When getting started as a senior solopreneur, the idea of marketing your business online might seem a little intimidating. Digital marketing is a vast and complicated realm. If you’re unfamiliar with technology and the intricacies of online advertising, you might be tempted to stick with offline marketing methods like billboards, flyers, radio, newspaper advertisements, event sponsorships, and trade shows. While these traditional marketing strategies still have their place, digital marketing is essential in 2022 and beyond.
Why Digital Marketing is Important
Today, we rely on the internet for everything we do. Consumers use the internet to discover the latest brands, read customer reviews, compare prices, and find solutions to everyday challenges. Marketing online is key to reaching these consumers where they are.
According to LYFE Marketing, digital marketing helps level the playing field for small businesses. Unlike offline advertising, digital marketing allows you to compete with big brands like Amazon and Walmart on a small advertising budget via highly targeted advertising. Online advertising gives you complete control over who sees your message. As a result, you won’t waste money advertising to people who aren’t interested in your offer.
Are you ready to explore the possibilities of digital marketing? Here are some helpful tips from Wealthy Boomers to help you get started!
Identify and Research Your Target Market
Understanding your target market is the key to successful digital advertising. You must know who your customers are, what they want, and how they make decisions. Think about what kind of customers would buy from you. How old are they? What is their level of education? What line of work are they in? Try to create a profile of your ideal customer so you can find out where they spend their time online and how you can best reach them with your marketing. Special market research tools like Tableau, Statistica, and SurveyMonkey can help you dig up information about your ideal audience.
Create a website
Before you get started with digital marketing, you’ll need to create a website. Most of your advertisements will direct people back to your website so they can learn more about your business, make a purchase, join your email list, or do whatever it is you want them to do.
Take advantage of online website builders that offer drag-and-drop website designs. These are ideal for seniorpreneurs who aren’t interested in learning how to code or hiring a developer to design a custom website. Modern drag-and-drop website builders make it easy for anyone to create a simple website. Try WordPress, Wix, Shopify, or Weebly if you’re looking for something easy to grasp!
Design Engaging Brand Materials
Next, you’ll need some eye-catching brand materials. Branding will help customers recognize your business whenever they come across your online marketing content. Start by creating an attractive logo for your business. You’ll use similar colors, fonts, and imagery in your marketing materials, so consider your design decisions carefully. Again, this is where online tools will come in handy. Look for an online logo maker to create your custom logo in minutes! With the right tools, you can choose through an assortment of pre-designed templates and adjust their fonts and colors to suit your needs.
Get Comfortable with social media
Social media is a powerful marketing tool. Using social media, you can reach members of your ideal audience directly, build your credibility, and learn what your competitors are doing. The best part? Getting started is free! It costs nothing to set up social media accounts and start posting compelling content.
Start building up a following and engaging with people who are interested in your business. You may want to stick with just one or two different social media accounts for now. Creating content for several different platforms can quickly become a full-time job, which is why many business owners outsource social media management to freelancers or agencies.
Once you feel comfortable posting content on social media, take your marketing a step further. Learn about influencer marketing and consider working with a few micro-influencers to spread awareness of your brand. Influencer marketing involves working with people who already have a dedicated social following and paying them to endorse or mention your business. While this might all sound a little foreign, there are plenty of resources online that will teach you everything you need to know about social media marketing.
Start Building an Email List
While many businesses focus on social media marketing, email is another effective tool for building an audience and encouraging repeat business. Include an email capture form on your website so visitors can sign up for your email list. You can use this list to send out promotional content, ask for feedback, or keep customers up to date about your latest business updates. Learn how to write emails that convert—meaning, they persuade readers to act—and start sending out regular newsletters to your audience!
Team Up with Other Seniorpreneurs
Cross-promotion is an effective strategy for generating brand awareness and growing your customer base. Cross-promotion involves partnering with other businesses and advertising each other’s products or services. Look for other seniorpreneurs running businesses in industries that complement yours. Once you find a few potential brands to work with, think about ways that you can both benefit from collaborative advertising. For example, you could post a joint advertisement on both of your social media pages, reaching a far wider audience as a result. You could even invest in shared advertising campaigns, splitting the cost while increasing your reach.
Digital marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Thanks to the wide availability of user-friendly tools, seniorpreneurs can find success in online advertising, whether they’re familiar with the latest marketing methods. With the right resources and a willingness to learn about recent technology, you can take your business to new levels!
For more information about running a business as a senior solopreneur, check out Wealthy Boomers, a website packed with informative resources to help you excel at internet marketing.
