Online Marketing

You can use marketing techniques and tools like social networking, emailing and blogging that do not involve a lot of direct costs. You will need to dedicate your time or your staff's time to them, but they don't need to use up a lot of cash. You can choose all of these forms of e-marketing, or choose the ones most useful and accessible to your clientele:

Blogging

Create a corporate blog (an online journal) and share it with the world. Through your own blog, you can reach your clients to tell them of changes in products or services, you can get their feedback and gain ideas for better ways of doing business. Again, your client should be your main focus; tell them how they are getting value for their money, but also provide something useful like your expert advice. Provide a service through your blog that naturally gets shared and attracts traffic. Note that you can create your own blog without having a website.

Micro-Blogging

Half-way between texting and blogging, micro-blogging is increasingly becoming a relevant communication and promotion channel. You can send frequent and short messages out (usually less than 140 characters) on any variety of topics, such as daily sales and promotions, or even give useful advice. You can also post a link or an opinion about your industry. The key is to remember that it is not about you. As with all forms of marketing, it is about your followers, your clients, and what's in it for them.

Commenting

You can post your messages on other blogs that focus on specific topics. If you sell organic produce, use the Internet to find consumers who are interested in organic produce. You can answer people's questions, while allowing them to contact you or your business for more information.

Emailing

Sending emails to clients and others who agree to receive information from you is a useful way to keep them abreast of new developments in your business, all the while reminding them of your existence. They'll appreciate that you take the time to reach out to them. Remember, people are busy and it's up to you to be proactive. Always check your inbox; most clients expect some form of response within 24 hours. Also, be sure to give your clients an option to unsubscribe from your emails, if they don't want to receive them.

Podcasting

This involves sharing audio and video files on the Internet. You can use podcasts to promote new products, provide tutorials, share interviews, and more. Listeners can tune in when they want and how they want. As long as they have Internet access, listeners can tune in with a computer, an iPod, an MP3 Player and before long, with a BlackBerry or cell phone.

Search Engine Optimization

If you have an online presence, make sure people can find you. Learn how to use the right keywords, in the right place, so that interested consumers can find you on the Web. Use incoming links (get other Web sites to link to yours) in order to rank higher in search results.

Social Networking

The second generation of chat rooms is called social networking sites and range from general topic sites like FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace. Other sites focus on specific topics or segments, like LinkedIn which focuses on business.

Viral Marketing

This is an electronic, online form of word-of-mouth. If your message is interesting enough, it will be transmitted from one person to another, or shared through email, social networks, blogs, and so forth. Your message can be in the form of a video, an ad, a website, an image or information. Think of how shocking or humorous TV ads get shared online. A coffee shop once had its online ad spread like wildfire by offering one free new beverage on a given day.

Find out more about online marketing:

• Top 20 Most Popular Social Networking Websites
  
  http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
  Thinking about using social networking? Find out which websites are most popular.
• SME Direct: Social Networking
  
  http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dir-ect.nsf/eng/h_uw01028.html
  Find out how your business can benefit from social networking and other online lead generation tools, like media sharing, blogs and wikis.
• Explore the Benefits of Marketing Online
  
  http://marketing.about.com/od/internetmarketingstrategy/a/marketingonline.htm
  When marketing your business online, you can make changes on the fly and track real-time results. Find out about other benefits of online marketing.
• Social media marketing: Put it to work for you
  
  http://marketing.about.com/od/internetmarketingstrategy/a/socialmediamrkt.htm
  Find out how to start using social media in your marketing strategy and discover how to leverage Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
• SME Direct: Online Marketing Resources
  
  http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dir-ect.nsf/eng/h_uw00729.html
  Find out about basic and advanced marketing techniques, what to do to ensure people find your information on the Web, and how to target clients with emails.
• The Essentials of Online Marketing
  
  http://www.bdc.ca/en/advice_centre/articles/Pages/marketing_online.aspx
  Online marketing should complement traditional marketing, rather than replace it. Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your online marketing efforts.