The Influence of Online Marketing in Start-Ups

by Duresa Sadrija | Guest Contributor | DIGITAL MARKETING

The Influence of Online Marketing in Start-Ups
This article tackles the influence of online marketing on startup businesses - get sales through digital platforms and how to start and stay relevant through digital marketing.

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Starting up a business has never been easy. This is mostly due to the already existing businesses in the industry. These established organizations have made an impact and attracted customers all over. The competition becomes the biggest challenge to the upcoming entrepreneurs. Furthermore, inexperience and lack of proper marketing strategies lead to failing of startup businesses.  In this digital era, numerous businesses are thriving while others close daily. This is attributed to the dynamics in the marketing strategies.

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This article tackles the influence of online marketing on startup businesses. How do some businesses manage to get sales through digital platforms? Why have some organizations grown to become worldwide while others have diminished? How will you be able to start and stay relevant through digital marketing? 

The Positive Influence Of Online Marketing Leading To The Thriving Of Businesses
Compared to the traditional way of marketing, digital marketing has proven to be more effective. This has led to the growth of many businesses. There are numerous advantages of these social media platforms. However, the entrepreneurs need to understand how this works. Failure to understand how the platforms work denies you the opportunity to maximize the benefits. Understanding the optimization of the marketing sites expands the market and reaches more customers. Here are some of the things that make digital marketing effective and important to the expansion of your new business.

1.Cost-Effective
As some people outsource a lot of funds to start a business, there are some that start with lower financial capabilities. This becomes challenging for them to use traditional methods in marketing. Plus, numerous established companies make up the industry hence having all the customers to themselves. How then do you get your products known? Online marketing becomes your friendly advertising platform. Furthermore, getting a physical address proves problematic to many, paying for the legal documentations, office furniture, manual labor, among other charges. With digital marketing, over 50% of the cost is cut. Most new businesses can never be able to advertise in the newspapers, television, radio, or other costly platforms. However, uploading the details of your product on social media is more or less free. 

2. Multiple advertising sites
Have you been wondering how you can reach many people with your small capacity? Digital marketing is the answer. Unlike earlier times, you can be able to showcase your products and services to millions of customers and on any part of the planet with an instant click. This is due to the availability of numerous sites to personally optimize and make known of what you provide. Various sites such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, among others are at your disposal. The task is knowing how to optimally reach out to customers. There are millions of people providing the same products. How well you get recognition depends on how you use the sites. 

3. Better customer engagement
Digital marketing is the best way so far when it comes to customer relations. This is because a one-on-one interaction is established. Furthermore, unlike the traditional ways that go for the mass, online marketing goes for specific and needed customers. Now you don't have to leave the burners on the streets for all or pay for an expensive TV ad that airs when few potential customers are not watching.  With social media sites, you get a chance to engage directly with prospects. They ask questions, you answer directly, get feedback on the products and services produced. Once you use the right channel to access customers, sit and relax and wait for feedback.

4. Brand growth
Have you ever been at home and wondering more about an ad you’ve just heard on the radio or seen on television? This is because producers want to make the ad as short as possible. for financial purposes. When it comes to digital marketing, you not only sell your ideas but also interact with customers as they learn more about the products. Trust is key in acquiring more buyers. Once people are confident in your products, they surely will purchase the services. Online sites have made it easy to build the reputation of your goods and services with less effort. 

5. Track the market dynamics to make better decisions
The online campaigns done by sellers are not like the conventional ones. What’s the difference? Tracking the progress to get the exact metrics. This means you get the real situations on the ground. What's better than understanding the reactions of the customers? This prompts you as the seller to know where to correct, adjust, improve and change. All these lead to the growth of your startup or small business.

6. Reaching specifically targeted clients
Unlike print or other conventional ads, online marketing doesn’t target quantity but quality. This is done through search engine optimizations (SEO). This is a way to reach people from specific areas, age, gender, among other specifications. Among millions of surfers online, you need to ensure everyone who wants the same products finds you and not your competitor. 

Why is online marketing working for you?
Many people have tried without succeeding to make known their products. However, it might not be working. This is mostly attributed to a lack of enough information on how to optimize the sites. Nonetheless, here are some of the things contributing to lack of success in your business:

Location and internet access
Location is key in persuading customers to purchase your services. People in remote areas find it difficult to get customers from urban areas. The belief of upcountry not being developed and not producing up-to-date products acts as a disadvantage to those in the area. Being in a place not served well by the internet is a disadvantage and makes digital marketing almost impossible. You won't be able to regularly interact with customers. For a better experience, try shifting to better-served areas.

Accessibility
Lack of visibility is key to a failing business. If people can't access your business online it means they will never buy your services. There are hundreds of or thousands of people selling exactly what you are selling. How you manage to stay visible is what changes everything. Online fraternity is all over the world; lack of visibility will certainly affect you. 

Poor marketing strategy
Online business entirely depends on how well you understand the digital platforms. You might be wondering what you are doing wrong yet the internet is there and everything yet can't seem to know the problem. The only problem might be knowledge. This is a vital aspect in ensuring success on a digital platform. 

Intense competition from existing businesses
With the business practice made easier by the online platforms, many businesses have sprung over the years. Hundreds open daily and hundreds close daily. This means it's so hard to find a field without competition. The intense competition makes it hard for newcomers to make it or get recognized. This discourages many just after starting. You might be falling into deep waters without knowing. The way you stay open depends on the number of competitions you face. However, proper planning will keep you working your way up the food chain.

The bottom line
Online marketing is becoming the greatest influencer to entrepreneurs. This is the opportunity to ensure you realize your dreams. The digital sites are making it easier to promote your products. However, to maximize this opportunity, there is a need to understand how the modern world works.

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About the author:

Duresa Sadrija is a Marketing Specialist in SEO with more than 2-years of experience. She works for KS Outsourcing. Duresa is passionate about traveling and reading. She can speak Albanian, English and German.

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