Starting an online business during COVID-19? 4 tips for successful digital marketing

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By Emma Sturgis

COVID-19 has caused a major disruption in the business world. With many businesses shutting down for lack of sales, the few remaining have been forced to embrace various survival tactics. One of the most advocated for ideas on how businesses can survive and thrive during this pandemic is considering going digital. Starting and running a business during COVID-19 requires a major overhaul of virtually every business administration aspect, including marketing. Successful digital marketing, in this regard, requires a strategic focus on four important areas.

Having a presence in social media

Social media is one of the most powerful digital platforms of our age. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a major increase in social media use for communication among members of the public. The increased public traffic on different social media platforms should attract online startup businesses to use the opportunity for marketing. With different social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, having different content dynamics, having a presence in all of them is an added advantage.

Considering influencer marketing

With digital marketing, customers get to view products and services for the first time over the web. Converting a first-time digital advert viewer into an actual repeat customer within the relatively short duration of engagement is a major obstacle to success. This challenge can be overcome by considering the use of influencer marketing to help build trust with customers. If you are selling material products, this will also help your potential customers view them almost the same way as they would in person. Combining influencer marketing with social media presence helps businesses to catapult their market penetration.

Increasing focus on content

Another potentially successful online business marketing idea revolves around focusing more on content-based marketing. To add value and make a difference when using content marketing, the 80/20 content rule should be the benchmark on how to create SEO content. In this regard, 80% of your content should focus on communicating value to the reader, while the other 20% should focus on promotions.

Search engine optimization

The chances are that you are not the only one trying to establish an online business during COVID-19. To give your business the much-needed competitive advantage on the digital scale, it is important to consider SEO optimizations. This digital marketing strategy focuses on using relevant SEO content, which enables your business to rank among the top in web search results. There are a number of marketing strategies you can do to improve your SEO. Make sure to utilize each of them to see the most benefits.

Starting and running a successful online business during this pandemic requires you to think outside the box as far as digital marketing is concerned. Employing the right set of strategies helps set your business apart and gives your digital customers a reason to believe in you and your business.

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Emma Sturgis is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2.

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