7 Basic Marketing Strategies for Beginners
If you’re going to start a small business, getting the word out should be your first priority, right? This is to make sure that people would know about your products or services. However, since you are just starting out, you probably don’t have a lot of cash that you can spend for marketing. No worries. There are basic marketing strategies that you can employ to guarantee that you can promote your business.
Setup a Website
One way to ensure that you can promote your business is to make it visible online. If you have a website where your products or services can be seen or bought, you can already potentially increase your revenue. Setting up a website might be costly, but it is an investment that you won’t regret in the long run.
Do SEO
Of course, to make sure that people will visit your homepage, you have to first improve your website ranking in Google or other search engines. This is where SEO comes into play. By doing SEO, you can increase the chances of your website appearing on the first page of search results whenever a keyword that is relevant to your business is searched on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.
Create a Blog
Blogging can do wonders for your SEO efforts. If you can make publishing content a part of your online business marketing strategy, you can drive more people to your website. Your blog can also serve as a platform for you to show how you care for your customers by crafting content that they will find helpful.
Use Social Media
People are spending more time on social media nowadays. If you are not using the platform to promote your business, you are missing out on a lot of benefits. Spending time and effort on social media management can help you establish a relationship with your target audience, quickly address customer concerns, and even contribute to your SEO in so many ways.
Email Marketing
Your customers will surely love to hear about your promos, events, new products or services, and more. Make sure you can easily inform them by doing email marketing. There are several software or applications that you can use to automate the drops of your email and customize its content.
Affiliate Marketing
If you want to advertise your products and services, affiliate marketing is a smart choice as it is affordable and appropriate for beginners. With its help, you can effectively increase your sales and also expand your network by connecting with affiliate websites that are already established and have high traffic.
Use the Power of Reviews
Positive reviews are not just there to remind you that you are doing a good job when it comes to your business. They also serve as referrals. If a person visits your website or your social media profiles or sees your product on popular online retailers like Amazon, it’s very likely that they will see your business in a more positive light if the rating is high or if there are several positive reviews. This will then ultimately affect his/her buying decision.
Remember, marketing isn’t only for big spenders. Make sure you follow these marketing strategies so you can promote your business.
Next: 7 Ways To Improve Your Small Business Marketing
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Give us a call at our toll free number 1 (443) 856-4882 today!
READ MORE4 Personality Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
Some people think successful entrepreneurs are born, while others say that they are self-made. While family history and background can account for success in business, there’s no doubt that successful entrepreneurs share common traits. If you’ve been thinking about how to start a small business or scale up your existing one, it helps to know what these are.
You can hire the most talented people or get the most up-to-date marketing assistance, but at the end of the day, you’re still the most influential force in your company. It pays to know that the influence you wield pushes your company towards success.
To help you with this feat, check out these 4 personality traits of successful entrepreneurs:
Strong Curiosity
- How can I turn this hobby into a business?
- What are the legitimate ways to make money from home?
- How can my skills help people live better lives?
- What can I learn from this unsatisfactory experience?
People who are bound to succeed in business have an ingrained curiosity that they cultivate and pursue. They aren’t satisfied with scratching the surface of things; they dig deeper to find answers. These could be answers to how they can turn their skills or hobbies into profitable projects, how they can help their target customers live better lives, or how they learn from a business venture that didn’t take off.
A Healthy Sense of Insatiability
Insatiability may denote a bad reputation but a healthy dose of it is critical in business. Many companies fail to reach their full potential because owners easily settle with the results they get.
When they hit a plateau, they stop and think that they’ve already reached the pinnacle of success.
Insatiability will keep you on your toes so can find the best ways to improve your products and business. When others become complacent, insatiability will drive you to find new ways to attract more customers and keep them.
Incessant Flexibility
Many people who dabble in business for the first time have laid out plans for their company. They have short-term and long-term goals and strategies on how to achieve them. They’ve written down timelines of their vision and target achievements.
However, any business person can attest that things rarely go exactly as planned. When you hit a speed bump, when a campaign failed, and when a product didn’t prove to be as popular as you hope to be, incessant flexibility will keep you going. Without it, you’re bound to give up on your business.
Open to Diversity
Business is multi-faceted and many of its branches are moving targets. Marketing, for instance, is constantly changing simply because people’s way of living is also evolving. Before, people hire a local advertising agency to make their business known. Now, you can hire a virtual staff to take care of your business needs from marketing to content creation and design.
Welcoming diversity also opens you up to the idea of outsourcing. When you do this, you let experts take over certain areas of your business. This is how you achieve optimum results.
Entrepreneurs come from all walks of life, but these 4 personality traits are shared by the successful ones. How many of these qualities do you have?
Next: The 5 Habits Of A Successful Business Owner
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Give us a call at our toll free number 1 (443) 856-4882 today!
READ MOREStay Productive While Tired At Work With These Proven Methods
Being required to work after a rough night is inevitable even as a virtual assistant. At one point or another, you’ll have to finish a task even though you’re feeling incredibly tired or sleep. As a home-based virtual assistant, you might even find it more difficult to stay productive while tired because it’s so easy to just go back to your bed and snooze the day away.
If you need to stay awake, alert, and active even though you’re absolutely exhausted, check out these proven methods on how to stay productive while tired at work.
Take a short break or a power nap.
It might sound counterproductive, but taking a short break from your task can work wonders for your concentration and efficiency. A 20-minute nap can give you a massive boost of much-needed energy enough to get you through the rest of workday. Just don’t forget to set the alarm! You don’t want to sleep the day away.
Stay caffeinated.
Relying on coffee to stay alert every single day can be unhealthy, but it certainly works when you’re super tired and just need something to help you finish the job. Caffeine has been proven to improve attentiveness and problem-solving skills, so hit up the coffee machine next time you’re feeling sluggish. But don’t overdo it or you might be facing a sleepless night and end up prolonging your exhaustion.
Get an endorphin boost with exercise.
The endorphins released during a workout can really wake you up, so if you’re losing the battle with sleep, do some sit-ups or push-ups. You can also go for a quick jog or walk around the block if you want a change of scenery. Even a little stretching can reduce your fatigue and improve your concentration.
Break down your task and make a checklist.
Thinking of completing one big task can be daunting, but if you break it down into smaller, more achievable goals, you might end up steadily working your way through your end goal. Set some actionable objectives that you can tick off as you work towards the finish line; you’ll feel more accomplished and ready to take on the next step that way.
Get rid of distractions.
If you have to finish something up when your concentration is already compromised due to exhaustion, you have to work hard to keep whatever focus you have left to give. Stow your phone away, go far away from the television and block your social media access until you finish your tasks.
Work standing up.
It’s very difficult to sleep standing up, so working while standing can definitely help you fight drowsiness. Studies have also suggested that working while standing up contributes to your alertness and task engagement, so you’re better equipped to finish your duties. On top of that, you burn more calories standing up, so you’re getting some physical benefits as well.
After following these tips and completing your workday, make sure that you follow this final tip: get some well-deserved rest so that you don’t have to face the same battle the following day!
Next: 8 Things That You Can Do Every Day To Stay Productive
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Contact us today!
READ MORE7 Ways To Improve Your Small Business Marketing
One of the main responsibilities of a small business owner is to stay up to date when it comes to the latest trends in marketing. Since marketing is always changing, the tactics that you used before when you were starting may not be useful to your business anymore. Remember, your business has also changed. You may have expanded your product line or made your service available to more places.
Having said that, now might be the right time to review your marketing plan. If you need fresh ideas on how to improve your small business marketing strategy, here are some helpful tips:
Invest in Specialists
Want to revamp the look of your company logo or improve your website ranking in Google? Instead of doing these things on your own and eventually realizing that you have done a poor job, why not hire pros? Sure, you would have to shell out cash, but it’s an investment that would pay off in the long run.
Train Your Staff
Training your employees would allow them to develop their skills and expand their knowledge which will benefit your business in the long run. This is also a good way to make them feel like they are part of the bigger picture.
Ask for Testimonials
Make it a habit to ask for testimonials from your satisfied customers. You can use these testimonials to attract potential clients. You can add them on your website or even have a dedicated testimonials page. Another way is to let customers review your products or services or leave feedback on your Facebook page.
Get the Right Tools
You can make your employees more efficient if you equip them with the right tools. Take your social media VA for example. By using tools like Hootsuite or Buffer, he or she can easily schedule posts, monitor competitors’ pages, and even reply to messages on different platforms, making social media management a breeze.
Expand Your Network
What’s the benefit of expanding your network? You can learn strategies that you may not have thought of before from other people. You can join online groups for small business owners or add these people in your social network. Not everything can be done while you are sitting behind your computer, though. Make sure you attend networking events or meet people one-on-one over coffee.
Enroll in Webinars
There are tons of online classes, both paid and free, where you can learn about marketing. Make sure you take advantage of these free courses. Sometimes, all you have to do is create your profile.
Scour the Internet for Available Resources
This may not come as a surprise to you, but you can find a lot of resources related to marketing just by scouring the internet. You can even get new ideas simply by reading blogs, articles, or by watching Youtube videos where business owners share their own experience. Do this whenever you have free time.
Do you have experience in marketing your own business? Share some of your thoughts by dropping a comment below!
Next: 10 Killer Marketing Tactics to Increase Sales
20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.
Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Give us a call at our toll free number 1 (443) 856-4882 today!
READ MORESEO Best Practices Cheat Sheet for First-Time Bloggers
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Even with the rise of live video streaming and reports about the decreasing attention span of online users, blogging has managed to retain its popularity. Even in the online business marketing landscape, blogging tops social media in terms of content marketing. No wonder millions of people have flocked to different blogging websites!
It can get intimidating to penetrate such a dense platform. That’s why you need to know how to create a blog that has a balance of creativity and practicality in terms of SEO (search engine optimization).
If you are starting an online business or want to test your writing prowess in blogging, check out this SEO best practices cheat sheet for first-time bloggers:
Know which blogging platform is right for you.
Different blogging platforms have different layouts, pros, and cons. It’s important to know the basics of each one to help you decide which platform can best service your needs and goals.
The most popular ones are the following:
- WordPress – gives users control over their blog. A basic WordPress blog is free but paid membership entitles users to expansive blogging tools, forums, and online store.
- Blogger – also comes free of charge. As it is a property of Google, users can enjoy Google’s security measures with their blog. However, Blogger designs are limited, and the entire blog may be suspended by Google anytime.
- Tumblr – a microblogging network with social media integration, Tumblr is most popular among young bloggers and readers.
- Wix – Wix is the platform for people wanting to build their own websites. It comes with drag-and-drop tools and customizable templates.
Keep these blogging tools must-haves:
Topic Generator – you need to regularly post content to keep your blog relevant and your readers happy. For days when you’re unsure about what to post, it’s worth to have a blog topic generator handy.
Hemingway App – even the best writers need help editing their work. The Hemingway App helps you keep your writing clear and more readable.
Yoast WordPress Plugin – a tool specially designed for SEO purposes, the Yoast WordPress Plugin helps bloggers get more traffic from search engines and social media.
Practice these basic blogging tricks:
- Focus on 1-2 long-tail keywords only. Gone are the days when you can cram as many keywords as you like into a single post just to lure in people to your site. Decide on 1-2 long-tail keywords only and spread them out in the title, headers, body, and the URL of your post.
- Use visual content. Incorporate images, videos, or GIFs to your textual content. Breaking up paragraphs with images, videos, or GIFs can help readers digest information better.
- Link internally. Linking to your other posts will extend the stay of readers in your blog and optimize your previous articles. This activity alerts Google about your authority in your niche.
- Don’t use default permalink structures. The URL structure of your posts should help people find your blog faster. It’s easier to remember links that look like this: https://blog.com/marketing than links that look like this: https://blog.com/m?0)_dza197=?D
- Hire a virtual assistant. Don’t think that hiring a virtual assistant is only for established companies. Working with an online assistant to help you with tasks that aren’t your forte – whether it’s video creation or web design – will go a long way. If you’re aiming to create a professional-looking blog, then it’s only fitting to hire professional help.
Apply all the takeaways from this SEO best practices cheat sheet for first-time bloggers and you’ll be sure to start on the right track.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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