We live in a time that very few if any people who came before us could have imagined. Changes in technology, culture and behaviour mean we have completely new ways of looking at things. Business culture is derivative of life and so in business, we have the same predicament. For new businesses, there might be a struggle to adapt to the social media age and how to create awareness for businesses. We have a list here of practical marketing activities that businesses can use to gain awareness in the modern day of marketing.
Email marketing
Email is still at the centre of the online world so email marketing isn’t negotiable. The only caveat here would be to keep it useful but that goes for all your marketing messages. Let people know what’s going on with your business. Upcoming things like events and deals. Use the platform to give people vital updates.
Post on social media
I suppose this is stating the obvious but a lot of people don’t know what to post on their business social media accounts. Managing personal social media accounts is easy but with businesses, many people don’t know what should and shouldn’t be done. Post updates, important dates, celebrations, product information, specials, storytelling, testimonials and anything else that you are sure will add value to your followers.
Blog
Business blogs allow you to go in-depth. This is a great place to post those “10 reasons to switch to a dual-core computer” or “understanding the difference between LCD and LED screens” posts. You have a lot more time in a blog than on social media. This content can also be repurposed into short-form versions for social media. Blogs allow you to explore further and the content stays there to be enjoyed whether the person discovers your business blog today or 7 years from now.
Help people discover your content
Putting content like blogs and videos out there is great but there’s the challenge of making people aware of it. How do you get people to see your blog or that social media video you made explaining how your product works? Search Engine Optimisation techniques involve using the right keywords to make the content noticeable online. You should also learn about social listening which compliments SEO. By identifying the conversations people are having around your products or industry you can join the conversation pointing people to your content.
Paid Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing is the process of uploading your products to search engines and making them available in the keyword search. Paying for this is well worth it because the business or products are marketed to people who are somewhere along the process of making a buy decision. This is a great way to get your business in the faces of the right people. You can include pay per click advertising and other social media-based advertising here.
Events
2020 and 2021 proved difficult years for events but some events found their way online. 2022 is a year we will certainly be more prepared for this if need be. A good way to market your business is to organise, sponsor and/or participate in industry-related events. Sponsoring events isn’t as costly as you would initially think it is.
Giveaways
I love giveaways and think they are one of the best marketing tricks out there. Just please don’t giveaway t-shirts we have had enough of those. That said a well-organised giveaway will travel well and create awareness for your business. Great giveaways are interactive and put the business or its products at the forefront. You can giveaway products from other businesses but make sure the giveaway itself is engaging.
Ideally, you want to do all of these but, understandably, you may want to master them one at a time and add a new one as you get better at these activities.
