Capture your customers’ attention with effective online marketing

Social media has influenced the growth of online marketing, making it more accessible to businesses of all sizes. However, the barrage of brand messaging, content, and promotions has made it increasingly difficult to reach customers. In fact, 42.7% of internet users worldwide use ad blockers².




Hence, the key is to optimise your online marketing strategy with quality content instead of quantity. Here are some tips to get you started.


1. Apply the purchasing funnel one step at a time
To better understand your customers, start by identifying “why” they purchase with the purchasing funnel. The funnel maps decision making into six stages: awareness, interest, consideration, intent, evaluation, and decision.

• Why is this important?
  On top of identifying opportunities for your business and potential pain points that cause your customers to drop off, delivering the right message at the right stage can influence a purchase decision.


• What can I do?
  For example, you could send customers positive reviews on a product they’re interested in at the evaluation stage. Don’t forget to track metrics to measure success such as a reduction of cart abandonment.
  
  

2. Be easy to find with search engine optimisation (SEO)
Essentially, SEO can help small businesses rank higher on search engine result pages. This is done by optimising your website around specific keywords, site structure, and image descriptions³ to achieve stable, long-term traffic.

• Why is this important?
  With search engines generating almost 30% of global web traffic⁴, leveraging SEO for your small business can further build credibility and brand awareness, expand your target audience, and boost sales.


• What can I do?
  Look at your customers’ online reviews and conversations on social media to understand their thoughts about your products or services. Plus, ensure your SEO strategy reflects emerging trends, such as mobile commerce.

3. Meet them where they spend the most time
With 4.62 billion active social media users spending an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social channels every day⁵, having a strong social media strategy is the most effective way to boost your small business’ digital presence.

• Why is this important?
  Digital engagement is a must in establishing a strong online presence. This can help you build brand awareness, boost customer acquisition, and deepen customer relationships.


• What can I do?
  Focus on shareable, user-generated content instead of directly promoting your products. Plus, be sure to leverage free data and analytical tools that can help you adjust your social media strategy accordingly.
  
  

4. Attract customers with greater personalisation
These days, customers are overwhelmed with ads and are more likely to tune you out. Hence, crafting personalised content can help make the whole experience more relatable and meaningful.

• Why is this important?
  You only have three seconds to grab your customers’ attention⁶, and delivering memorable personalised content can be the deciding factor whether they choose you.


• What can I do?
  Pinpoint your audience to craft messages and offers that best resonate with them. Meanwhile, onsite personalisation—such as allowing your customers to create wish lists—can enhance their shopping experience.
  
  

5. Set yourself up for a fruitful holiday season
With seasonal shopping sprees shifting online, setting up a holiday marketing campaign ahead of time can improve your chances of attracting new customers, increasing brand awareness, and boosting sales⁷.

• Why is this important?
  You can never be too prepared for the holiday sale season, especially when holiday shoppers are not only expecting new product or service launches but also a refreshed shopping experience.


• What can I do?
  Entice your customers with personalised email marketing and exciting holiday promotions, coupons, or giveaways on social media, according to the country´s laws. This will help drive electronic word-of-mouth and first-time visitors to your site.

The digital world is increasingly oversaturated and it’s essential to be able to cut through the clutter. From augmenting every stage of the purchasing journey for your customers to establishing a strong social presence to build credibility, following these outlined tips and more from our eBook can help set your business apart from the crowd.

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