Businesses need an online presence to make the most money out of their products and services. Building this presence requires using technology and social media. Using technology and social media requires someone who knows how to use these things.
And that’s where the problems start.
Often, small business owners or company executives decide to create company social accounts and hire a few interns to manage them.
This strategy can work just fine, but there is one crucial element that sometimes gets skipped: Leaders still need to understand the technology, even if they aren’t the ones using it each day.
It doesn’t matter if you’re young, middle aged or a senior citizen, anyone can learn how to master Internet marketing.
The Flawed Logic in Relying Solely on Interns for Internet Marketing
“But, that’s why we hired the interns,” you may be thinking. “So I could focus on the business.”
Getting the most out of your Internet marketing efforts is a part of the business. It requires a specific strategy, something that should come from a leader, not an intern.
Your company website, social media accounts, blog posts, media buys and paid and organic search efforts should all connect to your company’s mission and goals.
As a Millennial, I have seen many friends and peers get hired into internships or entry-level jobs working on social media for a company only to find out there was no real strategy behind it. So they’d send out a few posts or tweets, get some likes and retweets and maybe get a few extra visitors to the company’s website.
But then what? What does the customer do after liking your post and clicking on your website? Furthermore, is that person even in your target audience, or did they just like the post because it contained a cute cat video and a “Happy Friday!” message?
Without strategy, your efforts may not live up to their full potential.
To Create the Strategy, Educate Yourself
Even if you have a great marketing team on-staff, you should still understand enough about Internet marketing to be able to contribute to the strategy. Without understanding the basic principles, you may not be able to even recognize the difference between a sound strategy and a poor one.
There are Internet marketing programs available online that can help you learn the basics. You can take a certification program or have your whole Internet marketing team learn together.
You also can utilize the people you already have by hosting lunch-and-learn meetings where different team members give presentations teaching the rest of the team how to use a new social platform or create a content marketing strategy.
There are enough resources available to help you, so there’s no excuse to stay uninformed.
Don’t Let the Whippersnappers Have All the Fun
We live in a world where people are always connected, looking to technology for advice on what to do, where to go and what to buy. You want your business to be there when people are looking to spend some money.
Don’t let the college students have all the fun! Get involved with your company’s Internet marketing efforts.
Erin Palmer is a writer and editor who knows how fun and rewarding Internet marketing can be. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including The Chicago Tribune and The Huffington Post.
Please Leave A Comment
Related posts:
Using Social Media Technology for Marketing
Growing Use of Tablets Leads to New Emphasis on Digital Marketing Skills
7 Habits of Highly Successful People in Online Marketing
Strides in Quantum Internet Technology Promise New Internet Security
Content Marketing Success: First, Build Your Audience, then Monetize