Hello darlings!
If you own or operate a small business, digital marketing strategies should be incorporated into the ways that you promote your company, even if you don’t do business online. Many locally owned companies work off networking, referrals, and a variety of offline advertising strategies. And while these can be effective, having an online presence is essential to success in today’s digital world.
I've learned a few things from all these years of having a small online shop on etsy and though I don't always have the time and the will to implement them all, I find them really helpful. In order to increase your online presence, you need a solid digital marketing strategy. This strategy doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming, just effective. These five areas of online marketing are the top strategies that you can use to help grow your business. Some are ideal for local and offline businesses while others work best for companies who primarily operate on the web, like etsy. And many companies find all five useful.
1. Content Marketing
Content marketing has been around for many years in things like printed brochures and guide books, but only recently has it burst onto the scene in digital marketing. Content marketing is often used on a company blog or website.
This strategy is focused on providing valuable information to your prospective customers. Sometimes it is more details about your product or service, and other times it is general information that somehow relates to your business. The goal is to add value and credibility to your company in your industry or niche. Customers are bombarded with people trying to sell to them, but if you can also inform them, you have a better chance of making the sale.
2. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a great tool to use if you know how to utilize it. There are so many different ways to incorporate it into your marketing strategy that sometimes businesses struggle with how exactly to use it. Which social media outlets you choose and what information you put on them really depends on the type of business that you have. You need to figure out what are the most popular sites for your demographic and what kind of content are they interested in.
For example, a local restaurant might have great success posting vivid photos of their entrees on Instagram or advertising dinner specials on Facebook. While a CPA might have better luck sharing news and information on a professional social media site such as LinkedIn. When you have a clear picture of what your typical customer is drawn to, you can utilize this information over social media to increase your sales.
3. Email Marketing
Even though email has been around for some time now, it is still one of the most effective forms of digital marketing for small businesses. To effectively market your services with email, you need to build up an email list of customers and potential customers. There are a number of ways to do this, such as offering an incentive when a prospective customer registers their email with your website. Or collecting email information when customers make a purchase from you. The great thing about this list is that these are people who are genuinely interested in your business. After all, they willingly shared their contact information with you.
You can then use this contact list to send out promotions, coupons, or even to give an update on what is happening with your business or industry. And over time, your email list will continue to grow. Email marketing is a great long-term strategy.
4. Local Search Marketing
Local search marketing is a strategy that integrates local address and phone number information into website optimization. This is especially true for businesses focusing on specific regions, such as those seeking effective SEO strategies in competitive markets like Sydney, where localized content plays a pivotal role. By aligning your website's content and SEO efforts with your physical location, you're more likely to attract local customers. Including your website address ensures that when customers search for you, they find comprehensive information, including how to find your physical location, contact you, or explore your website further.
5. Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing is vital to your digital strategy if you want to compete with the bigger companies online. You need to rank high if you want people to find you. This applies to both businesses that operate online and locally. Whether potential customers are looking to make a purchase on the web or they are using a search engine to find a local company they want to visit, they need to be able to find you. And they can if your company places high in the search results for specific keywords related to your business.
If you are not sure where to start with this, contact a professional internet marketing company, such as Upkeep Media and look for SEO optimization services. This is a valuable service that can attract more customers to your small business.
Whether you use all of these strategies in your marketing, or only a few, depends on your business and the goals you have set for it. However, in this high-tech age where vast information is at every consumer’s fingertips, you need to incorporate some digital strategies in order to continue growing your business.
Not sure where to begin? The great news is that there are professionals that you can outsource this work to. Find a company or individual that specializes in these strategies that can work with you to determine which ones are best suited for your business. They can help you build your digital marketing strategy so that you can focus on your business.
Lot's of love
