Digital Marketing for Small Businesses: What You Need to Know
As a small business owner, your main goal should be to build your business. Advertising and marketing are usually the ways to get the word out about a new business, but there are many ways to do so.
In this day and age, technology opens many possibilities and is one of the best ways to let people know about your business. Even though traditional marketing like billboards and print advertising get the word out, these strategies might not be as cost-effective nor do they have the power to grow clientele as quickly as digital marketing.
Here’s what you need to know about digital marketing for small businesses:
Why Digital Advertising?
Most new business owners opt for digital advertising strategies because it saves money, which is important for any new venture. The number of options online in addition to the relatively low cost of those options makes it easy to invest in digital marketing. Owners can make their money back fairly quickly.
Remembering your short-term and long-term business goals is crucial to achieving the results that you want. Although having a solid online following is important, it is best to remember that the overall goal of advertising is to bring in customers (leads) and sell the service or product (conversions).
Email: A Small Company’s Best Friend
When it comes to effective digital marking, email campaigns are one of the best marketing methods a new small business can utilize. If you have already established a website for your small business, you can easily configure email updates that keep customers in the loop.
If you don’t yet have a website for your business, there are still ways to use an email campaign. Using your company’s Facebook page along with an email list (if you have one) you can also start a campaign with free or low-cost tools.
More established businesses may already have repeat customers and a growing email list that they regularly use. To keep customers aware of where they are in their shopping journey, some businesses use a method called drip sequence.
This type of marketing campaign sends emails based on what the customer does. If a consumer visits your website and adds an item to their cart without purchasing, the drip sequence will send out an email reminding them of this, which makes it more likely they will proceed to checkout.
Whether you use a regular email campaign or a drip sequence campaign all depends on where your business stands at the moment. Drip sequence marketing is ideal for established businesses, but it is generally not recommended if your business is still getting off the ground.
Social Media Marketing
Yes, social media marketing seems simple. However, depending on the route you want to take, it can be quite complex. Knowing which platform will impact your business the most is an important starting point.
To help decide which platform is best for you there are a couple of aspects to look at. One is identifying your target audience — whether it’s homeowners or teenagers — and finding out which social media they are more likely to use.
For example, if you don’t have that substantial of a following on Instagram, that may not be where you want to start your social media campaign. This is because, in the end, it’s unlikely that the campaign will pay for itself.
One of the best platforms to start is likely Facebook. Due its comprehensive location services, business owners can advertise to a specific geographical area. Additionally, if you are seeking a more cost-effective option, Facebook Marketplace is a good place to start.
Don’t Get Left Behind
It is easy for your small business to get overlooked if you don’t research properly. This is why it is so important to have the right keywords in your content and have a library of content that can be cross-referenced.
The more content your business has, the more visible your business will be when people perform a web search. You may have identified your clientele, but if those consumers are unable to find you, they’ll end up using another company’s product or service.
Since your target audience is already online, you don’t want to wait too long to get into digital marketing. Worrying about the cost of marketing will set you back if you don’t consider the benefits. Although methods such as print ads and billboards are still effective, they are expensive and can quickly diminish the budget of a brand new business.
Takeaways
Starting a new venture can be nerve-racking. However, if you have the drive to create a concept and business plan then you can handle digital marketing as well. This era of technology provides an ideal environment for businesses, new and old, to thrive and to make an impact.
Staying consistent and constantly planning will ensure both the short-term and long-term success of your business. Pace yourself and don’t get discouraged if things are not going as you hoped right away. No formula is perfect, but with persistence your business will grow.
