The Multi-Prong Marketing Approach to Online Marketing

The marketing business is competitive, and on the world wide web it can be fierce. If you are starting an online marketing campaign, a single approach will not net business or potential customers effectively enough to be worth your time. Marketing online will be much more successful when taking a multi-prong approach. Marketing online is about creating buzz about your brand and you do that by approaching the market from several different directions, getting more exposure and a better chance of being recognized. Here are a few approaches to marketing your business online you should consider when launching your online marketing campaign.

Business Website Search Engine Optimization
You will be much more successful marketing online if you have a place for people to go when they've heard about you. You may hear differently, but a business website is essential to your online marketing success. Not only do you want people to visit when they've heard about you, but you want them to easily find your business website if they are looking for products or services you can provide them even if they've never heard of you. This is where search engine optimization comes in. Search engine optimization (SEO) is where you create your website to be found and ranked highly by search engines using key words, site content, one-way links to your site from others, and the popularity of your site. The higher in the rankings your business website is, the better chance people have of seeing your website on the first page of their search results when they search for key words or relevant phrases having to do with the business you are in, thus generating more business for you.
Social Media and Networking
Of all the people getting online, over 40% do so to use social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace. And that number is growing as the popularity of these sites grows. You and your business need to get in on the action. Social media is where buzz about your business can really get started. There are several ways in which to market through social media. Examples include ad campaigns on social media sites, starting and maintaining personal and business profiles on social media sites, and sponsoring popular bloggers or getting a business blog started.
SMS Marketing
Another emerging marketing technique that generates online business is SMS marketing, which is basically marketing through mobile devices. With the rise of the smart phone, SMS marketing is being taken to another level. SMS messages are short, and typically read within four minutes making them highly convertible. SMS marketing is highly regulated by cell phone companies, thus making for much less spam for their consumers. SMS marketing is done with legitimate and explicit opt-in by subscribers, so if you can get into SMS marketing, you will have a high conversion rate.
Email Campaign
Email marketing is all about keeping in contact with existing customers rather than trying to convert new ones. Regular and relevant email newsletters to existing customers help to keep them coming back and help you maintain a relationship so they think of you when they have a need your business can fulfill. Emails could include valuable ideas, advice, industry news, contest news, and coupons or deals. It is much easier to keep the business you have than to try to gain new business, so adding an email campaign to your marketing strategy is always a good idea.