Don’t you think it’s the sheer negligence of companies that spend millions of dollars just to be seen by the people, who’s response and interest in your product is not even guaranteed? Do you ever wish they could be a magical medium that could introduce your company to the people who are interested in your products rather than blind shooting pamphlets and posters to random people? If yes, Search Engine Marketing is what you need.

It basically involves advertising your brand on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. The major benefit of this is that it gives you instant results. You also needn’t search your target audience; they approach you if they need your product. The cherry on the cake is that you pay only when somebody clicks on your ad. You will also have complete data and insights about your campaign, so you can improve it. However, this type of marketing, unless done with extreme care can eat away your budget. Hence, it must be done after consulting a panel of experts.

The second most popular search engine is YouTube.  Only India, has around 265 million users. It has the power to make someone or something an overnight success. The advertisements aired on this site promote the goodwill of the company and an interest in the greater good. They promote themselves and try to portray that they fulfill their social corporate responsibility. As a result, their consumers trust them and there is decreased opposition. The more powerful and innovative ad films are, the more customers they attract. However, most startups do not opt for this as the cost and requirements of shooting for ad films require huge budgets and considerable manpower.

A classic example of a favorable outcome of ad films on YouTube is that of Coca-Cola. Within a span of 125 years, Coca-Cola has not only carved out its place in the industry but also remained to sustain its numero-uno position. It does not sell its products directly. Instead, Coke aims to sell consumers the experience and lifestyle associated with its brand. Therefore, it remains an industry leader both in sales and marketing.

When I hear the word “viral”, the first thing to come into my mind is Dhinchak Pooja 😉. Another such example is the wink-girl. But in a more white-collar setting, Blendtec and The Dollar Shave Club are also good examples of viral marketing success. A brand-named Squat Potty became successful and generated $7 Mn in revenue with their viral videos.

But to create that online buzz, a company needs fresh ideas, out-of-the-box concepts, and lateral thinking. Those ideas should be worked upon and refined until something fruitful is yielded. What is necessary is you create content (articles, explainer videos, etc.) from a unique angle and should have a strong marketing plan to promote it. This can generate massive traffic and sales thereby, increasing your revenues tremendously.

However, the communication is successful only if the right message is sent to the right audience through the right medium. It makes no sense that you advertise old-age requirements on Facebook or Makeup in financial newspapers. This is the reason why Lamborghini does not advertise its cars on Television. Your choice of a marketing campaign should be therefore covered in all angles.