If you’re interested in marketing your business online, you will hear about email marketing. Email marketing is at the core of marketing your business online.
For two very important reasons: First, the Internet is a direct marketing medium. You have the power to build an audience and speak to them directly at your discretion, without intermediaries. Secondly, the asset (the only asset, pretty much) that can be built online is permission. The privilege of marketing to people who want to be marketed to.
In order for you or your company to get more leads and sales you need someone’s permission (email address). You must have that ability to whisper and communicate with them.
The great thing is that these 5 online marketing tips below cost you nothing, but great content, sweat, energy and time to gain permission.
Here are 5 online marketing tips that will result in more leads and sales:
- Create must-have information. Increasing leads and sales starts with this. Make sure the content you create is worth subscribing for. The rule of thumb that I always advise my clients to follow is: to create content that answers prospects and customers questions, alleviate their fears, encourage their desires, and inspire and challenge them to transform their business away from the ordinary to the new experience that your solution provides.
- Start a blog. A blog is a great way to gain permission by providing prospective buyers with what they want (rather than interrupting them with what they don’t care about), while making your brand the expert resource for that specific arena of knowledge.
- Answer questions. Business owners, employees, or executives who go to Q&A sites are looking for answers to questions, not wishy-washy stances. Answer their question with compelling answers and then provide a call-to-action directing them back to your site.
- Develop a landing page. While your site is getting built or redesign, start building buzz (and collecting permission) by putting up a landing page. New sites like LaunchRock make this super easy. You can start gathering email addresses for people interested in learning about when your site launches or relaunches right away.
- Offer a free bonus. Offer an ebook, webinar, teleseminar, or something worth subscribing for. Please make sure this information is unique and compelling. It’s nothing worse than to sign-up for an incentive and it leaves you disappointed. The best way to approach this is to say, “is this content worth paying for?” If you wouldn’t pay for it then don’t offer it.
Email is the greatest asset of online marketing and if you can obtain it, then you can establish a trust-based relationship that can reward you or your company with years of profitable, repeat sales and word-of-mouth referrals.
Question: Do you have any tips that you use to increase leads or sales?
About the Author: Patrick McFadden is a marketing consultant for SMBs. He is also an advisor and featured marketing contributor to American Express Open Forum and has been named a marketing thought leader for small businesses.