All You Need to Know about Robotics

All You Need to Know about Robotics

Robotics springs from the root word, ‘robot’. A robot is basically a machine that resembles a human being and is able to copy some or all of human movements. A robot may function automatically or semi-automatically.

Now that you know what a robot is, the next question is ‘what is Robotics?’

Robotics is defined as a branch of engineering that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots.

You may wonder why anyone would sit and write a whole article on robots or robotics. Well, if you aren’t already aware, perhaps it’s time you take some time out to read this article and get enlightened as to the uses and application of robotics in a world that is in a rapid state of technological evolution.

In search of growth and survival, man has developed so many things employing different techniques across history. And one of those techniques is the application of robots to make life easier and safer.

Yes, contrary to the movie ‘the terminator’, robots are actually quite safe and save man from hazardous tasks.

In this article, you will learn about the various applications of robotics that help man achieve higher efficiency.

The History of Robots

The early conception of robots can be traced back all the way to 3000BC when Egyptian water clocks used human figurines to strick the clock bells whenever an hour passes. There are other instances across the face of history where genius men made very good attempts at creating autonomous beings.

In the first century A.D., a man named Petronius Arbiter made a human figurine that could move like a human being. Another man by the name of Giovanni Torriani created a wooden robot that could fetch the Emperor’s daily bread from the store in 1557! By far this is my personal favourite. I mean, can you begin to imagine how much of a visionary this man was to be able to conjure up something like this way back in 1557?

Robotics reached a relative peak in the 1700s; countless ingenious robots were created during this time period. 

In the 19th century, a talking doll by Edison and a steam-powered robot by Canadians planted the first seeds of inspiration for the modern robot and it is safe to say that the advancement in the field of robotics has taken an astronomical leap in the 20th century.

Types of Robots

Generally speaking, there are 5 types of robots:

1. Preprogrammed Robots

These types of robots operate in a controlled facility where they perform simple, monotonous tasks. A simple example is the robotic arms found in car assembly lines. The arm performs the simple functions of welding, engines assembly, and so on.

These arms are used because they can perform these tasks faster and for longer periods of time.

2. Humanoid Robots

These robots, as the name implies, are robots that are designed to look like humans and mimic simple to complex human emotion and behaviour. Humanoid robots can also perform human activities like running, jumping, and carrying objects of varying sizes, even handling delicate goods like glass and eggs.

See Sophia by Hanson Robotics and Atlas by Boston Dynamics.

3. Autonomous Robots

A prime example of an autonomous robot is the Roomba vacuum cleaner, which uses sensors to roam freely throughout a home.

Autonomous robots are unique in the sense that they do not require human supervision to operate. They utilize sensors to take in the world around them and then use fast computers to take the optimal next step based on their data and mission.

4. Teleoperated Robots

Teleoperated robots use a wireless network to enable human control from a safe distance. These robots usually work in extreme geographical conditions, weather, circumstances, etc. An example is the human-controlled submarine bots that are employed to fix broken underwater pipes or landmine-seeking drones deployed on battled fields.

5. Augmenting Robots

These robots serve the purposes of enhancing the human base abilities or replacing capabilities lost by a human. An example of the former is the exosuits used for lifting heavyweights. These suits enhance the base power level of the wearer and gift them with the ability to lift weights that are otherwise impossible for them to lift.

An example of the latter is prosthetic body parts that are used to replace those that are lost.

8 Applications of Robotics

1. Robots in Factories!

Robots can be found everywhere in factories these days, and it's not very hard to see why.

Yes, that’s right. Robots can be found everywhere in factories these days, and it’s not very hard to see why. There is a lot of repetitive action in manufacturing industries, actions such as welding, sealing, packaging, and a lot more. The human mind is prone to distraction, and with distraction comes errors.

Some errors are without heavy risks, as the worst-case scenario might be the loss of a product or a reduction in product quality while other errors are quite costly and could claim lives or body parts. But when you have robots doing these tasks, you do not have to worry about loss of life or product quality reduction. Why? Robots don’t get tired or distracted, also, they don’t die since they aren’t alive in the first place.

This is a win-win situation no matter how you look at it. In fact, it is a win-win-win situation because robots are a lot faster than humans. So, you not only get safety and accuracy but tremendous speed too.

Having these three factors present in any manufacturing industry means that output is maximized.

2. Robots in Farm Fields!

Robots can now be used to enhance farming activities

Have you ever worked on a farm before? If you haven’t then perhaps you could ask someone who has about their experience on the physical effort exerted to maintain production. If you have worked on a farm, and you still do, this will certainly come as a relief for you.

There are many recycled tasks in farming that are both energy and time-consuming. These tasks can be performed more suitable by robots thereby saving both time and energy. These tasks may include seeding, weed control, harvesting, etc. Robots are usually used for harvesting crops which allow farmers to be more efficient. There are different robots for different farming activities and such an example is the Ecorobotix. It is powered by solar energy and can be used to target and spray weeds using a camera system.

3. Robots Doing Household Chores

what is robotics

Robots are specifically designed to reduce human efforts. With the rapid advancement in technology generally, we have seen improved sophistication in machines. Robots are now capable to carry out simple and complex human chores at home. There are a lot of fully automated devices nowadays that provide such convenience at home. We have cooking bots, lawn-mower bots, and the most famous being vacuum bots.

Related: 20 Gadgets That Will Make Your Life Easier

These robots are fitted with what is called artificial intelligence that enables them to partake in machine learning. That way, they are able to develop the capacity to study the nature of their tasks and perform them ever more efficiently.

4. Application of Robotics in the Field of Medicine

The application of robotics has stretched to the medical field

Robotics can also be applied in the field of medicine. With their accuracy and efficiency, robots can a great tool for doctors to have in their hospitals. Robotic equipment being used in a hospital provides a better 3D view. An added advantage is that robots are able to use surgical tools a lot better than human hands. In this day and age, surgeries are increasingly being done by robots specifically designed for such purposes. One good reason is that machines are less disposed to making errors such as slipping of surgical blades from blood-slicked hands.

Another glorious point to mark out is the advent of prosthetics. Utterly damaged limbs that cannot be fixed through surgical means be replaced using artificial limbs created through the field of robotics.

5. Application of Robotics in the Military

Robots are used for combat where humans deem it too dangerous

In most first-world countries, robots are employed in the department of defence. They are used to control the missiles, locate snipers, survey enemy territory using disposable drones and so much more.

Surveillance bots are the most commonly used robots used in the military. They are flexible, robust, and disposable. The cameras are equipped with picks-up thermal signatures and are also fitted with a facial recognition system.

6. Robots Delivering My Products?

The field of robotics is used to deliver products

A robot delivering light goods and services is no longer a thing of fiction. Although there are still a lot of kinks to iron out, online shopping giants such as Amazon are not wasting any time utilizing this piece of technology to improve service quality. Drones are now being employed to deliver lightweight goods and services to consumers.

The advantage is that heavily populated cities with terrible traffic are longer a hindrance seeing as drones do not exactly follow traffic. This results in faster delivery speeds.

7. Automated Transportation

Tesla automated cars is one of the applications of robotics

Automated transportation is another application for robotics. With the development of autonomous self-driving cars like the one from Google and Tesla, there is a significant reduction in danger to the lives of people. To clear up a simple misconception, self-driving robots are not robots that drive cars like chauffeurs or you and I; they are simple cars that are fitted with artificial intelligence that enables them to move according to very accurate calculations carried out by the software.

Related: What the Metaverse Is and Why It Matters to You

8. Robots in Class Rooms!

Robots are now used to teach students in the classrooms

A lot of students suffer from different diseases that stop them from physically attending classes. So, a group of top engineers came up with the idea to use robots as some sort of proxy for the student. The robot is being remotely controlled by the student from his/her sickbed. The eyes of the robots serve as cameras while the limbs are there to aid in communication gestures. The whole essence of this is to create a feeling of closeness between the student and the classroom.

Will Robots Displace The Human Workforce?

This is a very valid question. In the early 20th century, horses were the main means of transportation and were beast largely used on farmlands. Horse employment seemed pretty much indispensable. 50 years later, cars and tractors made short work of these beasts. Do you see where I’m going with this?

While Humans are a thousand times smarter and more adaptable than horses, it is indeed valid to worry about being replaced by robots. As these machines become more nimble, more intelligent, the human race seems more vulnerable. You will be astonished at the feats achieved by modern artificial intelligence. So, this begs the question, “Will robots become smart enough to do away with the human workforce?” Well, yes and no.

As things stand, robots on their own do not have that capability, but if you look at the rate at which we become increasingly dependent on them, and the rate at which you find them in more sectors of human life with each passing year, it is indeed not farfetched.

According to Economist.com, A new working paper concludes that, between 1990 and 2007, each industrial robot added per thousand workers reduced employment in America by nearly six workers.

Conclusion

It is safe to say that there is a major shift in paradigm regarding the way things are being done, and the level of influence technology has in our lives. What used to be a thing of fiction, only seen in movies and cartoons is now very real; in fact, we have interacted with it at some point in time.

The introduction of robots into our daily activities has indeed made life easier and more convenient, and with time, robots will cover even more parts of our lives. Do not be alarmed, but robots are taking over!

Best Ways to Get Free Publicity for Your Business

Best Ways to Get Free Publicity for Your Business

For any business to succeed, regardless of its scale, it needs publicity. Publicity is the most effective tool in bringing your business to the awareness of the public. The more people are aware of your products, the higher your chances of selling the said products. No matter the type of business you’re in, there is always an angle in publicity that you can capitalize on.

Do you want to know what’s better than publicity? Free Publicity! In this article, you will learn about the best ways to get free publicity for your business.

9 Best Ways to Get Free Publicity for Your Business

1. Have Good and Efficient Services

They say that the best free publicity you can get for your business is your customers’ referrals. When you sell top-quality products or provide top-notch services, your customers are sure to spread the word. Be it through social media or privately, one thing you can count on is that your business will develop some clout in no time. Put in the work and let your products do the talking for you.

2. Publicize on Social Media

Social media these days is so much more than a Hotspot for gossip. It is a compelling tool for those that know how to utilize it. You have to be creative enough to post your products and services on social media channels. Nearly everyone is on one social media and sure enough, a word about your business will spread.

Take Facebook for example. Facebook has roughly about 2.9 billion active users. All you need to do is create a page about your business and keep posting. If Facebook isn’t your thing, you have Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Whatsapp Business at your disposal.

You can learn how to market your business online.

3. Use Coupons, Discounts, Promos, Freebies or Giveaways

One of the quickest ways to get the attention of the masses is to offer free products. For you to gather enough clout, you’ll need to use your social media. Make posts about giveaways. Before long, people will start talking, and of course, that’s what you want.

For instance, go on Twitter and organize a little fun competition with your product as the prize for whoever wins.

It’s Twitter, done correctly, it’ll blow up overnight.

4. Create a Website for Your Products and/or Services

Another way of getting free publicity for your business is by having a website dedicated to it. By doing so, you have successfully brought your business online.

Next is to use your social media channels to share links to your website so people all around can see what you have to offer. The more people visit your website, the higher the chances of getting customers interested in your products and services.

Another thing you have to be aware of is SEO. SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. If you utilize this properly, you’ll generate a good amount of traffic. The higher the traffic, the higher the number of audiences.

5. Publish Customer Reviews on Your Website

They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Well, posting good reviews on your website is certainly good publicity.

Publishing customer reviews will help you get free publicity as potential customers read these reviews, and it reassures them about the quality of your products or services.

When they buy your product or service and enjoy it, they will in turn give you a good review and refer you to others.

6. Engage in Local Charity Events

Local charity events are another excellent way of generating free publicity for your business. Imagine a scenario where you partake in a local charity wearing a shirt advertising your business, maybe even go as far as providing free products.

This will not only improve your standing with the community, but it’ll also raise awareness to the general masses about your business.

7. Utilize Video Marketing

Video Marketing is designed to increase audience interaction through social activity around the video. It is a very effective tool in getting free publicity for your business.

In fact, 61% of marketers view this type of marketing as “very important”.

Some types of Video Marketing that could help boost your ratings and help you gain free publicity include;

Educational Videos

This video as the name implies helps to enlighten the customers about something new. The effect this has goes beyond free publicity. It builds trust between you and your customers as it portrays you as someone who is an expert in your field.

Tutorial Videos

I bet you’ve seen a ton of tutorial videos on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. A tutorial video is a great way to show off your products and bands while showing them how to go about using them.

Product Launch Videos

You can choose to make product launch videos when launching your new products. The video helps to create hype and get people talking.

Here, you have to enlighten people about why they should buy your products. Make it look as if it’s the most natural and common-sense thing to do. Customers love a confident seller.

Whether it’s a YouTube video with numerous views or a creative video on Twitter with hundreds or thousands of retweets, a viral video guarantees your business publicity a massive boost. Time to strap on that director’s cap and go “lights, camera, action!”.

8. Write Articles About Your business

Another strategy employed for getting free publicity is by writing articles. Write a great article about your products and services. Highlight all the strong points about your product, what makes it unique, and why people should buy it.

Ensure your article isn’t too wordy or boring. The aim is to capture the attention of the readers, not to make them fall asleep. Write a good article and drop the link on your business’s social media pages and website for people to access it.

9. Get Featured by Popular Users or Platforms

Another fantastic way of getting free publicity for your business is getting featured. Whether you own a corporation or small business, or solo practice, what you want is to stand out against the competition as the better option.

What makes your business different could be your ticket to ‘clout-dom’, a unique aspect of your service, or a novel product.

You may have friends that have huge social media accounts. Ask them to feature your products there once in a while. There are a couple of Instagram and Twitter handles to feature entrepreneurs based on how hot their products are. So, start taking Instagram-worthy pictures and get to posting. You never know, you might be one picture away from getting featured on a large platform.

Conclusion

The idea of free publicity for business is often brushed off because it’s criminal to even think good things come for free. The reality is, a lot of good things out there are free and these tips are a great example of that.

With these free ideas, you would be able to get publicity without spending a single kobo for it.

It is advisable to try all of them, and enjoy a good amount of traffic while you grow your brand.

For more help on how to grow your business into a successful venture, check out Northpad Nigeria for business and finance articles.

I hope you find this piece worthwhile. If you do, kindly leave a comment in the comments section below. Thank you.

Why 90% of Startups Fail and What to Do About It

Why 90% of Startups Fail and What to Do About It

A lot of people these days are drawn to business for numerous reasons. Everyone wants financial freedom, having to call the shots yourself without being answerable to anybody. A business offers you that and so much more. Over the years, the numbers of individuals going into businesses have actually increased, but have you ever wondered about the success rates of all these startup businesses? It is quite disquieting to learn that a whopping 90% of startups fail. A study carried out back in 2019 discovered that 9 out of 10 startup businesses fail.

The numbers are scary, aren’t they? In this article, you’ll get to learn why nearly a hundred per cent of startup businesses fail and what to do about it.

Why 90% of Startups Fail

1. Inadequate Creativity

One of the reasons why 90% of startup businesses fail is due to a lack of creativity. Business is a combination of science and art if we’re being frank. Creativity is crucial to the success of any business. An entrepreneur needs to be creative enough to bring fresh and bright ideas to market their products and services in such a way that customers are drawn to them.

Wanting to go into business and having the capital to finance it isn’t enough, you need innovation in order to stay ahead of the curve. There are so many business ideas out there. This makes the competition pretty stiff. Jumping head-first into the business sector without a solid blueprint is just another recipe for disaster.

The solution to this is not to rush head-first into anything. Take your time. Think of ways to make your products and services unique. Come up with something new and fresh. Customers love new products, fun products, products that scream innovation.

2. Insufficient Research

Another reason why 90% of new businesses fail is insufficient knowledge backing them. For a startup business to be successful, proper and adequate research must be carried out regarding the products and market availability. This is one of the first things you need to know as an entrepreneur.

What is the general public in need of right now? Is the market readily available for me?

How much would it cost to finance this business?

What is the competition like and how can I stay ahead?

How do I generate clout for my business?

You need to ask yourself these questions and set out to find the solutions to these problems.

Check out these steps to help you make proper market research for starting up a business

3. Trying to Create the Perfect Product Right from the Get-Go

The problem with trying to create the perfect product at an early stage is that, regardless of all the hours put into research, you might still come up short in a real-world application. What you need isn’t a perfect product from the start, what you need is MVP.

No, not the most valuable player but Minimum Viable Product.

Minimum Viable Product refers to any version of a commodity that has enough features to be usable by early-stage consumers who can critique and provide feedback for the further development of said commodity. This is a very useful technique in the sense that by the time the product is fully developed, it will be something that customers really want for the reason that it was developed according to their taste.

Customer satisfaction is always a top priority for any business, and what better way is there to satisfy customers than to give them exactly what they want?

4. Lack of Desire and Passion for the Business

This is something that you should truly focus on a mental level. Let’s face it; the majority of people go into various businesses in order to make money. But if money is your only motivation, then it’s safe to say that your startup is bound to fail.

You need the desire and passion to seek to make a difference in the market with your goods and services. The need to make a difference will invariably fuel your innovation and push you to do more, to be more. Success doesn’t come without desire and perseverance.

A solid reason why 90% of startups fail is that entrepreneurs give up easily once they hit a bump in the road. Those who desire success dig in deep and find innovative ways to bypass their challenges, and in so doing, they open doors of opportunities for themselves.

Passion is one of the best qualities of an entrepreneureur, and if you lack it. Well…

5. Building a Business with the Wrong Team

As your business grows, you will need to keep up with the pace by hiring a team. It could be just one person or more, regardless, the type of people you hire will have an impact on your business. You do not hire an engineer to do the work of a doctor.

To avoid falling into the 90% statistic of failed startups, take your time and search around for the best people to help build your business to the level you want. We all need some help at some point in time, so why not get the best possible help for your business?

6. Inability to Adapt to Changes in the Industry

Another reason why 90% of startups fail is their inability to adapt. In order to be among the 10% who see their startup businesses thrive, you must be able to adapt to situations.

A market can be a turbulent place as things are in constant motion. Being able to adapt to these changes, even going as far as making those changes work in your favour is a priceless skill. With it, you will not only have the upper hand in dealing with competitors, but you will also have longevity in the business.

You must be able to see these changes and act accordingly in ways that will see you succeed.

90% of startup businesses fail because the business owners are unable to adapt.

7. Funding Issues

Another top reason why 90% of startups fail is largely due to funding; overfunding or underfunding. Underfunding occurs primarily due to insufficient research by the entrepreneur. When you venture into a business underestimating the cost to run that business, it will inevitably crash.

You might raise an eyebrow at how overfunding could make your startup fail. I mean, isn’t lots of money good? You may be right but not entirely. Overfunding for startups is a double-edged sword. When there are excess funds for a startup, it speeds up development and the business expands rapidly.

That sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, here comes the tricky part; when a startup business expands at that speed, it gives rise to more expenses in hiring personnel, product development, and marketing. The warning light illuminates when revenue can’t keep up with the massive expenses; this is what experts call a negative operating cash flow.

Conclusion

A startup may fail due to any of the reasons mentioned above. A problem known is half solved, isn’t it? If you are just starting a new business, you will do well to read this article carefully and avoid the mistakes that lead 90% of startup businesses to failure.

This article was written to help be part of the 10% that succeed.

8 Best Ways to Sell Your Products Online In Nigeria

8 Best Ways to Sell Your Products Online In Nigeria

Social Media provides targeting capability, as well as reach and scale, at a lower cost than almost all other marketing channels. This makes it the best way to market your products online. People are on social media all day, every day. Every business owner, who can get customers who will buy his products regularly, is what makes his work complete which makes online marketing the best way to sell your products.

The best ways to market your business online may include ways like;

How to Sell Your Products Online

1. Selecting an Online Platform for Your Sales Is One Beneficial Way to Market Your Products Online

Selecting an online platform that works for your business is one way to market your products online. There are many social media platforms and websites which are on the internet but finding the one online platform which works for you is a sure way to market online.

Finding the best platform for your business is essential. This is because that’s where your money is and also where you get your customers. So, finding a platform that works effectively for you is a good way to market your products online.

2. Sending Free Samples to Influencers Is A Good Way to Market Your Business Online

In Nigeria, the internet is packed with social media influencers, influential bloggers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and even vloggers from a wide range of industries and niches. So, being in contact with these people is also a sure way to build and sell your products online.

Contacting social media influencers with a good amount of audience is a way to market online. This is because, with their high amount of followers, you can get a good amount of audience. More so, people who are interested in your products can contact you to do business with them.

3. Network on Social Media Groups

Online discussion forums and social media groups are great places to share industry tips and advice, answer questions, and acquire a customer or two.

You can use Google or Facebook to find active forums and groups that directly relate to your niche. When posting, ensure you are not breaking any rules when you promote your brand or products.

4. Experimenting With Google Ads Is Also a Good Way to Market Your Product Online

Google Ads is Google’s hugely popular pay-per-click advertising network that allows online retailers or small businesses to place advertisements on nearly every Google search results page, YouTube video, and partner website.

The beauty of Google Ads lies in its speed and massive reach. Because a lot of people use Google every minute of the day, it is a good way and platform to sell your products and reach a large targeted audience.

5. Have a Good Customer Service

This cannot be stressed enough. The key to having good sales especially online is having a good diplomatic and polite conversation with your customers.

A lot of small businesses keep wondering why their business is not booming and making sales. Well, the answer to that is your customer service. If you want to sell your products online especially in Nigeria, you have to have good communication skills and your customer service should be top-notch. Learn to build a loyal and healthy relationship with customers for future patronage and referrals.

6. Selling the Benefits Not the Feature of Your Product Is another Way to Market Your Products Online

Paint a beneficial picture of your products to your consumers. A lot of upcoming entrepreneurs fall into this category, not knowing the benefits of their products. Most just post without knowing what their marketing is all about.

Small business owners fail to realize and understand that people usually research products before purchasing those products. All they need from you is a tangible reason to buy that product from you, which is where selling the benefits of that product comes in. Do not sell what your customers already know rather, dive deeper into your products and find benefits of that products and find ways it helps solve consumers’ problems.

7. Share the Load with Affiliate Marketers

Affiliate Marketing is a type of marketing where there is a party who gets his profit by helping companies market their products to a larger audience. These affiliate marketers do not have to have a huge fan base or followers on all social media, they know the products and who to sell them to.

So, another good way to sell your products online is by sending some of your products to an affiliate marketer who knows what he or she is doing. This is another way to sell your products online for free because most at times, these affiliate marketers add their profit on the prices of the goods and they are paid instantly after you get your customers.

8. Sell a Wide Range of Products

How will you know what moves best if you do not give your customers variety? Having a wide range of products will give you a better edge out there, plus, you give the impression that you are the go-to person for all your customer needs.

Having varieties of products is very essential if you want to sell well online. Be limitless, but do not overdo it.

Conclusion

It will be sad to know that you wasted all your funds and data on digital marketing just to come out unproductive. This is when giving up becomes quite understandable.

But then, with some of the points above, you will be sure to gain a good audience online. You could also get a good amount of profit with these best ways to market your products online in Nigeria and also out of Nigeria.

This is the Correct Ways to Market Your Business Online

This is the Correct Ways to Market Your Business Online

It’s an online world and one amazing thing about it is the worldwide reach, everything is accessible to anyone just at the click of the mouse or the tap on your screen. In addition, it can create huge social networks in minutes and put you in touch with thousands of people in a fraction of a second. Every entrepreneur needs visibility and a reach to their target audience, online marketing does that well. There are two ways- spending a lot of time or a lot of money. Most people have access to the former, which is why I am going to share tips on how to market your business online without breaking a bank.

5 Ways to Market Your Business Online

1. Blogging

This started as a diary-style entry but lately, it has been incorporated into websites for many businesses.

It involves creating a blog or website with the intent of depositing writing, designs, and other media by self-publishing.

An entrepreneur that wants to get visibility for their business online should create a blog and follow through with it. However, it does not matter how small your business is, blogging helps build trust and establish clout in your industry. So long as your content is valuable and has expert information, your potential customers get to see the knowledge you have gained in your field.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is the act of sending a commercial message, typically to a group of people, using email.

More so, in its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. It involves using email to send advertisements, request business, or solicit sales or donations.

How does this help your business?

It helps you reach your customers in real-time as potential customers engage emails nowadays. In addition, it allows targeted messaging and it is free (except you want some premium packages.

Mailchimp and sendinblue are good bulk emailing channels that can be used to market your business online.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media is becoming more popular for researchers and practitioners.

Let’s check a definition – Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to promote a product or service.

Furthermore, there are lots of ways for social media marketing to be effective. YouTube is a place to upload tutorials or videos of your product and services, Instagram is a platform to build your niche and lots more.

Social media is more than a platform to socialize now, it’s a place to make money too. Network while socializing and build your niche and your target audience will find you.

4. Search Engine Optimization

Every business owner that is interested in visibility (which I know you are) should know about SEO.

What does this mean and how does it market your brand and content?

This is a good question. SEO involves multiple strategies, actions, and best practices, all of which have the end goal of improving your website’s position and ranking in search engines – which is why it’s called “Search Engine Optimization”.

I mentioned earlier how most business owners have a lot of time to spare relative to a lot of money. SEO involves your time and learning the tactics and step-by-step ways of optimizing search engines.

It builds reach and qualified traffic without directly paying for it. This is one important “how” to market your business online.

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing isn’t about blogs, articles, and maybe social media, it is much more than that. More so, it is the format of your business content, a long-term strategy that uses content to create and build a strong relationship with your audience, improve engagement, branding and hone their attention.

This is a sure bet to getting returns from marketing your business online. It all boils down to the kind of content put out though.

In addition, good content is original, actionable, answers a question thereby providing solutions. It is creative, unique, concise, and formatted properly. This is what should be marketed.

Conclusion

We cannot ignore the importance of online marketing on businesses. It has now become a focus, an important one even for most entrepreneurs as you look to reach customers online and grow sales.

Start marketing, increase your branding and build your search Engine Optimization skill.

You are on a journey to sales.