Is Your Small Business Marketing on the Web? Here’s How to Get Started.
If you’re a small business owner who keeps hearing about the importance of advertising on the Internet but hasn't yet made the jump, there’s nothing to worry about. In today’s marketplace, it is easier than ever to make the leap into marketing on the web without spending a lot of money. In fact, for most of the services offered, the only thing that you’ll need to invest is your time.
Blogging
The first thing that you’ll want to consider is having a blog for your business. Now, you might assume that you have a business that doesn't lend itself to blogging. In today’s business world, nothing could be further from the truth. No matter what your business is, there is a need for you to post blogs for clients and for potential clients.
There are any number of free options available, including the ubiquitous DotNetNuke platform. DotNetNuke has a tremendous range of tools for you to use, letting you create a blog that suits your unique business and personality. Many individuals use DotNetNuke for their marketing on the web needs.
If you’re someone who isn’t able to write well, there are also any number of online “content providers,” which will write a blog post about any topic you want. They usually only charge a small fee for the service.
Sure, you’ve heard about Twitter. If you haven’t, there’s a good chance that you’ve been avoiding technology, and that needs to change. Twitter is a simple little website that lets you post short messages that are read by people who “follow” what you post. The marketing aspect of Twitter comes from the ability to link to your blog (which is another reason why blogging is important) and the ability to link to your website. So, if you have a special offer that you want your “followers” to know about, you can send out a tweet and notify them in one quick posting.
The secret to using Twitter correctly is to try to impart useful information about products and services you might offer, without coming across as simply hawking your services. For many businesses, “following” other businesses that are similar helps to build a social network for the business.
Love it or hate it, Facebook is here to stay. Facebook allows you to have personal pages (for individuals) and also allows you to have a business page. This means that your business can set up a Facebook account that will act as free advertising for anyone who is doing a search for that particular product. Facebook literally has millions of users on a daily basis, which means that having a Facebook presence is almost a necessity in today’s marketplace.
Google+
Google+ is the new kid in town in terms of social network sites. It's not as popular as Facebook but it has a very clean presentation and is popular among early adopters. If you're selling products or services that early adopters find appealing, then by all means create a Google+ account. Like Facebook and Twitter, it's free.
Since all of these services are free, you should simply just jump right in and see what each of them does. By exploring the sites and seeing what others are doing, you’ll get a good idea of how you can use marketing on the web to increase awareness of your company.