Online Marketing for Beginners: A Beginner's Guide

Here at Optimise we invest our lives into Online Marketing and have done for over 10 years+ (and counting), what we can tell you with 100% confidence is that it changes almost daily as more platforms arrive BUT, more importantly consumer behaviour changes. Take LinkedIn for example, a great tool for connecting with fellow professionals but as more and more businesses jump on the whole experience is diluted. The same happens time and time again for each platform until the time when behaviour changes and strategies too.

So the good news is that by learning and implementing today, you’ll soon be in control of your online marketing and be in a great place for all future platforms (if they fit your strategy). You also have the advantage of knowing the past platforms and whether they have a relevance for you now, allowing you to jump on if required..

Here are our recommendations for online marketing strategies that are essential for beginners:

1. Content Marketing: As the old saying goes, "Content is king," and in fact, it still reigns supreme. By creating relevant and informative content, you can demonstrate your expertise and develop relationships with potential customers before they ever make a purchase. Without content, how will people find you, understand you and buy from you? Think about what your audience requires and start by building the answer to their challenges.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A well-optimised website has the potential to rank higher in search engine results, increasing your visibility and organic traffic. Focus on on-page SEO (optimising your website structure and content) and off-page SEO (backlinks, social signals, and other external factors) to elevate your website's ranking. We know you’ll be running for the hills at this moment, but stop. Lots of websites have pre-built SEO functions in them so take your time to check out the backend and see if you are happy with what they have suggested for your SEO.

3. Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms are thriving online communities where you can showcase your brand's personality and build relationships with your audience. Create shareable content and engage with your followers to enhance brand loyalty and increase word-of-mouth promotion. When starting out pick a few platforms that you think your audience will be on, then slowly add in more. We believe that audiences can be on most platforms so by using a few your missing out on more potential sales.

4. Email Marketing: Did you know that email marketing has the highest ROI (return on investment) compared to other online marketing strategies? That's right! By building a well-segmented email list and utilising targeted, personalised messages, you can nurture leads and drive repeat business. Respect your audience, give them chance to unsubscribe, don’t bombard them and send as close to personalised emails as possible. Treat others as you would like to be treated :)

5. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: This method involves paying for each click your ads receive. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads can help you target users specifically based on demographics, interests, and browsing behaviour. Keep in mind, though, that PPC advertising may require a larger initial investment and ongoing management. You might need a helping hand to be seen and found so using the boosting and advertising functions gets your content seen and increases attracting your audience.

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For most you fear the unknown of sending out content, but using online marketing massively increases your chances of success. So be brave and get your content out there, it may take time but you will get there! Use the 5 essentials above to start with then look for other tactics and online strategies that will add to the plan. Overtime you will be thankful of the tremendous efforts your about to put in.