Embrace internet marketing today

With 7 million internet users, 4 million Facebook profiles, 10 million people on MXit and being the 10th largest country group on LinkedIn, South Africa is no longer an internet backwater; it’s become a force to be reckoned with. Every aspect of South African online usage has dramatically increased over the last year, as growing awareness and the arrival of Seacom made the internet an important and accessible business tool.

As consumers become web literate, businesses must keep up with online trends. Today, every business is expected to have a web presence of some kind – whether a website, social networking profile or even an online directory listing. If your business doesn’t come up in web search results, it is practically invisible to 7 million of South Africa’s most affluent and connected customers.

Here are just a few benefits of marketing your business online:

·         Online marketing is an affordable way to reach a vast audience – approaches are completely scalable.

·         You can tailor your message to individual consumers, making the interaction more personal and relevant to them.

·         You can measure your results directly and accurately, giving you essential data on your ROI and on how customers feel about your brand.

·         Anything can be changed on the fly, meaning that mistakes are easy to fix and problem areas are quick to improve.

·         Versatile tools – from email to Facebook – can help you achieve any marketing goals you can think of, from sending out promotions to building deep brand loyalty.

Online marketing is a very nuanced and unique field, and many classic marketing approaches break down on the web. Online marketing is about building a community, creating real value to customers and giving them the freedom to explore and interact with the brand – things that are unheard of in traditional marketing. Therefore, it is imperative for marketing professionals to learn the specific skills of marketing online, to avoid alienating their customers or appearing out of touch. On top of that, it is important to stay up to date with the ever-changing online landscape; new trends, websites and marketing possibilities appear every day. There are many valuable resources online, but you must first learn the practical skills to use them efficiently and effectively.

There is an overwhelming need for professional internet marketing skills training in South Africa. GetSmarter, in recognising this need, has launched an online marketing course in partnership with the University of Cape Town. The UCT Internet Marketing course teaches everything from creating your own website and sending an email newsletter, to dealing with social media, measuring analytics and building mobile campaigns. It has been so successful that it has even been transformed into a textbook for current UCT marketing students. The course focuses on instilling practical skills, good online practices and, above all, the ability to grow your own skills and adapt to trends in the future. Without a solid, professional grounding in internet marketing skills, you run the risk of being invisible online – or, worse, harming your brand’s image.

Call Emma on 021 447 7565 or visit http://www.getsmarter.co.za/ for more information about the course.