In an era where everyone makes discoveries on the Internet, starting trends takes just a single click. Some people and brands didn’t even rise to fame on their own accords, but rather because the public found them viral-worthy.
The digital age may make it seem easy for startups to raise brand awareness. Still, considering that all businesses now rely on the internet to get known, the web has pretty much become an oversaturated avenue for marketing. Hence, the competition is tight, intense, and intimidating.
While there are quick ways to make your brand viral-worthy, there isn’t a shortcut to achieve it. Fame is hardly reached overnight. In most cases, it’s a matter of luck.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, anyway. Now that most of us are cooped up at home with our screens in front of us all day, the odds of your startup reaching your target audience shortly are high. Below are the web strategies that’ll help you:
1. Social Media
Of course, you have to start with a strong social media presence if you want to go viral. Aside from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, your social network options also include Pinterest, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Youtube, and more. There are actually over 95 social networking sites, as some countries only use a specific site.
You don’t have to be on every social networking site. Just find what your market uses, and establish your presence there. Determine how to interact with them best, then create a social media plan.
A typical social media plan involves these procedures:
- Creating social media for business
- Creating a Facebook business page with a vanity username and URL
- Creating an Instagram account
- Creating a Twitter account and following experts and celebs/influencers in your industry
- Setting up a Foursquare account to make your location known
- Creating a LinkedIn professional profile for you and your startup
- Creating a business blog
- Creating an editorial calendar for your blogs and social content
Your followers would expect you to be responsive on social media. While you may be unable to reply to every comment, it’s important to address the relevant questions and complaints. Your social media manager or representative has to answer negative comments constructively, as it will show that you value customer experience.
2. Website
Your website is where you should run your business blog. There are several platforms you can use, including WordPress and Wix.
If you’re in retail, you can also start through free e-commerce platforms. But if your target market prefers a dedicated website, then you should invest in the services of a web designer. Your website should offer a positive customer experience, meaning it should be user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. The customers should immediately identify your brand, the values behind your brand, and the value of doing business with you.
High-quality imagery and compelling words do the trick in capturing the brand’s essence and raising awareness. It’s more than just browsing great products and adding items to the cart. You’d achieve high conversion rates through customers that are confident and trustful in your brand.
3. Internet Marketing
Social media and a dedicated website are just the tips of the icebergs in marketing. To extend your reach and maintain a strong online presence, you need to consider a couple of internet marketing strategies.
Among the most common tools startups use are SEO, pay-per-click ads, Google analytics, and local search marketing. Online lead generation services include these effective tools and more, such as email marketing, web development, and content creation.
Receiving emails from brands may be annoying, but it proves effective in generating leads. It builds a relationship with customers, and it usually results in a repeat sale. Newsletters are deemed the best way to use email marketing, as long as it follows the regulations against spam emails.
4. Advertisements
Depending on your target market, old-school advertisements such as radio and newspaper ads may still work. But most brands now focus on social media to spread their ads. You may also buy ad space on a website, such as a blog site, and post an ad there.
YouTube is also teeming with ads. Users may skip them all the time, so a lot of brands stick to 6-second long videos to remove the skipping option. But if you create a campaign that touches the hearts of your audience, then it may go viral, and people will purposely find the video on your YouTube page and share it themselves.
Again, there is no shortcut to fame, but these strategies will definitely raise brand awareness quicker than the old-school methods. The ultimate key is to be where your target market is. Make them constantly aware of your presence, and they’ll store your brand to their subconscious.
