Is online marketing right for my business in 2021?

Spoiler alert: the answer to whether online marketing is right for your business is a resounding YES.

The more important question is why?

Online marketing doesn’t come naturally to certain businesses, particularly small and long-established ones. But while there was a time when you’d only find the biggest brands on the World Wide Web, the internet is now far more accessible.

No matter whether you’re a multinational or a corner store, online marketing is right for your business. Here are six reasons why.

1. Your customers are online

No matter your industry, a significant portion (if not all) of your customers can be found online. And there’s a good chance that they’re currently searching Google or social media for a product or service that you offer.

This is the way of the modern world. When we have a problem, we Google a solution. When we’re hunting for inspiration, we scroll Instagram. If you’re not exposing your products, services and brand online, you won’t be served up as that answer or inspiration. Even worse, your competitors will be displayed in your place…

2. Your competitors are online

If you don’t bother with online marketing, a competitor will be served up to a potential customer instead. A customer can’t choose you if they don’t know about you – you’re essentially handing competitors your slice of the customer pie.

If you’re new to the world of online marketing, use your competitors as inspiration. What are they doing well? What are they not doing well? How do they communicate? What content do they offer their audience? What channels do they focus on? Use this knowledge to make yourself accessible, and to deliver the information your potential customers are looking for.

3. Online marketing is more affordable

Traditional marketing is expensive. You’ve got design, production, delivery and broadcast costs to consider, and there’s often not a small-scale option, so you’re obliged to go all in.

Online marketing, on the other hand, offers ultimate affordability and scalability. Whether your preferred channel is Google, social media, content creation or display ads, you can choose your exact level of investment, be it $10 or $10,000.

4. Online marketing is more effective

What’s more, your money goes further online than anywhere else. Take Facebook advertising. Because the platform knows so much about its users, you can choose to market to an incredibly specific demographic, say males between 30 and 50 who follow a page that relates to your industry.

Where traditional marketing tends to broadcast out to everyone in the hope that it hits the right eyes and ears, online marketing hyper-targets the most relevant audience, and gives you the ability to A/B test, track endless metrics, and adjust your marketing strategy on the run.

5. It’s more interactive

Newspaper ads, radio spots and flyers in the mail are one-way forms of communication. But with the ability to message, comment, review and react, online marketing facilitates a truly interactive – and therefore more compelling and personalised – marketing experience.

Two-way marketing communication gives you the chance to show your customers that you care about what they think, which in turn helps you to build a community. Interactive marketing also helps you to gather valuable feedback from customers and information about their preferences.

6. It works hand in hand with traditional marketing

While there are many ways in which online marketing is superior to traditional marketing, that’s not to say that you should give the other up. Online marketing doesn’t need to replace the traditional – it should instead work hand in hand with it.

Drop a flyer in local letterboxes that directs people to your new website. Produce a newsletter in both print and digital forms. Host an in-person event then post about it on social media.

By supplementing your traditional marketing efforts with online marketing, you can be sure that you’re reaching the biggest possible audience in the most compelling possible way.