Businesses have traditionally relied on offline marketing to get their brands out there. They’ve relied on pamphlets, tele-marketing, billboards, mainstream media ads, and the like. However, these offline methods are increasingly being superseded by online marketing.
Online marketing isn’t new, as it has been around since the internet became accessible to the general public. However, since then, digital marketing solutions have developed to become much more effective and targeted. Digital marketing allows businesses to reach a much wider audience than ever before, and its more cost effective in many ways.
Nowadays, a company’s digital marketing strategy has to be influenced and shaped by things like big data, key performance indicators, and a sound digital marketing perspective. They have to explore an online marketing plan that suits the brand and target market.
In short, when it comes to online marketing, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ strategy. Oftentimes, it will involve some level of trial and error. However, digital marketing is the future, and there’s really no turning back.
If you’re a business owner, and you want to learn how to do online marketing, here are some helpful ways you can start:
Kick Start Your Online Marketing With These Tactics
You’ll have to start somewhere when it comes to marketing your products or services online. These initial steps will help give you the stepping stones you need for digital advertising in Malaysia.
1. Identify Your E-commerce Business Model
There are four traditional business models in e-commerce, namely B2C, B2B, C2B and C2C. If these terms confuse, you, then let’s break it down to more understandable language:
B2C – The most conventional type of business model, where businesses(B) sell to customers( C). They may sell a product, or a service. B2C business models have the shortest decision making process, and therefore involve less marketing costs in general.
B2B – Whereby businesses sell to other businesses. The business that buys the service or product can consume it themselves and be the end consumer. They can also be resellers,that function like middlemen.
C2B – E-commerce platforms whereby consumers sell services or products to larger companies or businesses.. Examples of this are freelancing sites like Upwork, and Fiverr. Another example is whereby larger companies engage with influencers and Youtubers to feature their products for a fee.
C2C – Platforms that allow individual consumers to sell products and services to other consumers are called C2C platforms. These platforms allow individuals to become vendors, and sell products they’ve made themselves as well as second hand items. In Malaysia, one well known C2C platform is Mudah.my, especially in its early days.
Many companies and business owners will find that e-commerce platforms these days are a combination of several e-commerce business models. For example, Malaysian online marketplace Lazada is both a B2C and C2C platform. They allow individuals to sell home made snacks and crafts, as well as big brands to sell items like appliances and electronics.
Understanding your business model will determine how you plan and target your online marketing.
2. Embrace the Power of Social Media
By 2020, an estimated 33.46 million Malaysians will be on social media, up from the 28.98 million users documented. These social media networks include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok and more.
As business owners, your first step in online marketing should be to create a business profile for yourself on these platforms. Each social media platform caters to different demographics and age groups.
Knowing your target market will help you decide which social media platforms to focus on. For example, Facebook has many users above the age of 30, whereas Instagram has many users below the age of 30. LinkedIn caters for the professional and business community, whereas TikTok caters more for fun-loving youths. If you’re looking to start a Facebook page, it is also important to have come up with a useful guide on how you can maximize your page’s marketing potential.
Related Article: Tips You Should Do When Managing Your Facebook Page
3. Use Social Media Ads Strategically
There are two main social media ads online today, Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Both of these can be strategically targeted towards your chosen demographic. To launch these ads, you’ll have to decide what age groups and geographical location you want to target, as well as the interests of your target market.
Launching social media ads will also give you an insight into which target groups are most responsive. Therefore you can improve your digital advertising in Malaysia to focus on the people who matter most. It will also save your marketing costs in the long term.
4. Leverage on Influencer Marketing
The concept of ‘influencers’ is very much a recent phenomenon. Basically, influencers are individuals on social media platforms who command a large following. They create content that attracts many people, and are able to monetize their following in different ways.
Malaysia has its share of successful influencers, on platforms like Youtube and Instagram. More often than not, they create content that caters to a particular interest. These may include fashion, lifestyle, travel, food and many more.
When an influencer endorses a product or service related to their niche, followers will naturally take an interest. This is why you should consider engaging an influencer for your brand when you start out.
Related Article: 10 Most Popular Instagram Influencers in Malaysia
5. Optimize Your Page SEO
Search engine optimization or SEO is a method whereby ke search terms are inserted into your website content. These key search terms are the leading driver of traffic to your website.
SEO keywords are usually the highest searched for words connected to your product, service or brand.
When netizens type these search terms into the search engine, your website or social media page will show up if you have that search term.
SEO can be optimized in different ways, to ensure that your page shows up higher on the list, and therefore gets more attention.
Taking Your First Online Marketing Steps
Online marketing may seem like a vast and unfamiliar place for those who are approaching it for the first time. However, with the right guidance, you don’t have to feel intimidated.
One of your first decisions can be to contact us at One Search Pro, where our trained and experienced consultants will be on hand to help you understand online marketing better. We will explain all the unfamiliar terms and concepts involved, so that you’ll feel more confident in getting your brand out there.
Your brand deserves the best. Therefore, we will endeavor to plan your online marketing strategy with customized parameters to achieve the best results.
