So you want to take your online marketing to the next level?
You know that an ever increasing amount of your customers are now sourcing or researching your products and services online and that you’re competitors are beginning to also know that.
This is the tipping point; where if you miss out now you’re potentially going to be losing online ground fast, with the impact that has on your business very large.
Here’s seven things that should help you to achieve more.

Make sure you know who it is you’re targeting

Your Customer; they’re at the heart of everything your company does and they should also be at the centre of your online presence.
Everything should be about them and how you answer what it is they’re looking for.
You’ll have no doubt heard of content marketing by now and that to a large extent is about adding value to those visiting your website.  In order to do that you’ll need to know what it is they value and what drives them to make the decisions that they do.
Build a picture of who it is you’re targeting and what motivates them to behave that way.

Don’t try to be everything to everybody

You can’t be absolutely everything to everybody and if you’re trying to be then you’ll inevitably be losing out by diluting your message.  It can sometimes be tempting if one person asks you for something specific to think that that request represents the needs and desires of the masses.
By working out exactly who it is you’re targeting you should be avoiding the trap of trying to attract everybody and connecting with nobody.

Make sure you know how to reach them

So you know who they are, with that you should also know what channels are best to reach them.
Is it Facebook? Twitter? Email marketing? Regular blogging?
The answer will be unique to each business and whom it is they’re targeting but make sure you prioritise this list.  Quite often smaller businesses won’t be able to do them all so make sure you’re focussing on the tools at your disposal that will give you the best possible chance of reaching your target market.

Make sure you have a plan

A marketing plan doesn’t have to be a sophisticated document written from a groovy design studio by some trendy young guy in a waistcoat and thick rimmed glasses.
It’s a document that gives you a sense of purpose, a drive towards what it is you’re working toward.  It can be as long or as short and concise as you want it to be.  One suggestion we’d give is don’t try to get too clever, get too intricate and overcomplicate.  There’s room for that once you have all the basics in place.
It’s a bit like building a house; make sure you have the foundations in place then add all the fancy bits later.
No foundation; no house.

Make sure you have the resources

This is a massive one for businesses in Devon and Cornwall.
There are not enough hours in the day! So do you have the resources to carry out the plan? If not, do you need to get some help in and if you do can you afford that help?
Your plan should give you an idea of where external help would be best deployed.  If it’s something you don’t think you can yet afford then concentrate your efforts on those channels and areas that are going to give you the most benefit.
By prioritising and focussing you’ll get the benefits of revenue and you can build and grow with that extra profit.

Make sure you report and monitor your efforts

For the moment forget that the word ‘intangible’ ever existed.  You need to know what’s working and build on it.  If it isn’t working then ditch it (after a period of time; sometimes things do take time to come to fruition!).
By having reporting in place you’ll be making business decisions backed up with business information; always a better place to be than throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks.
That’s definitely not what you want to be doing!

Don’t become despondent

Don’t let yourself get down! Once you have your plan the chances are it won’t be driving huge amounts of revenue within 24 hours!
If someone isn’t yet ready to buy from you or doesn’t yet know that they need to then it will take time.
Remember that nobody ever buys from a business they don’t know exists.  By identifying your customers, where they are, what they want and when they want it they’ll know all about you by the time comes to make a decision.
You’ll find that brings success.
For more information on how we can help you gain more success from your online marketing please give us a call on 01566 784860 or email hello@mihidigital.co.uk