Digital marketing is a great way for small businesses to get their name in front of more eyes. No one can deny the unprecedented power of digital marketing. Marketing on the internet is used by up to 92% of small businesses. Small Business owners have always faced unique challenges in getting their business to the next level. Today, there is a digital revolution that is poised for success.
With these 15 digital marketing strategies, you can leverage that power to set your small business up for success.
1)Branding:
Your website’s look and feel can make or break your digital marketing efforts. Consider branding as an opportunity to invest in your company’s logo and overall appearance with professional graphics or photography–a good design is well worth the investment.
2) SEO:
Search Engine Optimization refers to the various methods used to ensure that your website appears organically in search engine results. Optimizing your website and content for SEO can dramatically improve your position in search results. Remember: high rankings aren’t the only measure of success, but for many small businesses, it’s a worthwhile goal.
3) Use PPC advertising:
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a great way to take advantage of Google’s network. You can target your ads to the specific audience you want and you only pay if a potential customer clicks on your ad. Try setting up a Google AdWords account and Google Display Network campaign specifically for your business. The ability to create an unlimited number of campaigns with different keywords, targeting options, budget requirements, and daily spending caps can help you reach huge numbers of potential customers in a very short amount of time.
4) Hold contests on social media:
One of the best ways to get people talking about your company on social media channels is to offer giveaways or promotions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Draw people’s attention to special offers, discounts, new products, or events and encourage them to share their favorite posts with their friends.
5) Affiliate Marketing:
This concept has been around for years (and is still extremely effective), but it’s important that you understand affiliate marketing before you jump in. It’s easy to get involved if your site allows it (such as WordPress or Blogger), but do your research and find publishers who align with your goals. If you have a physical location or a business partner, you can use affiliate marketing to help promote your business. You can create social media banners on your website to showcase the products and services that you sell, and you can give out a special coupon code that’s only available through your affiliate link. When someone clicks through to your link, it will take them directly to your own site where they can purchase the product.
6) Direct Mail Marketing:
Investing in professionally printed materials can be a great investment if you can find the right audience. In addition to printed items, consider mailing coupons and even small-ticket sales like gift certificates.
7) Local Search Advertising:
Online advertising has become a key piece of success for many businesses, but many are still missing out on being #1 in Google search. Local search ads (or ads that appear to consumers only in areas they’ve searched) are an excellent way to increase your visibility locally without paying for national advertising or keyword strategy services.
8) Online Reviews:
Businesses can’t succeed without customer reviews and many small businesses rely on consumer feedback for their success. Seek out 5-star reviews to increase your online presence and credibility.
9) Content Marketing:
Content marketing is a strategy that can improve your online reputation and may even help you get cheap traffic from search engines. It can also help boost your brand awareness and usage by creating valuable content for your customers, like blog posts, videos, and infographics.
10) Viral Marketing:
This strategy is especially effective in the digital age when consumers have the ability to share information on social sites like Twitter or Facebook. Learn how to leverage viral marketing in order to reap the benefits of increased exposure and build trust with your customers.
11) Website Redesign:
When it comes to making a website, more is not always better. While you might think it’s a good idea to overhaul the look of your site, remember that this decision can have a substantial impact on your search engine visibility.
12) Social Media:
This may seem like an obvious choice, but it’s important to create a social media strategy tailored to your company objectives and target audience. It’s also important to use the right accounts and features for your purposes– Facebook was built for connecting with people in person and Twitter is best suited for micro-blogging about rapid-fire updates (think: breaking news or barely essential information).
13) Email Marketing:
This is an extremely effective digital marketing strategy that can help you build trust with new customers while promoting current customers. Like most strategies, it’s important to use email marketing with discretion–consumers can easily get frustrated with too many emails.
Email marketing is considered one of the most effective and profitable digital marketing strategies. You can send out regular newsletters or targeted emails that encourage subscribers to take action. Send out a “Welcome email” when someone signs up for your newsletter. This is a great way to make them feel special and keep them engaged with your business, especially if you offer free content in the welcome email or include an exclusive discount code.
14) Newsletters:
One of the most common digital marketing strategies, newsletters are one of the easiest ways to build rapport and maintain communication with your customers. Its effectiveness as a strategy is why this was the first content marketing tool ever created.
15) Marketing Automation:
Get more out of your email marketing campaign by automating some elements so that you can focus on other areas of your business. Try scripting thank-you emails for new sign-ups or sending automated reminders to customers who haven’t bought in a while.
16) Offer incentives for sharing:
The biggest reason why content is Ashared on social media sites is that people enjoy getting free stuff. Provide incentives for people on your email list to share your content on social media by offering them exclusive deals or discounts. You can also offer bonuses including free months of service when they refer new customers, and honor the referral credits that they get from other sites.
The Bottom Line
Digital marketing can be both a competitive advantage and a challenge to smaller businesses. However, using these 15 strategies, you can leverage the power of digital marketing to create online success in your small business.
Though these strategies are effective in their own right, the key is to find the best combinations of tactics and stay on track.
Small business owners continually face a barrage of different marketing options. It’s important to prioritize what’s most effective for your business and spend wisely. If you find that one strategy isn’t working well or doesn’t have much ROI, try a different one–you might just uncover something better. The same goes with digital marketing–there are many options that can be very effective for a certain market or audience and if you’re willing to spend a little time tailoring your strategy, it can pay off big time.
Though these strategies are effective in their own right, the key is to find the best combinations of tactics and stay on track.
