For many small business owners, digital marketing can seem like a time-consuming and challenging endeavor. While there are many moving parts to the process, digital marketing is a constantly evolving facet for any type of business. Staying ahead of the curve can be difficult, especially when you don’t even know where to start! Today’s small business industry has become increasingly competitive in how they acquire a solid customer base and build brand loyalty. Here are a few worthwhile considerations regarding why you need to use digital marketing for your small business:
Traditional vs. Digital Marketing
Traditional marketing methods certainly have their pros. However more often than not, the cons tend to outweigh the benefits. While it’s easy to use classic methods like creating flyers and handing out business cards, it’s hard to measure the impact of these efforts to see how effective they are and whether you’ve achieved a return on your investment. It’s easy to believe that your small business doesn’t have the time or the money to invest in digital marketing strategies. However, the opposite is true, because there are plenty of cost- effective ways to convert customers solely online. In fact, many small businesses don’t realize that their traditional marketing strategies (such as printing out hundreds of flyers or buying ad space on a billboard) could very well end up costing more money than they can make back from these efforts. Digital marketing ensures that you’re able to pivot on a dime, and adjust your efforts accordingly based on your short-term and long-term goals.
Why you shouldn’t procrastinate when it comes to digital marketing
To reiterate, the digital marketing landscape is constantly changing and evolving. Therefore, businesses of all scales need to keep up as the online marketplace becomes more and more competitive. It’s understandable that while small businesses are still navigating the ins and outs of running a business in general, they may focus on one or two methods to start while their operations get up and running. The problem with this strategy is that it rests primarily on the idea of “hope marketing”, which happens when businesses hope that customers will simply walk through the door or randomly come across their website and make a purchase, without the company trying any new marketing methods outside their marketing comfort zone. As you might have guessed, no business (big or small) should rely on this method.
Your customers (and your competitors) are already online
If you’ve been thinking that you should just wait until your business is more established or well-known before you begin your digital marketing journey, consider the fact that whatever you’re not doing online right now, your competitors already are. Moreover, if your target audiences are primarily online and your small business is nowhere to be found, it’s almost certain that they’re going to opt for your competitor. At a bare minimum, your online presence will require a Facebook page and a website. Not only will these things legitimize your business in the eyes of prospective customers, but if you take advantage of positive customer reviews and effectively manage your reputation, prospective customers and leads will be far more likely to convert.
Bear in mind, however, that having a website isn’t automatically going to increase your overall visibility. This is where the importance of Search Engine Optimization (or “SEO”) comes into play. An integral part of your website and business’s online presence, SEO increases your rankings on popular search engines. Coming up with a keyword strategy will be your first step to increasing your site’s visibility on popular search engines (like Google.) From there, you’ll need to include specifics about your small business, including its name, address, phone number, and location. The more accessible you make this information, the easier it will be for customers to find you.
Get to know your target audience’s needs better
Digital marketing allows for engagement between you and your customers. This feature presents a great opportunity for your small business to get to know your audience’s needs, therefore allowing you to improve your customer experience based on their feedback. The more you’re able to learn about your audience’s demographics and preferences, the better you can tailor your efforts to meet their needs. Even better, there are tons of great tools available to help you do just that. The more receptive your small business is to your audience’s desires and preferences, the easier it will be to establish a line of trust and brand loyalty.
The prospect of digital marketing can seem intimidating at first. There are many different methods that will inevitably require an investment of your time. However, the measurable results they yield will be incredibly valuable to your small business’s overall strategy and profitability. Contact No Joke Marketing/Local Child Care Marketing today to learn more about digital marketing for your small business.
