The benefits of internet marketing are impressive in 2017. The user engagement is shifting however to a more custom approach. Unlike traditional offline marketing which targets large numbers of potential customers, internet marketing is beginning to specialize to particular niches.

Since this trend is likely to continue in the following years, it is worth noting some of the benefits that come with internet marketing and which can help you understand it and apply it better yourself:

Tell stories

This is an innovative approach that many internet marketers still struggle to completely understand. There are so many businesses or brands which try to build a following and bring potential customers with old-school advertisements.

In truth, the market is changing. The customers are being bombarded by advertisement and only the best campaigns are truly memorable.

One of the ways in which even smaller campaigns can hold up against bigger companies is by telling stories. These stories can be a true insight into your company and how it works. Let`s take video marketing for example.

So many videographers offer “behind the scenes” information because users are actually interested to see how a good video is made. Products also have a story behind them, telling it in an attractive way is a good method of building trust and ultimately improve sales.

Targeted Reach

This is where internet marketing really outshines any other form of marketing. It doesn’t matter what type of content you produce, be it text, video or infographics as long as you can funnel it towards your target consumer.

A targeted reach is a form of specialized marketing which is not only more beneficial as it brings customers or users which are really interested in your product or service, but it can also be a good long-term strategy.

Targeted reach means you`ll only be addressing people who already show interest or potentially show interest in your product. This is why so many forms of internet marketing are purely recommended for your target market.

This can be best exemplified with video content. Based on your interest, you get suggestions in the same niche. You are more likely to watch such a video than a random person.

Cost-effective solutions

Although large-scale internet marketing can be expensive, there are ways to keeps costs under control. One of these ways is to address a targeted audience. Another cost-effective method is to publish information in your niche which brings a unique or new perspective to potential customers.

If you choose to pay for targeted marketing you are also more likely to pay less than compared to television or other forms of offline advertising. Of course, the cost-effective solutions do not guarantee financial success. You still have to put in the effort to create marketing techniques which work for your targeted market.

Another big advantage when it comes to cost is with recommendations. If you manage to deliver good services and products, in time, your customers will recommend you to other people. So whatever technique you choose to reach your audience will always have effects in the future.

Build relationships

This brings us to the following point which is essential to internet marketing in 2017. There are so many companies which still don`t understand that building relationships with customers or a potential audience is essential.

In a world where competition is increasing even for smaller niches and businesses, the single way to truly stand out is by building relationships and trust with your customers.

This means you have to be truly objective with yourself. Putting yourself in the customers` shoes is more important now than it was just a few years ago.

A good example of this technique is with traditional hotels which have shifted their attention mostly online. This is where customers look for hotels, make bookings and leave reviews.

A positive or a negative review is the results of your relationship building skills. But they can also represent the stepping stone to a solid relationship in the future.

Leverage social media

Relationships with audiences bring us to the next important point of social media. Social media is still loved or hated by many online marketers. This is where you can truly interact with customers and use their feedback to improve your product and service.

The best approach to social media communication is to try to establish common interests with your following. But you also need to approach each customer as an individual.

Take complaints, for example. Some users take their complaint directly to a social media channel. Their dissatisfaction with the product, service or information is now visible to everyone.

Instead of responding with a generic approach you could actually take the time and make the effort to customize your feedback.

Of course, this is harder to accomplish the bigger the brand you represent as you may need approval from your peers. Finding the right balance between custom feedback and the freedom to address each issue individually is an art internet marketers need to master in 2017.

Aim at the mobile world

After you consider each tip for your marketing efforts, you need to truly think where the attention is this year. In most cases you will find it is on a mobile device.

It is not on television, radio and certainly not in the newspapers. Since many activities in our lives are migrating towards our smartphones, you need to understand that your marketing efforts need to be directed towards this medium. This can mean you need to build easy-to-consume content.

This brings us to the characteristic of speed. Since everything tends to be faster on mobiles, you need to make sure there is plenty of new content or products to keep your audience interested for long periods of time.

The benefits of internet marketing are always growing. Unlike offline marketing, your efforts constantly need to improve and push for innovation. The rewards are also different and can motivate you to succeed in a world where everything changes fast.