Launch Some Creative Marketing to Support Your Website's SEO
Sixth in a Series
Website success has never been a “build it and they will come” story. After optimizing your site, start driving traffic by employing these marketing strategies:
Get listed
The more places online that your business appears, the better! Be sure you are listed with any industry directories that are appropriate, including the chambers of commerce in your area of service. If you aren’t sure how to find the right directories, get help from your SEO expert.
Check that your company’s information is correctly published and consistent with the information used in your SEO work. The idea is to reinforce your legitimacy with multiple references online. “My Company” is not the same as “My Company, Inc.” to an algorithm, which means that if you have multiple versions of your name or other contact info, you are competing with yourself.
Stay in touch
Email marketing is not dead, whatever you’ve heard, but people are much more discriminating in what email they choose to receive and read. Since everyone is asking “What’s in it for me?”, provide them with content they want to receive. That could be tips on how to use your product, friendly reminders for renewing service, or discounts for loyal customers.
Remember that driving traffic is the goal here, so keep your email brief and don’t forget a Call To Action link that sends them back to your website. Also, be aware of spam rules and follow them. Not only will spamming hurt your reputation with human beings, but your domain reputation will be penalized by spam filter bots.
Advertise imaginatively
Don’t forget there’s a real-world beyond the digital one! Information overload means word-of-mouth referrals are more important than ever and it still pays to reinforce your brand message with offline and other marketing.
Brainstorm some ways you can experiment. Consider advertising in magazines or on billboards. Participate in Facebook groups and community boards. Post and send press releases to online and physical news outlets. Just be sure you include your URL to drive traffic to your website.
Be a sponsor
Boost your visibility in the community by partnering with a not-for-profit organization. It’s a win-win opportunity! Look for a local group that attracts your customer base. Your sponsorship will be a great help to them and will help you as well when your company’s name is associated in their marketing. Being part of something worthwhile lifts morale in the office, too!
Share your knowledge
Being known as a thought leader in your industry underscores your business’s reputation, so think of ways you can position yourself as the expert. Seminars, webinars, and podcasts are some ways you can share what you know. Or maybe you can write a column, a white paper, or even a book. Think about offering classes online or in the community or offer yourself as a speaker to business groups. Even when you give away information, many people can’t or won’t act on it themselves. But now they know the expert to call who can do it for them!
Make it fun
Everybody loves to win, so consider running a contest or a giveaway event to get folks excited. Adding a little gamification to encourage engagement is a great way to generate buzz. While you will attract more players if the prize is cash or a gift card, the percentage of people who are actually interested in your business goes way down. Instead, offer your own product or service to build a warm leads list. Be sure to collect contact info such as emails so you can follow up later.
Sales trainers will tell you that it takes many more “marketing touches” than you’d think before a prospective client is comfortable making a purchase. Promoting your business in these other ways gives you more “touch” opportunities, all with the goal of leading people back to your website.
Not every one of these suggestions will be a slam-dunk for your business. Pick one that you think would appeal to your target market and that you can commit to completing. Later, you might want to try a different approach or repeat the same one using what you learned to do it even better.
Marketing campaigns take time, which is why you might want to outsource some of the work. Give us a call to find out how the Sprocket Websites team can help with your website optimization, email promotions, and other website support.
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Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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