In today's global marketplace, utilizing a winning online media strategy means remaining aware of the wide array of tools available to savvy business professionals and entrepreneurs looking to expand web presence. Digital marketing and social media advertising has become even more popular with the ubiquitous adaptation of mobile devices. Such convenience makes it possible for customers to engage with business interests anytime and anyplace. Being aware of key online marketing considerations can help you build a more comprehensive Internet marketing strategy. Consider the following four factors when seeking to expand your Internet presence:
Search engine algorithms evaluate websites for "trustworthiness" when establishing rank. Creating relevant, engaging and frequent new content can help you drive traffic to your site. Likewise, linking your site to other valuable and trusted sites can also boost your results. Keep in mind:
- Links that connect your page to another site that has referenced your content is a valuable tool to enhance results.
- Linking to appropriate business directories can increase ranking.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies indicate that content in the form of blog posts or "expert" articles imbedded with keywords can inform your clients while building a more powerful and effective online marketing campaign for your business.
By this stage in the game, everyone knows that having a social media strategy is important to increase brand recognition and build client confidence. What you might not be aware of is that search engines read social media and website interactions for "signals and influencing signals" when ranking a site; here are the basics:
"Signals" include indicators that rank a site based on relevancy and freshness which include parameters for reading:
- Traffic that follows reviews that a client posts on your site.
- Customer engagement with your site and links on your site especially tweets and re-tweets.
- Upstream and downstream data to and from your site.
"Influencing signals" include indicators that provide ranking data through:
- Tracking traffic from specific top ranking sites that then lead to your site.
- Reading data such as videos, photos, and consumer quizzes as a positive factor in relevancy, especially when the data is repeatedly shared.
- Following bookmark usage.
Being aware of the ranking parameters above can help you better utilize tools like widgets. This awareness can also provide insight about how adding content to sites like StumbledUpon may also increase your chances of landing on top in search engine results.
Optimizing your mobile website maximizes ease through which customers can engage with your business. This is an important factor driving sales in today's changing marketplace. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your mobile marketing strategy:
- Use metrics to monitor peak usage times so you can add fresh content at those times.
- Expand use of mobile emailing - it makes it easier for your customers to engage with you while they are on the go.
- Maintain and expand an active list of clients who sign up to receive SMS (Short Message Service) communications; make content relevant and engaging.
- Place high priority on contact information and reviewer links to easily engage customers new to your site.
Using PPC advertising as one component of your overall online marketing strategy can help drive business to your site, which in turn can help boost your search engine ranking. While PPC can get expensive, it doesn't have to be. In order to squeeze the most out of a PPC campaign, while not breaking the bank in the process, here are a few tips to consider:
- Use PPC to help drive response and generate a buzz about a short term marketing campaign.
- Use PPC once you have your online store up and running; if you are a direct response business then PPC can be used easily to fill your needs.
- Use PPC to exploit your niche - highly targeted key words can be less expensive and yield positive results.
Just as with all mobile marketing strategies, and Internet marketing campaigns in general, you need to be careful to plan out your goals thoughtfully, set a budget, and then utilize the best strategy to build sustainable success.
While the up side of mobile marketing and online marketing in general is that once you get your website in place, many of the tools to promote it are free. The downside is that it takes time to filter out which tools are best for you and your business goals. While some business leaders hire consultants others engage in additional training through online Internet marketing programs. With all the great information out there, it is important to devise a powerful online marketing strategy before you engage in the wide array of tools available. Being aware of key mobile marketing tools and other online search engine parameters can help you build a winning strategy for search marketing and put you at the head of the search engine results race time and time again.
About the Author: Dean Vella who writes for University Alliance on topics pertaining to the subjects of mobile marketing training and social media courses.