How to Increase Business and Website Visibility

Most people believe that traditional form of advertising is no longer working as it once was. Whether you are a small business owner or a large eCommerce site operator, you know the importance of social media marketing.

After all everyone is talking about it. You may have even tried Facebook or Google Ads, or hired others to do this for you. In fact, you may already be getting some results from your business website marketing efforts. If you have stopped traditional form of marketing thinking online marketing is your only option, then, think again.

I Want to Hire My Neighbor

This is what I got in the mail the other day and thought I just have to create a blog post and share it with RankYa fans. And now that you already have an optimized business website through search engine optimization techniques, its time to take it a step further promoting your business and website.

I never read junk mail, but I’m not allowed to throw it in the bin either because the big boss (the Wife) wants to read them. Fair enough, but this particular mail she came inside our home holding caught my eye because it had an email address (anything digital pulls me towards to investigate) as the sender’s address, and furthermore, it was handwritten. Who does that in 2021 I thought.

Curious as I was, I asked my wife if I could take a look and to my surprise, the letter itself was also handwritten as well? I felt obligated to read it. I haven’t seen a handwritten letter for a while, have you? Although snail mail marketing is destined for history books, perhaps, it isn’t.

To cut the story short, on average we get about 10 different marketing material through the mailbox each week, and almost everyone uses the same approach and techniques (usually using non-creative marketing agencies living in the past). Just imagine doing things differently.

What Can We Learn from This When Promoting Our Own Business?

Be different, that’s a given. And yet, finding unique ways to reach valued customers should be on next to do list. For example: sending out emails like everyone else? Then, test your message, be unique and different. Has your business divorced traditional marketing methods and married social media marketing? Reconsider and perhaps re-evaluate your approach.

Naturally, RankYa fans operate different businesses in diverse niches. And yet, when you step back and brainstorm your marketing strategies, you are sure to find fresh and new ways of marketing. Perhaps ask yourself: how else I can contribute and get back in touch with my current (or previous) valued clients / valued customers who already have done business with me? Can I work out a new promotion and maybe a referral system? Can I build new lists and find unique ways to approach new clients.

Basically, marketing is marketing, and business is business. If you are in Australia, UK, Canada, United States and already are promoting through mail, then, perhaps you can hand-write your next promotion if your client is high value client. For mass mailing with lower turnover per client lifetime value, you can even use digital tools available and make your promotional material look like as if its hand-written. In fact, even with email marketing, why not test this approach because unless you test and compare you will never know what works better

Now Let’s Go Digital

You should already know that social media platforms (Facebook, Google, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit etc.) can help with exposure of your brand and business, but most business owners treat these platforms to sell when the participants aren’t in a buying mode when interacting on these platforms.

Don’t dive deep until you really understand your battle ground or else your business may require first-aid resuscitation. Meaning, each social media platform has a different type of audience. And you should never target everyone. Instead, choose the platform your target audience uses the most and start there.

Below are a few examples of what to do to drive customers/clients to your Instagram, Facebook, Google Page and bring awareness to your business.

Instagram

This is mainly used by younger generation (think 16 to 26 year old group) (and mark my words, they are more smarter than you think, and they hate (emphasized) being sold to on Instagram). Create your marketing creatives in such way that it draws attention and interest. Let them initiative the interaction, all you have to do is just present your message. Here are some tips to consider.

• You can think of your #Hashtags as a #Cashtags. They are the second most important element after your creative/message. Begin your post comment with a #hashtags at the beginning
• Choose very specific Hashtags for your post and also tag locations
• Never make the cardinal mistake of not posting regularly (post at least once a week if you are small business owner with limited resources). None-the-less post regularly but not every hour
• Do NOT use stock photos on Instagram as the audience will see right through your marketing
• Whenever you make a sale, always search your valued client/customer and Follow them (never wait for others to follow you first) follow them
• Engage with and reply to your followers (liking, commenting, sharing)
• Identify Time Zones. Then, post before lunch (during lunch) before bed or during evening. Meaning, work out when your audience will engage on Insta
• Try different creatives (images, videos, photos).

Facebook Business Page Marketing

• Just because everyone has a Facebook profile doesn’t mean you target everyone. Use the tools available such as Custom Audiences
• Hashtags aren’t your #Cashtags on Facebook. Consider using #it only for branding purposes
• Complete your Facebook Business Profile as detailed as possible (incorporate phone/email information for quick contact)
• Posts regularly (for small business owners with limited resources, look in to Post Scheduling). Be quick and timely for messages and replies to comments
• Optimize your Facebook Business Page Cover Image
• Whenever you can, consider unique original creatives instead of Stock Photos for Facebook Ads
• Test different marketing messages and headlines when using Facebook Ads

Google My Business Marketing

• Completely complete your Google My Business Profile details
• Regularly upload photos and make sure to include photos showing people in it (perhaps your team members while working) (perhaps while you are working on a task at your valued customer’s home)
• Optimize image file name before you upload them to Google servers (tag your .jpg photos using Windows 10 > Right Click Image > Select Properties > Details > Tag). Use unique photos on Google My Business. After all its called My Business, thus all the information including photos should be related to your business
• Reply back to reviews and use the power and command of English language. Because not only can you write your appreciation, you can also direct the person to take another action (refer your business products services etc.). (For Local Business’s use Location information within your replies, for example: Thank you very much etc. etc. etc. for hiring us for painting your home in Ottawa)
• Add Geo location information to your jpg photos (latitude longitude)
• Depending on business type, focus on getting others (family members, friends and even your valued customers) to upload photos (product / service / location)
• Make sure your business website is hosted on reliable servers without downtime or issues, broken links are just terrible user experience
• Whenever you are marketing your business online, consider using keywords intelligently as shown in Keyword Research video lesson (this can be when you are naming your photo file names, when you are replying to comments and reviews, when creating posts)

These are some of the fresh ideas for your business to start using to gain better outcomes, especially online. Once again, being unique and creative will surely help your business to grow and thrive even better.