Startup Marketing Resources
How to Market Your Business Online
A Study Guide
by Sarah Grissom
The following information is a resource library for small businesses marketing online. This page will explore avenues for using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc., to market your business. You can take multiple paths to market your business, like hiring a marketing firm. However, if you start marketing your business online, this page could be an excellent beginning to learn the ins and outs of setting up accounts, creating marketing strategies, and tracking engagement. While this page explains the first steps to your business's marketing journey, there are alternative ways to market your business that are not listed here. Though these are great resources, we encourage your business to explore other platforms and marketing strategies that may be a better fit because there are a variety of resources online and advising opportunities from local economic development agencies.
In general, marketing experts encourage online marketing to follow the 70/20/10 rule. This rule states that 70 percent of your content should be informative and boost the value of your brand, while 20 percent should be content shared from other sources or platforms, and 10 percent should be ads for your products or services (Rich Gannon, Great Falls Economic Development Authority 2022). This logic is based on the evidence that over-advertising can drive away business.
Shelby Humphreys from Missoula Social Media, a local marketing business, advises business owners to consider three crucial aspects of online marketing: control, time, and money. As a marketer for your business, think about whether you can run your social media marketing accounts independently (time). Suppose you are considering outsourcing your marketing (i.e., hiring a marketing firm). In that case, you need to contemplate how much control you want over your marketing strategy, how much time you must commit to your marketing strategy, and the amount of money you are willing to spend. If you use a marketing firm, you must relinquish some control and money but save yourself time, and if you choose not to use an outside agency, then you must sacrifice your time but maintain complete control and save money (Shelby Humphreys, Missoula Social Media 2023).
Marketing your business on Facebook can amplify your online presence and create more attention around your business. Through Facebook's business page, you can customize your page's design to reflect the value and goals of your business while reaching a broader market. In addition, giving your business an online platform can drive traffic to your website or another hosting service for people to browse your products or services.
Video Resources:
Gauld, Stewart, “How to Create a Facebook Business Page in 2022,” YouTube Video, 14:22, January 7, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trBA7xGgzjk
Facebook Ads are an effective tool that can be low-cost and boost your sales through brand exposure. The video below shows that ads can elevate your brand and help you reach a larger audience based on location, demographic, or subject matter. For example, you can select age groups, genders, and more advanced categories like the interests or behaviors of Facebook users. You can also target specific demographics like parents, people living away from their family, relationship status, etc.
One of Facebook ads' most helpful tools may be its ability to select the range your ads reach. Through Facebook ads, you can choose a location and a location radius that you would like your ads to reach.
For instance, if you live in Lincoln, Montana, you could set a radius of 50 miles so your ads reach other surrounding towns and potential customers. Of course, like other social media services, there is a cost associated with creating and boosting your ads on Facebook, but it is relatively low compared to other marketing services.
Video Resources:
Wilson, Darrel, “Facebook Ads Tutorial 2022: How to Create Facebook Ads for Beginners (Step by Step),” YouTube Video, 1:10:58, April 25, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVq5tmHWx7M
Waling, Jason, “Facebook Ads Tutorial 2022: Quick Start Beginners Guide,” YouTube Video, 19:20, August 9, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB5SPWFqDV4
Like Facebook marketing, Instagram offers business accounts that can legitimize the online presence of your company or business. When you create a business account through Instagram, the title and the type of service or product your business supplies are listed at the top of your page, so customers do not have to dig to figure out what your business does. It is also a good place to put an email or other contact information so customers can contact you directly with inquiries about your business. Instagram also allows you to track how well your ads are being engaged with; Instagram Insights permits users to view the number of people who look at your ads or visit your page so you can start to discern who your target market could be. In addition, they offer insights like where people are from, what demographics are drawn to your page, and how well posts are performing.
Ultimately, utilizing Instagram as a marketing tool can elevate your brand's exposure to a broader market and help you better understand who you should be marketing to and how to make your marketing strategy more effective. However, these features are not free but are affordable, depending on how much you are willing to spend on marketing your business and to what degree.
Video Resources:
Santrel Media, “How to Create an Instagram Business 2022 (Step-By-Step Tutorial): Make Money on Instagram,” YouTube Video, 12:38, July 14, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnAlI8h6ZhA
Platten, Jordan, “Instagram Ads Tutorial 2022: How to Create Instagram Ads forBeginners (Step By Step),” YouTube Video, 21:54, April 19, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGZ3zusNWM
Santrel Media, “Instagram Ads Tutorial 2020 (Step by Step),” YouTube Video, 21:05, January 19, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41hgw9J2vT4
LinkedIn is a social media platform connecting professionals for networking opportunities, sharing career goals, and project updates. They also offer advertising opportunities for small business owners to promote their businesses to their network. Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn requires potential advertisers to place bids on advertising slots and compete in an auction against other potential businesses targeting the same audience.
If your bid is accepted, LinkedIn offers Sponsored content, ads that appear on users' timelines and are usually single images and/or video ads. This is considered the most basic feature for advertising on LinkedIn. Still, there are limits on how often your ad appears on people's timelines (typically, at most, twice in a specific timeframe). This form of advertising can drive traffic to your website. These ads are marked as "promoted" so they can be distinguished from other postings on LinkedIn. This plan's cost depends on how many people click on your ad and pay a fee to the publisher. A review website approximates businesses spending around $5.29 per click on your advertisement. This plan also includes Lead-Generation, which populates a form of the user's information so they can receive more information about your business, products, and services. This is useful for businesses to track potential leads into new or alternative markets to advertise to.
Another option for businesses is Sponsored Messaging (a.k.a. InMail), which allows users to send direct advertisements to people's inboxes on LinkedIn. This marketing method can deliver a sense of familiarity with those you are advertising to based on their interests. In addition, this allows businesses to contact potential customers without additional details such as email addresses. Text ads are also a helpful tool offered by LinkedIn, which pops up at the platform's top or right-hand side and advertises your business. This tool allows businesses to reach a larger audience and can be more affordable than other options offered by LinkedIn.
Dynamic ads are banners or advertisements that generate content for specific users; this feature allows advertisers to use personalized content from users' profiles to market directly to them. This advertising strategy enables users to choose their target audience for a fixed price. LinkedIn's advertising tools are more complicated than Facebook or Instagram but may make sense for your business depending on your desired market and commitment to receiving and tracking engagement. Because prices vary depending on the advertising your business may do, it is essential to overlook the Terms and Conditions of this agreement so you have an estimate of what it will cost you in the long run and whether or not it's worth it to advertise on this platform.
References and Resources:
TRUiC Team. 2022. “LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Review 2022,” How to Start an LLC. May 24, 2022. https://howtostartanllc.com/how-to-build-a-website/linkedin-marketing-services-review
Golob, Leah. 2021. “The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Ads in 2022,” HootSuite Blog. May 11, 2021. https://blog.hootsuite.com/linkedin-ads-guide/
LinkedIn. n.d. “How much do LinkedIn ads cost?,” Business.LinkedIn. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/ads/pricing?src=go-pa&trk=sem-ga_campid=14254516724_asid=123123695502_crid=593572250778_kw=linkedin%20ad%20pricing_d=c_tid=aud-1643091464585:kwd-124606863417_n=g_mt=e_geo=9060556_slid=&mcid=6833116242744877184&cid=&gclid=CjwKCAjwh4ObBhAzEiwAHzZYUyWOpr8hbaFJaEWt-edusKXN3d5HWcIzJ__IXFSBLgGE5suOzV73RxoCm9wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
TikTok
TikTok marketing is more complex than Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn marketing because it is an entertainment platform. This app differentiates itself from other social media platforms because of its fast-paced scrolling content, which relies on short, entertaining, or informative information. This way, business owners can utilize TikTok by creating a meaningful video that shares your business' values and spotlights employees or customers. Researchers have found that the key demographic on TikTok is between the ages of 10 to 25, but that demographic is slowly expanding to include older generations. TikTok is a platform that allows individuals, organizations, and even businesses to market themselves to gain a following and, eventually, track engagement with your brand. The demographics mainly use TikTok are more socially aware than any generation in history because of their connection to the internet. Therefore, businesses that display social consciousness in their mission find more successful marketing their brand on TikTok.
While you can purchase ads on TikTok, many experts find that creating authentic content that highlights your company's processes, relationships, or connection to your community can demonstrate the values of your business and drive sales. Easy-to-make videos are the simplest way to start your TikTok journey. One way this can be done is by creating short videos that explain who you are, what you do, and why you think it's necessary or valuable to your community. Then, you can follow up with videos about your daily processes for creating or running your business to show your audience the behind-the-scenes of your operation and build closer connections with your viewers. Consistently adding content like pictures or videos of customers using your products or how they are created can go a long way when marketing your business through this platform. Additionally, be bold in posting about challenges your business may face; vulnerability and transparency are valued currency on TikTok and can build viewers' trust.
Businesses can track engagement by the amount of "likes" a video receives and put a link to their website in the bio of their account so customers know how to find you. To build a following, the best strategy to gain traction on your TikTok account is to follow businesses and people you follow on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It is also helpful to seek out your competitors and watch what they do to drive their product engagement. Finally, it may be beneficial to look at other businesses that have had success marketing on TikTok and take notes on how they structure their videos and gain traction from viewers. Once you have taken all these steps, it may seem like things are moving slowly. Still, contrary to other platforms that push content, TikTok marketing may require some experimenting by creating several videos for your profile to gain attention.
Overall, TikTok is an emerging platform that has valuable marketing potential. Many businesses and larger companies have successfully driven sales by using TikTok. However, users may not see an increase in engagement or sales for a while after creating your account; it is essential to have patience when engaging with this platform and create reliable content for viewers to consume. Though TikTok may not have the instant gratification that purchasing ads on other platforms might have, it is crucial to recognize the influence that platforms like TikTok have over consumer habits and what you can learn from your viewers as you market your business.
References and Resources:
Humphreys, Shelby. Dipping Your Toes Into TikTok for Business. PDF File. November 3, 2022. https://www.montana.edu/extensionecon/smallbusiness/tiktokresource.pdf
Learn With Shopify, “How to Use TikTok Marketing to Make Your Business Go Viral,”YouTube Video, 21:04, July 6, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMSDbQtcoQ
Later: All-in-One Social Media Management Tool, “How to Use TikTok Ads to Promote Your Small Business,” YouTube Video, 16:47, December 9, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni3UXxU6LSg
Conclusion
Marketing your business online can be daunting for newcomers to online platforms and small businesses. Many experts encourage authenticity and storytelling as crucial assets to attracting customers to your brand. As discussed in the TikTok portion of this webpage, learning who your customer base is and their values can advise you on how to gain their trust and attention by leaning into their values and interests. Social media expert Shelby Humphreys emphasized understanding the demographics interested in your products or services. For example, younger generations seem drawn to social justice causes, while older generations may view these topics as too controversial and prefer lighter content. Humphreys also advocates for business owners to feel free to lean into having fun with your content and not be scared to be yourself and display your values and interests. Building a rapport with your audience can get potential customers personally invested in your story as a business owner. However, if you are uncomfortable sharing aspects of your life or values, simply promoting success stories and demonstrating how your products or services are made or delivered can be engaging content for your customers. All this being said, there are multiple avenues to market your business; you can choose to use a straightforward marketing strategy that focuses solely on your products and services or lean into a more storytelling role to build a relationship with your audience and not be afraid to be yourself.
Additional Resources:
Gannon, Rich. "Digital Marketing Quick Tips." Great Falls Development Authority, December 16, 2022.
Contributors:
Rich Gannon is an SBDC Rural Business Advisor at Great Falls Development Authority and provides coaching and training for established and early-stage entrepreneurs. He works with entrepreneurs in Fergus, Cascade, Glacier, Judith Basin, Pondera, Teton, and Toole counties.
https://growgreatfallsmontana.org/
Shelby is a native Missoulian who loves to connect people and ideas. As owner of Missoula Social Media, she comes with 10+ years of marketing experience. Shelby enjoys supporting Missoula's small businesses in the digital realm, so they can focus on what they do best.
Our Funding:
Program Funded Through the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), University Center Program following a successful application in response to their 2018 NOFO.
The University Center (UC) program is specifically designed to marshal the resource located within colleges and universities to support regional economic development strategies in regions of chronic and acute economic distress. As the EDA notes, "Institutions of higher education have extensive resource, including specialized research, outreach, technology transfer, and commercialization capabilities, as well as recognized faculty expertise and sophisticated laboratories.