This dichotomy is not exact, however, with much e-mail, and newsgroup reader software automatically turning URLs into hyperlinks and intelligent agents automating the process of recommending links to friends (Lieberman et al., 1999) and through newsgroups (Terveen et al., 1998).
Acquiring new customers online may not be easier than traditional methods, but there are plenty more opportunities and new tools at your disposal. Here are our top 10:
Search Engine Marketing – SEO, PPC, it’s all about getting to the first page of search engines, as they become the ever more popular source for all society’s needs.
Google, Bing, Yahoo etc have become, for many, the first go to on the internet to find out something, purchase something or compare products/services. Search engines will offer searches results on webpages, blogs, or other online content.
SEO is one of the top digital marketing strategies used to acquire companies.PPC advertising can be used as a quick way of getting to the top of a related search. Optimisation of the search engine can also be used to attain a key position at the top of searches. A combination of both can be the best method.
Our aim would be to get into the first page of the search engine. The advantage of PPC is that we would have some control over when and how often or page would get to the top of the search engine listings. (Highlighted as ads related to, ads or sponsored links)
PROS – PPC much fast than SEO or any other advertising, receiving click within minutes of agreement with the company.
Steep Increase in traffic
SEO not always a guaranteed process with PPC we will know what we are getting for our investment. We can set a budget and stick to it.
CONS - Competition can result in bidding wars over popular keywords.
Accidental clicks by visitors may occur if they mistake our link for something else.
Guaranteed clicks cannot guarantee these turning into leads and sales.
Email Marketing – Email marketing can
Social Media – It’s not just networks anymore, it’s become a natural part of daily life. That’s why more companies are getting social with the masses.
Content Distribution – Give something to the market, like informative articles relevant to the industry to improve brand awareness and aid SEO. Partnerships – Join forces with another company with shared goals to pool resources and increase profits while reducing marketing costs. Interactive Advertising – Engage the market with some interaction and your brand will stand out from the crowd online. Popular interactive campaigns include games, apps and social networking.
Online PR – Press releases can be brought into the digital world via blogs, online magazines, social media outlets and news wires.
Pros – this is a cost effective way of reaching existing audiences, with bloggers reviewing products for free.
- News wire distribution while charging a fee distribute the article to many forms of online media. Making it a good return on investment.
- Key word optimised articles or press releases will help backlink profiling.
Affiliate Marketing – working on a pay per action or acquisition basis this method operates like PPC however this time an affiliate each time an agreed action is taken. The affiliate offers to pay for its own marketing efforts aimed at generating orders for your products. The affiliate will motivate customers to call your customer service number and order these products directly from you.
Affiliate marketing has become a