Digital News South Africa

How to use online marketing for your brand

People love to buy things. We live in a consumable civilization, with millions of people flocking stores for things to buy every day. Money changes hands all the time. So how do you harness this consumerism to market and sell your products or services? One of the best ways to achieve this in a modern era is through online or digital marketing.
How to use online marketing for your brand
© Marvin Meyer via Unsplash.com.

Why do people buy certain brands?

Value means more than a lot of business owners think. There are various reasons why people buy anything; for necessity, a confidence boost, solving issues and so forth. So how do you get them to buy your particular brand? Where would you place your offerings that address their pain-pints?

Some customers buy because they are loyal to a brand. They have experience with that brand. They match with brands they can relate to, that offer quality and those they have experience with. Consumers factor a lot during their buying journey; possibly that brand is the most affordable.

Sales reps may have convinced customers that their brand is the best one, the most affordable and will provide the best experience. This also plays a massive part in brand loyalty. Being able to tap into knowing the cause of their buying behaviour is paramount.

So how can you influence this?

Marketing your brand and influencing brand loyalty is not as hard as you think. In days gone by, one would, walking around, have to take out an advert, or even go door to door with a big smile to sell their product and create a group of loyal and happy customers. These days one can make use of the internet and digital marketing.

Copywriting or blog writing is a great way to get your brand’s name out there and become well known, and to a broader audience in a shorter period. Blogs and many other copywritten forms are particularly useful because they allow the business owner to target a variety of what interest their target audiences.

You don’t always have to write about your product. For example, if you are a bikini or swimming costume shop in Cape Town, instead of going for the expected blog about your line of new bikini’s, you can write about the different beaches in the area.

Further expanding on that you can write about what sort of attire is suitable for each beach, and tie it all back in with your bikini line and store.

Correct SEO

SEO is the all-important practice of helping your website rank well on search engines. It allows potential clients to find your product or service easily when they type what they are looking for into Google. (Face it, not a lot of people will go onto the second page of search engine results if they don’t see what they want on the first page).

The more quality, relevant content your site has, such as blogs and other bits of copy, the more Google and other search engines will like it and the higher it will rank. When looking for someone to help you with SEO ranking and content for your site, be sure that you don’t just go to a general SEO company or person.

Remember the correct SEO is adequately conducted by companies who do a thorough investigation into your company, what you offer, your unique selling points and get to know your target base and clientele. SEO should be unique to each business. Good SEO also takes time, so be wary of anyone promising you ranking climbing within a short period.

Social media

Social media is where it’s at these days. If your product or service is not on social media, it lessens its chance of being seen. What’s more, not being on social media as a business takes away the chances of interacting and finding out what your customers want from you.

Creating sharable content to become a household name is one of the best ways to get brand loyalty. Videos are always great for this. Short video clips that reference your product or service that can be shared will often go viral if they are good enough. This will improve your client base too.

Email marketing

Email marketing is often best to target existing clients or those that have shown an interest in your product already. They can be used to remind your client about your product, and how much you appreciate their support. You can use email marketing to promote new products, announce sales and other promotions.

Email marketing is also used to increase loyalty. Offering a customer an incentive such as a coupon is a very successful way to get them to rebuy, and thus increase brand loyalty.

Now that you’re aware of what you can do with online marketing to build and increase brand loyalty, there’s one thing that trumps all else. Be passionate about your brand. Create loyalty by reminding people of why they love you.

Create a story behind your brand and involve your clients in that story by complimenting their stories with yours. If you have found this to be beneficial to you, feel free to share and tag a friend or ten! I am always here to answer any questions you may have. Happy marketing!

For more information, visit Chinyangare's website.

About Terence T Chinyangare

I'm a technology nomad working as an associate brand manager. I travel around meeting clients and helping them navigate new territories through brand blueprinting and stewardship. I strive to know them and think deeply about their unspoken values and needs. My objective is to help them create meaningful experiences, enabling their brand to be successful. Creating opportunities out of the challenges through implementations and evaluation.
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