I often find myself in the situation where customers ask me, “What do I need to do to get more out of online marketing?” The answer to that question can be quite long winded. I think some people have this idea that there is a magic formula that “marketing gurus” use to generate tons of leads. I regret to inform you that the guru you are looking for is a unicorn. If he could be found…I would hire him in a heartbeat, pay him $250,000 per year and make millions by generating tons of leads instantly for all types of businesses.
In my experience, there are multiple answers for this commonly asked question. If you are looking to get more out of online marketing, you need to do more than hire a “marketing guru” and most certainly more than just building a website. There are plenty of digital marketing companies like Marketleef that can do what is necessary to get you awesome results. The issue for some business owners is that the results are sometimes not nearly as instant as they would like them to be.
If online marketing was like instant oatmeal, I think we would all be making YouTube videos in front of private jets and yachts like the guys that claim that they have ‘The Best Online Marketing System in The World.” There is a method to what digital marketing experts do, but there is not a “marketing system” that will generate you more leads for your business overnight.
What exactly are these methods you speak of Brian? Well, there is a very awesome list of steps that you need to follow in order to get more out of online marketing.
- Be patient. You will not see instant results from online marketing unless you drop thousands on ad spend, have the perfect landing page and you are hitting the perfect demographic for your product or service. It will happen…eventually…I promise.
- Make sure your website is awesome. If you are thinking of DIY website building I would personally reconsider regardless of what you think you can do. Nobody is telling you that you are not smart enough to build your own website. I just know that I’m not a trained accountant, so I do not do my own taxes…ever…ever ever. If your website sucks, then you should try to fit a new one into your budget and hire a professional to build it. Your nephew Timmy who once built a website with GoDaddy Website Builder is not a good candidate. Sorry Timmy, but this is a professional business, so we need a professional web designer on the job.
- Invest in a social media marketing professional setting up your social media accounts if you don’t already have them setup properly. Your social media pages need to look great and generate engagement. That being said, slapping up a grainy image as your Facebook Cover Photo, a disproportionate profile photo and a poorly written bio is a disaster waiting to happen.
- If you are not a fan of writing articles, please hire someone that is willing to write you awesome content for your website, press releases and blog posts. A website with five pages and barely any content doesn’t do much for prospective customers.
- Get listed in Google for Local Business (Google Maps). This is key to the success of any local business. If you are not showing up in Google Maps when someone is nearby searching for your product or service…you are missing sales everyday. We helped a small business in Tampa that was struggling because they could not rank well in local search results. Roughly two months after helping them, they wrote us a letter saying that if it wasn’t for us they would be out of business. There is power in that statement. Not because we are awesome and we did it, but because it goes to show you what local search can do for your business.
- Hire a professional to help you launch ad campaigns via Facebook and Google AdWords. There are other outlets that we recommend, but as of right now these two are our favorites. We do recommend that some businesses start advertising on Instagram as well, but it all depends on what demographic you are going after and what you are promoting.
- Keep your social media accounts active. Even if you are posting twice a month you need to do something on your social media accounts. Not every business needs a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest account. Choose at least two that you are comfortable with and go to town. Post something every single day, but make sure you are posting something of value. Even if you post something motivational or humorous it is better than posting nothing. We like to say one third of your posts should be promoting your business, one third should be sharing content from other subject matter experts and one third should be based on building your personal brand.
In conclusion, there are lots of steps you need to take to start getting more out of online marketing, but it is not impossible for anyone that is starting a business or reinventing their business to get the job done. With some help from professionals and your own efforts you can generate more leads, make more money and get more out of online marketing.