Time is money.
And… as time goes on and the scope of the internet grows, the marketing strategy options become overwhelming. And, time-sucking.
Which ones are going to benefit your online store?
I have clients coming to me saying they want to do Twitter and Facebook and this and that. I tell them, so do I. But if your resources are limited then meeting all these opportunities will either keep you up late at night or, never become a reality. It’s crucial that you spend your time on opportunities that are going to actually make sense and bring you my type of ROI: R.O.T. Return-on-time.
The truth. In order for a virtual storefront to be successful, you need to send visitors to it, either by encouraging Google to deliver a good result on keywords that relate to your store, or by physically (in a virtual way) sending a shopper to the store.
That truth is the reason why we encourage email marketing/list building, content marketing (blogging) and for traffic-driving social media. For clients with time constraints, we recommend them specifically in that order of importance.
Content Marketing:
You MUST create new content on your site if you want to stay in the search engine game. Blog on topics related to your keywords, but make sure the content is valuable for your potential and current buyers. Keep it real, keep it happening at least twice a month
You can even step up your game and throw in buying opportunities right in your blog, either by linking directly to a product in your store, or by creating a buy now opportunity right in the blog post.
Email Marketing:
Still the best way to drive sales. Done correctly and with value for the recipient, email marketing will give you better return on time than social media marketing. If you have very limited time, then do nothing but produce new content on your website twice a month and execute some planned email marketing. Nothing will get a buyer on your site quicker than a buy now button in a tastefully crafted email sent directly to that buyer who opted-in because they already had an interest in your product.
Social Media:
Nothing will make time disappear faster than Social Media. But it can drive traffic and sales.
We recommend you tackle Social in the following order and for their subsequent reasons.
Google + and Google + for business: THE place where you will share your sparkling blog content strictly with the intention of building clout with the ever popular Google. Circle some great people and take a few minutes to learn something new while your sharing your site with the makers of the most popular search engine. Quick, Easy. No, Google + won’t suck your time away. For the most part, it’s just not that captivating. But to play the Google game, you should participate if you have the time.
Pinterest- if it matches your target market. It’s here where you have the greatest risk of loosing track of time, but …Pinterest IS driving traffic and Pinterest IS creating sales.
We want you to pin that great photo/image you inserted into your newly published blog post. Pin some of your products. Don’t panic if you can’t get a Pinterest business account started. Just get your stuff into Pinterest and hope for the repin.
Facebook: Advertising.
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