Thanks to the internet, Marketing has become more personalized than ever. Trend-tracking can provide insight into what people are looking for online, and where they are looking for it. This can give you unparalleled access to quality prospects, the kind of prospects who are actually likely to make a sale.

The beauty of online marketing is that it is so easy to target exact audiences who are actively looking for what you’re offering. Through PPC, like Google Adwords, you can put your advertisement right there in their faces where you know it will be seen.

And while this is undoubtedly a great marketing strategy vital to the success of any business, it still has its flaws.  For one, PPC ads are generally displayed at the far right of the screen where they may not be noticed by your intended audience.

And there’s also the phenomenon of “banner blindness” which refers to the fact that many web surfers are oblivious to anything that equates to an ad.

Creating Attention on Social Media Sites

The majority of internet users today use the web to interact with friends and the world at large via Social Media sites, and if you want to make the most of online marketing, you need to pay attention to current online activities, and start making waves on Facebook and Twitter.

Marketers are recognizing the superiority of Social Media Sites when it comes to engaging with prospective clients. Unlike other forms of web marketing, social media is “interactive” rather than “interruptive”.

When people log onto a site like Facebook, they look at the things that interest them and their friends. So, if user X logs on and sees that his friends A, B and C all “like” a page, he is most likely going to head over. You are marketing to a community that shares a common interest.

With social media, you can get people talking, sharing and liking your product or service without even realizing they are actively helping you market. With social media, your marketing message can easily go viral, especially when it’s not presented as a marketing message.

Getting Started with Social Media Marketing

Obviously you will need to create profiles for your business on all of the leading social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are all massive communities and good places to get started. Then, you need to make sure that people are aware that you have a page, so be sure to market your new online presence in your newsletters, on your website, in your email broadcasts, even in your print and radio ads. Invite clients, vendors, employees, family and friends to link with your new social media profile to get the ball rolling.

Next up, create a dynamic and interesting page. Use all of the media options available to get people talking about your profiles – videos, freebies and competitions are a great way to do this. Finally, be sure to update regularly, keep it fresh, and you will see the results before you know it!

Photo by Alkan de Beaumont Chaglar