What Do People Want Online?

If you’re setting out to develop your online marketing and communications strategy you should ask yourself an important question: What do people want online?

There’s no point filling a website, blog or twitter account with endless sparkly online content unless you actually know what your audience is looking for.

Understanding Consumer’s Motives for Being Online

One of the most significant reasons for web-usage is that people get online because they want to accomplish something. They are goal-orientated in the sense that they want:

• information
• help
• ideas
• inspiration
• examples
• entertainment

and so on.

Creating online content that addresses the needs of your target customers?

I personally think a blog is the first place to build if you’re a small business beginning to explore what you can achieve with online content marketing; it’s easier to build a platform where you can deliver helpful, meaningful content that builds a better presence in search engines. Via your blog you can share:
video tutorials

• audio help
• Ebooks
• PDF files
• templates
• CMS themes
• help and advice
• entertaining and engaging content.

If a blog feels like too difficult to manage, another possibility would be a Facebook Page. This is also a great way of sharing online pillar content because it allows you to upload for your “fans” (or Like-ers as they now seem to be).

Twitter is great as part of your overall marketing and communications strategy if you’re looking to make connections and drive traffic to a blog; however, I wouldn’t really recommend this as a first port of call. Twitter is great for answering questions one-to-one, giving help or sharing links back to your pillar online content on your website or blog. But be careful with over-linking to your site it because you don’t want to just come across as promoting your own stuff. Share other useful content so you come to be seen as a curator of excellent information within your field.

Beware of Interruptive Marketing

I’d be wary of implementing an online marketing strategy that views the web as a field for advertising messages. The web isn’t about tricking users into grabbing their attention for your products or services. And it’s certainly not about bombarding them with your messages once you’ve got a bit traffic.

Takeaways

So remember: people want to accomplish something online. They don’t just get on the Net for adverts.

Make sure your business online is providing straightforward help and information in a tone that doesn’t smack of marketing spin. That way your online content will go a long way to positioning you as a trustworthy source and potential service provider people can trust.

Your Turn

What else do small businesses exploring the possibilities of online content marketing need to be wary of ? Do you think a blog is the right place to start?