Project Ideas

Online Marketing

A youth-intern can help plan and/or execute an e-marketing strategy by helping you with, for example, deciding on the best tactics to use, how to measure the effectiveness of social media or building a strategy to attract traffic to your website. Here are some example of e-marketing techniques and tools:

E-mailing: Sending e-mails to clients and others who agree to receive information from you is a useful way to keep them abreast of new developments in your business, all the while reminding them of your existence. They'll appreciate that you take the time to reach out to them. Remember, people are busy and it's up to you to be proactive. Always check your inbox; most clients expect some form of response within 24 hours. Also, be sure to give your clients an option to unsubscribe from your e-mails, if they don't want to receive them.

Blogging: Create a weblog (an online journal) and share it with the world. Through your own blog, you can reach your clients to tell them of changes in products or services, you can get their feedback and gain ideas for better ways of doing business. Again, your client should be your main focus; tell them how they are getting value for their money, but also provide something useful like your expert advice. Provide a service through your blog that naturally gets shared and attracts traffic.

You can also post your messages on other blogs that focus on specific topics. If you sell organic produce, use the Internet to find consumers who are interested in organic produce. You can answer people's questions, while allowing them to contact you or your business for more information. Note that you can create your own blog without having a website.

Search Engine Optimization: If you have an online presence, make sure people can find you. Learn how to use the right keywords, in the right place, so that interested consumers can find you on the Web. Use incoming links (get other Web sites to link to yours) in order to rank higher in search results.

Social Networking: The second generation of chat rooms is called social networking sites and range from general topic sites like FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace. Other sites focus on specific topics or segments, like LinkedIn which focuses on business.

Viral Marketing: This is an electronic, online form of word-of-mouth. If your message is interesting enough, it will be transmitted from one person to another, or shared through e-mail, social networks, blogs, and so forth. Your message can be in the form of a video, an ad, a website, an image or information. Think of how shocking or humorous TV ads get shared online. A coffee shop once had its online ad spread like wildfire by offering one free new beverage on a given day.

PodCasting: This involves sharing audio and video files on the Internet. You can use podcasts to promote new products, provide tutorials, share interviews, and more. Listeners can tune in when they want and how they want. As long as they have Internet access and a podcatcher, listeners can tune in with a computer, an MP3 Player and before long, with a handheld wireless device or cell phone.

Although your point may be to get known and increase your customer-base and sales, ask yourself what the public wants. Generally, your clients want to be taken care of and appreciated. Your potential clients may want something more, like free samples and free tools or advice.

Source: Canada Business - Online Marketing