One of the most important factors in a business success is marketing. Every business should invest in marketing as it helps introduce a product, service, or even the business to the market. Without marketing, businesses wouldn’t be able to establish their brand and reputation. Marketing helps businesses build a strong presence in the market which will generate higher sales.

 

With the advent of technology, marketing has been revolutionized. Today, there have been various digital marketing strategies available. In fact, 34% of the businesses have integrated digital marketing strategies in the businesses. On the other hand, 49% uses digital marketing but has no defined strategy yet, based on the research of Smart Insights.

 

In 2018, various marketing strategies will be helpful for businesses. Some of the most effective strategies in 2017 still work for 2018. While some of the most obsolete ways are still effective ways of promoting businesses. Here are the 16 best marketing strategies for 2018.

Create a website

Website marketing remains to be one of the strongest. In the U.K, over 2 million small businesses still do not have websites. According to Clutch.Co, 92% of the small businesses are going to have a website this year. This is the direct response of businesses to consumer trend.

 

Use social media

Social media marketing is definitely one of the most powerful internet strategies. It has the widest scope among others. More than 4 billion people have social media accounts – Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. These social networking platforms have devised varied advertising tools and programs that can reach a specified audience.

Optimize keywords

4 out of 5 customers use the internet to shop. In fact, Google gets more than 100 billion searches every month. However, it is very difficult to rank first in Google search. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the answer. According to HubSpot (2017), 61% of businesses are targeting to improve their SEO to boost their online presence.

 

Publish YouTube videos

Based on the research of HubSpot (2017), 48% of the businesses are planning to integrate YouTube marketing into their content strategy this year. In fact, YouTube is one of the favorites of larger companies and corporations. YouTube has over one billion users. According to Google 2016, people spend more time on YouTube compared to watching television.

 

Google AdWords

Pay-per-click marketing is one of the most effective internet strategies. Currently, Google AdWords is the most popular. According to WordStream (2016), over 60% of consumers click Google ads when they are looking for items to shop online. In addition, the average click-through rate in AdWords is 1.91% for search and 0.35% for display.

 

Send newsletters

Email marketing is the earliest form of digital marketing strategy. According to Econsultancy (2016), 75% of the companies worldwide believe that email marketing offers excellent to a good return on investment. Based on statistics, 86% of consumers love to receive newsletters or promotional emails at least monthly.

 

Update local standing

Local marketing is very effective for small to medium-sized businesses. According to Google (2016), 30% of the mobile searches are related to location. In fact, 72% of the consumers visited a store after conducting a local search. Thus, it is important to update your local directory and standing.

Get reviewed online

Consumers now are smarter. They surf the web to look for reviews and feedback from customers. One of the most effective ways of building your good reputation is to be reviewed positively. Basically, you need to sign for popular sites that offer reviews about products and services. Aim for 5 stars.

 

Befriend influencers

There are thousands of influencers on the web. This includes bloggers, celebrities, and public figures. They are either on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, among others. One way to effectively promote your business is by connecting to these influencers. It is best to sponsor them with products and services in exchange for promoting your company to his or her followers.

 

Be part of trade shows

Trade shows are one of the earliest strategies for showcasing products and services. In 2018, it still a good opportunity for businesses. Most people love to attend trade shows and exhibitions to get in touch with a wide variety of products and services according to their preferences. Being a part of trade shows is very effective in connecting with consumers more personally.

 

Conduct contests

Consumers love contests and giveaways. Businesses should try conducting marketing events that will provide freebies and great deals for customers who will participate in these contents. It can either be on trade exhibits or through online platforms.

 

Apply for awards

As mentioned earlier, consumers today are smarter than ever. They are choosing products with a good reputation. To establish your business in the market, apply for awards. There are various award-winning bodies that recognize the best among the rest in the market. You should always aim for an ‘award’ which you can boast to your customers.

 

Use traditional media

Print, radio, and TV – these are the conventional forms of marketing. But up until now, they are still very effective. According to Statistic Brain, 99% of the world have television. Majority of the people have access to television shows. This is a great opportunity for businesses to reach their audience. However, TV commercials are a bit costly.

 

Conduct free seminars

Some of the consumers are interested in opportunities where they can learn a lot of things. Businesses should always find time to conduct seminars, workshops, and conferences. The aim of these events is not just to promote your business, but to impart knowledge to your market.

 

Be more personal

If you are still in doubt of the abovementioned marketing strategies, well, get personal. Talk to the person. VoIP telephony is raising the standards for this in which company representatives communicate with consumers personally. You can also do house-to-house.  But remember, getting personal really takes a lot of time.

 

These are just some of the marketing strategies that will surely work this 2018. Remember, always conduct a thorough research of what marketing tool to use for your business.