The internet has made it possible for anyone to run a business, especially online, which makes it harder and harder for companies to stand out amongst the competition. There are new and exciting tools made available every day that can have a huge impact on your company’s bottom line, but it can be difficult to keep track of them all. If you’re looking to develop some strong online marketing campaigns, here are some techniques you can try.

1. Giveaways

Giveaways can be a great way to get eyes on your business, but they can also be tricky. Depending on the prize, you may get a lot of people interested in winning something for free but little interest in using your products or services afterwards. On the other hand, giveaways can get people from your ideal demographic to take notice when they otherwise would have passed you by. Giveaway laws differ by location, so make sure you’re keeping track of any important legal information. Using a Google Forms alternative, you can also collect important information from contest entries.

2. Free Items or Services

If you don’t want to run a single giveaway, you can offer a free product or service. This doesn’t have to be big, time consuming, or anything that cuts deeply into your profits. Free samples or consultations can be extremely effective for getting people through your door. You could also offer a short, free ebook that anyone can download simply by providing their email address. The important thing to remember is that whatever you offer must provide value to the customer. In exchange, you’re able to get more information that will be useful in future marketing campaigns, like contact information, and if they like what you have to offer, they may even be ready to buy that same day.

3. Collaborate

There are multiple opportunities for collaboration. Sometimes even collaborating with your competition can be beneficial for both of you. You can pool your resources and your client base to hold an event. Working with those within your industry also gives you the opportunity to swap marketing techniques. When you each utilize your strengths, your customers get the ultimate value, and are more likely to return. You can collaborate with bloggers or influencers who are already reaching your ideal audience. There are several options that can fit different budgets, from a simple post on Instagram showcasing your product or service to a video or story sharing why they love your company so much and why their followers will too. Unboxing videos are wildly popular, and you can easily send boxes to a list of people for maximum reach.

4. Consistency With Your Email List

An email list can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, so long as you use it correctly. If you send too many emails, you’ll wind up in the spam folder. If you don’t send enough, you’ll be drowned out and forgotten amongst all the other marketing mail. There are many techniques for a successful email relationship with your customers, but it’s essential you experiment and discover which works for your list. You may need to hook your readers with a series of onboarding messages, or maybe your audience is only looking for a specific type of sale. Find the balance you need to add value to your messages, and you should see your open and click-through rates go up.

5. Website SEO

This is a basic marketing tip, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is what can help you show up in search results when your customers search for specific terms. The higher you are on the page, the more likely you are to get clicks. All your sales and promotions won’t do much if you can’t get eyes on your site and social media pages. Younger businesses will have a harder time with this, but keep at it. Keep your focus on valuable content, and make sure visiting your website is an enjoyable experience. This means your website should be easy to navigate, include sources and meta descriptions, and it should also load quickly. Having a blog is a good way to drive traffic to your site as well as establish yourself as an expert in your industry. Consistency is key to getting better SEO results over time. In addition to publishing on your site, try getting your work onto authority sites, like Medium, to drive web traffic to your company.

6. Social Media Ads

If hiring a kid to stand outside flipping a cardboard sign around feels a little too old fashioned for you, it may be time to move your focus to social media. Sites like Facebook have access to a wealth of information about your desired demographics, easily allowing you to test different ads. You can easily customize your campaign and switch up your budget when you need to. It can be time consuming to adjust your ads, but once you’re getting the clicks you want, you can easily up your budget and reach more people.

7. Don’t Underestimate Forums

At first glance, this may feel like a waste of time. Why spend time offering your expertise for free? It all comes back to value. What do you have to offer your potential clients, and why should they want it from you? Forums can be a great place to network, but no one wants you to join only to spam the discussion with links to your business. By offering your insights, you further establish yourself as an expert, which will make others more willing to listen to you when you want to talk about your company.

The internet is a big place, so online marketing can be pretty intimidating. When you know what your company has to offer and you find the right spaces to make your offer in, you’ll be well on your way to developing a valuable online presence you can take advantage of for years to come.