First I am going to make a statement that may or may not upset a few people. ‘Online marketing’ is the same thing as ‘online content.’ That is anything that can be found by a Google or any internet search.
What is online content?
So what do I mean by online content? Online content is simply anything that you or anyone posts on the internet. Whether it is on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc.), your website, YouTube or any paid advertising on the internet.
How is that online marketing?
Easy, Google your name, throw your name in any social media network. Watch what happens. What you see is your online content, yep that is you and your business. I hope good things popped up on your screen.
Whether you like it or not, what you saw is your online content, your online ‘marketing.’ Because if you saw all that, so did all your customers. Just to be clear, it doesn’t matter whether you put that information up there or not. The fact that the content is there to be found makes that marketing. If you did put that information online, great, you have control over that piece of content or information. If you didn’t put that content online, you need to take notice. Because again your customers / potential customers just saw that information and you DO NOT have control over that content.
As you can imagine, all of this becomes very real and very relevant. Where the biggest impact lies is with your potential clients. The reason for this, if you have a happy relationship with previous customers, are more likely to base their decision on their experience of working with you. Their searching online is more likely looking to see what you have been up too since their last project.
Potential Customers
The same as you, your potential customers Google and search for things online. They are comparing you to the next contractor and what they can find out about you. This in of its self is not a problem, especially if you have a good online representation.
Couple a good online presentation with good face to face conversation, you are in a good position.
What you have online whether it is your social media accounts like Instagram or Facebook, is a great opportunity to better position yourself in the market. By putting in a little time, you can improve the confidence that you leave with your customers when they find you on the internet.