So, you have decided to take the plunge and go to the dark side of becoming your boss to sell a product, service, or start a blog that you want to share with the world.

Your website is up and running, but in a sea of online businesses and bloggers, in today’s digital environment, you have to find a way to stand out and get noticed fast.

In this four-part post, I will discuss the power of imagery, social media marketing, and artificial intelligence.

The return on investment taking a blogging or Pinterest marketing course, affiliate marketing, and the benefits of selling a product or service.

I will share the basics of online marketing solutions I have tried and recommend adding to your visual marketing strategy toolbox.

If you put in the work, these platforms will increase traffic to your website, build brand loyalty, and increase e-commerce revenue streams. The best part is most of them are free.

You’re likely already using one or two social media platforms, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook daily to keep in touch with friends and family.

Note To The Reader

A note to the reader, this isn’t a thirty second around the world get rich quick scheme using social media platforms and fake online profiles to trick people into buying a product or service to make a quick buck.

In learning about blogging and social media marketing, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly online and on YouTube. If that is what you are looking for, this blog post is not for you.

I wish you the best of luck and thank you for visiting my site. You have a good one now.

If you are serious about starting a blog, online business to sell a product, service, or to share information, reading this post won’t be a waste of your time.

In the long run, the information I will share will help to lessen or avoid the mistakes most entrepreneurs experience and serve as a milestone checklist every once in a while during your journey to digital business.

If anything, you will have the strength to remain focused and keep going when facing roadblocks.

When I mean roadblocks, I mean technical learning curves about WordPress, website hosting, The Power Of Imagery In Marketing

Having worked in retail and customer service for many years, I know the power of visual marketing using colorful imagery accompanied by a good sales pitch.

Ever heard of Victoria’s Secret and Express?

For many years, it was my job to overcome sales rejection and convert visitors into customers. That was then.

More and more customers are choosing to do their shopping online from their smartphones while on the go and not from their PCs at home versus shopping at brick and mortar stores.

Internet Users In The World

According to broadbrandsearch.net, the estimated world population is 7,634,758,428. Out of that population, 55.1% have access and use the internet frequently.

Internet usage broken down by country shows that Asia accounts for the majority of internet users in the world:

• Asia: 49%
• Europe: 16.8%
• Africa: 11%
• Latin America/Carribean: 10.4%
• North America: 8.2%
• Middle East: 3.9%
• Australia: 0.7%

Learning how to use social media to grow your online store, blog, or website has a couple of advantages.

Social Media Platforms

Promoting your products using one or more of these popular social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram can help attract new customers, increase brand awareness, and grow your startup.

Knowing who your target audience is will help in determining communication objectives when promoting online.

Integrating a blog to your website will further strengthen your brand, product, or service and help you get organic traffic from consumers searching online. That is free traffic! Who can say no to that?

The majority of my traffic comes from social media, followed by organic searches, and lastly, direct referrals.

Now I am sure you are asking how expensive this process is. Well, it depends on your goals, objectives, and how much in funding you have available or are willing to spend on start-up expenses.

Once all said and done, the cost to register a website domain, an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation), automate social media marketing processes and take two online blogging courses can be done for less than $500.

In part 2 of 5 Smart Ways to Promote Your Blog Online, I will share the best blogging course for new bloggers to grow your blog and explain how the power of social media and leveraging Pinterest marketing is your best friend in driving visitors to your website.