the strategies above, you can steadily build up your brand’s presence while also keeping your marketing budget in check, as all of the methods can scale up and down relatively easily.
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