Online marketing and why you should consider it for your business

Ines Rosef-Ingram is a marketing expert and entrepreneur. She has experience with local and international businesses ranging from small start-ups to large corporates. In her interview with Mike Anderson, founder and CEO of the NSBC (National Small Business Council), she answers a range of frequently asked questions about websites and getting your business online. With her motto of “meet new people, try new things and never stop learning”, Ines provides you with a wealth of knowledge to help you embark on your online journey.

The main thing to remember is just to start. The world online is daunting for many, but it shouldn’t stop you from getting your name out there. Remember that you can learn on the job with the help of platforms like V-hub, Google and there are always experts who can help you along the way.

Watched the video and can’t remember the all the digital marketing lingo? Don’t worry, we’ve summarised them below for you:

Digital advertising is any advert you can see on the internet. This may be on Google, Facebook, E-mail, Instagram and more.

Content marketing is any form of content on the internet like a video, article, blog post, picture or message that provides valuable information to a specific target audience. It is often used to boost brand awareness and increase customer loyalty.

Social media is any platform that allows you to share pictures, videos, thoughts with friends and family (and your customers, of course ;) Some of these include Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Snapchat.

Display is a picture or video displayed on the internet which can be used as an advert to attract the target audience of third-party websites, social media platforms and other digital channels to click a link to visit your website. Companies like Meta (previously Facebook) and Google use sophisticated algorithms to improve the relevance of the display ad to the target audience.

Algorithm: Simply put, these are rules created by developers that instruct a platform on what advert to display, who to display it to and when to display it. The more relevant the advert is to a user, the better the advert performs therefore developers keep refining the rules.

This is what makes companies like Meta and Google successful. Due to their size and reach, they are able to attract some of the most talented developers and data scientists to create sophisticated algorithms that improve advert performance. By advertising your business through their platforms, you’re indirectly hiring their staff to help you grow your business.

Paid advertising is advertising you pay for. E.g. when you do a Google search, the “Ad” results are businesses that have paid to appear at the top of the list.

Organic content is any post, message or content in video or display format you put on the internet that you do not pay for. Read 5 SEO tips for Small Businesses to help customers find your content easily in the ocean of internet results.

Ranking is your website’s position in search results. This is determined by how much customers like and engage with your product, service or content online. A well designed website will also help you climb the ranks ;)

Email marketing is any marketing or educational content sent via email to customers that have agreed or ‘opted in’ to receive email content from you.

Mailing list is a list of customers or people that have signed up or ‘opted in’ to receive email messages from you.

Online presence is any landing page or site you own and manage online. This can include a Facebook or Instagram business page, website, linked-in page, Google Business Profile among others.

Targeting: Who is your ideal buyer? If you know your customer or know the ‘type’ of customer that you would like to see your advert, you can target them to make the best use of your budget. This can be done by categorising your market into groups using locations, gender, age and interests.

Messaging refers to how your brand communicates with your target audience and how you tell customers about your business and the product or service you’re offering. While your marketing message and style can be unique, it is best practice to include the following:

• A short description of the product

• The problem you’re solving

• Short description of the benefits of your product. (Try to focus on one benefit per message)

• Educational content

• A call to action. (In other words, what should they do with the information you’ve just provided)

Reach is how many people see your advert or content online.

Measure: Marketing is a numbers game. It is important to understand your online metrics to help you measure the success of your marketing efforts. These can include how many people visit your site, clicks and sign-up.

Flash offers are quick promotions that have a limited time on them. This is used to create urgency and excitement around your brand and product or service.

Clicks (or the number of people who have clicked on your website) gives you an indication how many people are interested in your products or services. Keep in-mind that this is only the first step in your sales funnel, and it might take a few more clicks before they are ready to buy.

Outbound marketing refers to any marketing messages you push out into the world. This is where businesses usually use marketing budget to increase reach.

Inbound marketing refers to any marketing messages and/or activities that pull people towards your products, services, and website. E.g. Making use of Google Search Engine optimisation on your website.

Referral is when a customer or third party brings you a new customer by recommending your products or services via 'word of mouth' or sharing your content online.

Buyers Journey includes 3 stages: Awareness, Consideration and the Decision. Your prospective customers may need to see your advert at least 7-8 times* during the awareness stage and will learn more from educational content that supports your advert on your website during the consideration phase. Only then, when trust and motivation has been established, will the prospect customer buy during the decision stage. It is therefore important to be consistent with your marketing and advertising to stay top-of-mind until they are ready to buy.

Campaign is a planned marketing activity that takes place over a set period of time (usually around 3 months). A campaign has a specific objective for example to ‘increase your brand awareness’ and/or ‘increase sales’.

Feeling empowered and ready to explore the endless possibilities digital marketing has to offer? Have a look at EziADS:

Vodacom has partnered with Google and Facebook to help you, as a small business owner, navigate and create advertising for your business (even if you’re new to marketing). As a single step-by-step platform, EziADS allows you to set up advertising in less than 10 mins on Google, Facebook, Instagram and Vodacom platforms at the same time for as little as R2 000 per month. For more information go to: https://eziadsmedia.co.za/

To connect with Ines on LinkedIn click here