Online marketing refers to any form of advertising or marketing on the web. It’s an all-inclusive term for promotions shared via emails, social media posts, paid advertisements displayed on search engines, etc. As users get younger, companies have shifted their marketing strategies to the Internet, where they can reach a larger, more relevant audience at lower cost to traditional advertising options.

With the right online marketing strategies, small and medium businesses are finding new ways to compete against the big companies. Even with a limited budget, companies are able to get creative and effectively reach customers at each stage of the buying cycle. Regardless of whether a consumer is researching products, or whether they're about to check out, you can reach out to promote your brand.

There is an entire marketing platform with consumers just waiting to discover your brand. Using data analysis and optimisation tools, you can reach the most relevant and qualified customers. With automated software and tools doing most of the work for you, identifying new customers has never been easier, or more cost-effective. As a result, you waste less money, and your ads generate a higher return on investment (ROI).

In order to make the most of your advertising budget, you first need to lay out your strategy. Set realistic goals and start small. Once you’ve tested your strategies to find what works and what doesn’t, expand to include more types of online marketing strategies.

Here are just a few of the most common advertising strategies:

Content Marketing

Content marketing refers to the creation of "natural content" that helps increase brand awareness. By natural content, we mean any form of shareable media that entices customers to interact with the brand. Types of content can include videos, blog posts, infographics, etc. This online marketing strategy is generally less expensive and is used primarily to grow brand awareness and establish a business as a thought leader in their field.

Display Advertising

Every time you’re on a website and come across a digital display banner, that's display advertising at work. Because display ads tend to be eye-catching, they can help to increase product awareness and generate buzz about your brand. It's easy to create a display ad using Google’s Ad Gallery; here's how to create an image ad in just a few simple steps.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is simply reaching out to your customers via email. You can use emails to promote a limited time sale, share industry updates, promote thought leadership articles, and more. Be sure to only email subscribers who have personally signed up for your list, so that your emails don't get flagged as spam.

Paid Search Advertising or PPC

With PPC, companies use platforms such as Google Ads to promote their brands. You can run search ads to tap into the global market of 3.5 billion searches every day, use display ads to have your ads show up on websites that your consumers frequent, and more.

Learn more about Paid Search Advertising.

Search Engine Optimisation

Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is often referred to as organic marketing and involves the adoption of natural website optimisation best practices to promote your website on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Social Media Marketing

When engaging in social media marketing, companies can use paid and/or unpaid strategies. With the former, brands post interesting and engaging content on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and more. Alternatively, brands may also pay to get their posts seen by a targeted audience.

Online marketing strategies vary based on the type of business and ultimate goal, however, one thing is for certain: Internet marketing is now a necessity. No matter your business type or size, it can help you connect more cost-effectively with your relevant customers. The best part? You don’t need to be an expert to get started. Simply begin by understanding what Internet marketing is, then think about what online marketing strategies best suit your company, and take it from there.