Connections… isn’t that what the world is all about?
We’re on a continual quest to discover the places we fit into and the people we’ll reach out to.
Online marketing is no different. With hundreds of millions of eCommerce websites out there in cyberspace, you need to connect with your potential customers and do it often.
There’s simply no time to let your brand slip from their minds. Email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media are just the marketing initiatives you need to make your brand sticky in your customers’ minds.
Because imagination is key in discovering creative ways for email marketing, SEO, and social media to complement each other, we’re here to share some tried-and-true examples to get those creative juices flowing!
Focus on your brand
It all starts with how memorable your brand is. Once people start recognizing your brand, they will be willing to trust you and convert into buyers.
Strong branding results in higher search rankings, better conversion rates, and stronger customer loyalty.
Start by picking a memorable domain name and visual identity and promote both consistently through all your available marketing channels.
From there, use Text Optimizer to create relevant content to publish on your site and blog.
Spread the value
Before you can even spread the wealth, you first need to show your social media base just how engaging your email newsletters are.
Include email newsletter sign-up links and forms in your social media profiles to make it easy for people to fill in their addresses. Include tidbits on the type of content they can discover inside your newsletter, and tease parts of your newsletter in your Twitter and Facebook posts.
The more you can convince your social media base that there is exciting content and promotions inside your newsletters, the more likely they’ll hit the subscribe button.
A link can be more than just a link. Link building is all about the quality of the links pointing to your website versus the sheer quantity of links you have. Securing a link on a well-known, established site not only gives you SEO value, but it’ll likely send traffic (and potentially sales!) your way too.
Hundreds of millions of blogs exist online, so there’s a good chance at least a few of your newsletter subscribers have an active blog that receives a decent amount of traffic and has a solid reputation. Here are two possibilities for you to consider:
- You can send a newsletter out asking bloggers to review your products. You’ll send them a free product if they review one of yours on their blog or use it as a giveaway prize, and then include a link to your site in their post (and possibly blogroll).
- The same goes for any subscribers who have a noncompeting link. Ask if they’ll review a product (that you’ll provide for free) in exchange for giving you a mention (and a link!) on their website.
Stay current
Your favorite news stories likely aren’t the short 10-sentence articles that only state the facts. You like the facts but want to hear an educated opinion. So do the same with your newsletter.
Post your expert opinion about a current news story related to your industry on your blog or website, and then include a snippet of it in your newsletter, directing your readers to the more lengthy post to read more and engage on social media. Ask your readers to comment with their own opinions and to help you spread the word by sharing your post on other websites and social media profiles.
We love to be recognized. With so many websites out there, taking the time to pluck out a few favorites related to your industry and posting a Top 10 award list on your blog is another way to gain links.
In addition to contacting the award “winners” to let them know you selected them (they’ll likely link to you!), include a snippet about the winners in your following newsletter. There is a good chance readers will link to your post from their blogs and social media presence.
Give to get
Although eCommerce businesses don’t necessarily have a lot of extra cash to give out these days, giving to a charitable cause helps cast your business in a good light but also helps you get some press out of the effort. Here are three promotions you can hold to spread goodwill and promote your brand:
- Once you reach a certain number of Facebook fans, donate a portion of the proceeds from a sitewide sale to a cause related to your industry.
- For each new Facebook fan, you get within a specific time frame, donate $1 to a charitable organization.
- Ask your Twitter followers to retweet a message about a cause you’ll be donating to, and then randomly select one of the retweeters as the prize winner from your online store.
You can add a post on your blog about the initiatives you’re involved in, and you can send out a newsletter (with a link to the post) that describes what the activities mean to you and your business. Ask your newsletter readers to share your blog post to help you spread the word and make your mission even more successful.
So . . . once you’ve conjured up and implemented your ideas, be sure to track the statistics related to each effort, which can include:
- Number of click-throughs (and sales!) resulting from your email newsletter.
- Number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers you generated.
- Amount of traffic to your website and blog comes from Facebook and Twitter.
- Number and quality of backlinks that point to your website and blog.
From there, you can determine the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts. And remember, it often takes a few tries to capture people’s attention, so stick with your plan and keep generating those creative ideas!
FAQs
How can I generate backlinks for my website?
You can generate backlinks for your website by participating in blogrolls, partnering with non-competing websites, staying current on industry news and trends, giving to charitable causes, and providing a top 10 list of related industry favorites.
What types of content should I include in my email newsletter?
You should include content that is relevant to your industry, such as news stories, opinion pieces from industry experts, and snippets about award winners related to your industry. Additionally, you can provide updates on charitable initiatives your business is involved in.
How can I track the effectiveness of my online marketing efforts?
You can track the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts by monitoring statistics such as click-throughs resulting from your email newsletter, the number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers generated amount of traffic to your website and blog coming from social media platforms, and the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your website and blog.
How can I make sure my online marketing efforts are successful?
To ensure your online marketing efforts are successful, you should generate creative ideas and consistently execute them. Additionally, it often takes a few tries to capture people’s attention, so don’t give up if things don’t go as expected initially. Lastly, be sure to track the statistics related to each effort – such as clicks from emails and backlinks – so that you can determine the effectiveness of your strategies.
How can I increase engagement with my audience?
You can increase engagement with your audience by providing exciting content relevant to your industry or business goals. You should also actively engage with potential customers on social media platforms, respond to comments and inquiries promptly, and offer incentives for sharing your website or blog content. Additionally, you can host contests or giveaways to generate excitement and engagement.
What are some creative link-building ideas?
Some creative link-building ideas include offering a special deal or discount to bloggers who mention your business; hosting a webinar related to an industry topic; writing guest posts on other blogs; participating in charitable initiatives; and organizing a Twitter chat. You can also ask influencers in your industry to share your content with their followers – this is an excellent way to increase brand visibility and get quality backlinks. Finally, don’t forget the tried-and-true techniques, such as optimizing your content for SEO and submitting it to directories.
What is the best way to keep track of my online marketing efforts?
The best way to keep track of your online marketing efforts is by using analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Facebook Insights. These tools can provide helpful insights into how users interact with your website or blog, including the number of visitors, the amount of time spent on each page, and which pages are most popular. Additionally, you can use these tools to measure the effectiveness of specific campaigns by tracking metrics like clicks from emails and numbers of followers on social media platforms. This will help you make data-driven decisions when it comes to optimizing your online presence. !
