With all these promotional mediums available to you it can become a real challenge choosing the right promotional strategy for your online business. However, through the test of time certain marketing approaches have proven to be effective but even these approaches have their limitations.
In this article I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 5 online promotional mediums.
Search Engine Marketing
This medium is a form of paid search engine marketing that is used to drive laser targeted traffic to your site. The most common SEM advertising platform that is used is Google Adwords. This route allows advertisers to bid on keywords relevant to their business, and when a search engine user types in the keyword that an advertiser bids on, the ad will appear in a position above the organic results or to the right of it. The position the ad appears is determined by how much an advertiser has paid for a bid on that particular keyword.
Advantages: This route offers a quick way to drive targeted traffic to a site, and it can help build-up a new brand fairly rapidly.
Disadvantages: The costs can add up, and you can lose your shirt if you do not stick to a daily budget.
Organic Traffic
This from of traffic is gained directly from natural search engine results. Search engines take various SEO factors into account when ranking a webpage in the SERP’s.
Advantages: Organic traffic is highly invaluable because it is recognized as a form of “free traffic”. Although it sometimes can become a costly affair to get a webpage ranking on the first page of the SERP’s for a specific keyword.
Disadvantages: The timeframe associated in achieving a good ranking in the SERP’s is indefinite, and it is an expensive route for those targeting competitive keywords.
Social Media
Social networking platforms like Facebook are extremely traffic intensive. In fact, Facebook is ranked second to Google in terms of the amount of traffic generated. Any online platform that has a high turnover of traffic provides a lucrative promotional medium for an internet marketer.
Advantages: The costs associated in utilizing platforms like Facebook, and Twitter are minimal. Your brand or product can spread virally on these platforms.
Disadvantages: The traffic received from social media sites isn’t always targeted, and establishing a following on these platforms can prove to be an arduous task for a new business.
Article Marketing
Article marketing is a process where a webmaster submits an article to an article directory in an effort to drive targeted traffic to his/her website from the article directories. Some people believe article marketing is a dying breed, but I personally know an internet marker who earns a 5 figure monthly income by utilizing article marketing as sole promotional strategy.
Advantages: Traffic generated is often highly targeted, and there is no cost associated to submitting articles to a directory.
Disadvantages: Writing articles day in and day out can become a laborious task. And if you outsource this segment of your business the costs can add up rapidly.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a medium that involves email communication with consumers who have opted-in to your email list.
Advantages: Low cost medium that can run automatically by using an autoresponder. Email recipients have a vested interest in your business and products.
Disadvantages: Can be viewed as an impersonal form of marketing. Email messages can be misinterpreted and can even offend certain subscribers.
The methods listed above have proven to be effective but ultimately you will have to examine your business and formulate a marketing plan that is most suitable to your budget and your company goals.
Share Your Opinion
What in your experience is the most effective online promotional method? Do you drive more targeted traffic via Article Marketing, Organic Traffic or Social Media?
Lakshmi is successful internet entrepreneur who has been using various promotional methods online. She has been part of a new discount shopping website where you will find the latest Micfo web hosting offers and the Coolhandle coupon.