E-commerce or an online business, if simply put is just allowing your business to prosper using the internet. Records have it, India is the fastest growing e-commerce country globally after, first China (with $681 Billion) followed by the US. These statistics are not just to point out the numbers or the ranking, they are a crucial support system to understand the scale at which online business is booming in the country. Powerful marketing strategies also play a very important role in promoting online businesses.  

Before exploring various strategies let us understand: 

How is Digital Marketing different from Online Marketing? 

Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing is a completely computerized medium of communication. Digital makes use of channels such as mobile applications, podcasts, SMS, announcements, advertisements and everything else with the computerized establishment. For example, a mobile app will function independently once it has been downloaded.  

Online marketing actually is a subset of digital marketing. Digital marketing or online marketing requires a real-time live stream of internet connection. SEO, SEM, paid search advertisements, e-mails, website content and so on, are channels of internet marketing. For example, you can promote your online business on various social media channels via advertisements. These ads would require a good internet connection which otherwise wouldn’t load.  

In much simpler words, online marketing is the efforts made to spread a word about your business by making use of the internet to reach your consumers. Now that you know the difference between online and digital marketing, you need to know where and how can you make use of various strategies for your business.  

 Top 6 Marketing strategies for your online business 

The following are the ways or list of practices you can imbibe in your strong marketing plan.

Marketing strategy

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

It is the process of streamlining and optimizing your internet content so that it shows up on the top searches of the search engine organically. It basically takes a few months for your result to come up. This can be done by discovering and choosing apt keywords by using Google keyword planner tool. Suppose you own a fashion and accessories e-commerce business then put your keyword and get various top searched results. Get well versed in some amazing SEO tips to skyrocket your business.

SEO

2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

It is the paid form of SEO. Here your result appears on the top search options on search engines inorganically. Basically, these are paid searches that appear on top of the page instantly. As most of the people surf mainly the first and the second page of the search engines, you’ll surely get a lot of hits on your site.

3. Content Marketing

It is all about facilitating your audiences with relevant and timely content as per need be. You need to really know what your audience wants to do? – read a blog or view a video, understand all that you want to convey to them in an infographic and so on.

Tip: In your content strategy SEO gels very well. Highly searched keywords can be used in your content thus pushing it higher on the search engine. You can consider these content marketing tips as well to scale up your online business.  

Content marketing4. Social Media Marketing 

Here are some social media related facts that you should consider: India has the world’s largest number of Facebook users I.e. over 195 million users, which overtakes a 4 million users in the US. Moreover, Twitter is second in the lead after Facebook and is followed by the upcoming professional social network – LinkedIn. These facts mark yet another factful reason for you to make the best possible use of Social Media as your online marketing tool. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube are some social spaces you should look out.

If you still doubt the potential of social media then here’s another highlight: Nearly 77% of internet users make their purchases on social media.  

How can you promote your business on social media?  

  • Run meaningful advertisements to create awareness amongst your target group. But first, you ought to know the commonly made advertisement mistakes on Facebook.  
  • Keep your business profile page active always. Reach out to your audience by sharing exclusive content on your page. If they really like what you do, then it will trigger a lot of likes, shares, and comments which in return increases your product or service credibility.  
  • Interact with your fans or likers. Be extremely responsive to their queries, comments, messages and so on and so forth. This makes them feel valued thus, increasing your customer loyalty. 
  • Share your audience content as well. Social media relationship is definitely anonymous but not ambiguous. There is a give and take exchange that happens between you and your customers. If you want them to share and spread a word about you then you must do the same for them as well.  

 5. Pay Per Click advertising (PPC)

PPC functions in coordination with SEM. So, once you have invested in SEM in order bring your business to the top of the search engine page – inorganically but instantly, then you pay for each click that takes place. Though SEM is just one type, PPC comes in many other forms. Leading social media sites do it – Facebook, LinkedIn Instagram recently got into the league as well.  

Precisely all you have to do is narrow down your target. Example, for your e-commerce site you want to target women, who love accessories in the Northern and Western part of the country. You select your target according and run ads on Facebook and Google search. You decide a particular spend you are willing for and for each click you receive you pay that much share or amount. Out of all online channels, Google search is the leader in this segment.  

 6. Email Marketing

This is a way to directly communicate to your audience and customers, that too on 1:1 basis. Businesses ask for 3 things from their audiences while signing up / subscription:  

  • Name 
  • Contact Number 
  • Email Address 

This is because they know that their audiences may change their contact number millions of times and hence it can be a skip to include in their database. But audience changing their email address is a long painful process. They heavily rely on this data that they receive for further business communications with their audience.  

Emails may be considered as a cliché, but is still the most resourceful way of reaching out to your audience. Let them know about your latest, developments, products and services. Engage them with you by asking them to subscribe to your newsletter system. Here’s how to write effective emails for sales. Remember, to be exclusive you first need to be inclusive. Include your audience in your decisions, celebrations and moments, but do not forget to track them!  

Tip: There are many consumer insight tools available online in order to understand your consumer’s behavior and activity cycle accurately. Make the most of these tools such as Facebook insights or Mailchimp for tracking emails – open rate, bounce rate and so on, to shape your business marketing strategy accordingly.  

Facebook Insights

Email marketingEmail Insights on Mailchimp

To get ahead you first need to get started with your online business.  Online marketing of your business can be made so much easy with these 6 strategies all combined and presented in the best possible way to boost your business.  

Read PayUmoney blog for more insights on the different spectrum you should focus on with regards to your business. 

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