As a small business owner, navigating the maze that is digital marketing can be tricky. When you’re not sure where to start, promoting your small business can be frustrating. With so many aspects and so many constantly changing elements, it can be tough to know what exactly to do. Here’s a guidebook on what to be doing when approaching small business digital marketing.

Social Media

Social media is the general term used to refer to the various digital platforms on which people interact, share experiences, and socialise with each other. Whilst there are dozens of social media platforms, the most notable are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Social media is everywhere, and it’s a huge influence on the lives of modern customers. Very few businesses aren’t active users of at least one social media platform. Businesses use these platforms to humanise themselves and to interact with customers in a more personable way. They also target audiences based on their interests. When done effectively, social media can build brand awareness, drive traffic towards websites and generate sales leads. It’s also a great way to keep up with trends, interests and industries while conducting competitor research.

Organic versus Paid

There are two types of social media activity – organic-content based and paid.

When it comes to organic social media, the goal is to post content relevant to a target audience. It should be helpful, offer inspiration or be engaging, and should be done on a frequent basis, particularly on the most popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Social media is fast-paced by nature. In addition, users often expecting responses to queries or comments within a short time frame.

For paid social media, strategies like Facebook Business Manager can increase traffic while segmenting your target audience. Data of current customers is comparable to target ‘lookalike’ audiences, advertising over multiple devices to follow users. Furthermore, you can also remarket to potential customers who have visited their site previously.

Facebook Ads offers some guidance to new users, particularly when setting up campaigns. However, to maximise results and ensure your budget is being well-spent, consider approaching an expert to assist.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Achieving the best possible ranking on search engines requires applying exceptional publishing and marketing information known as SEO. This effort has become increasingly important, especially on the local level, in staying relevant online. Many users only look at the first page of the search engine’s results while looking for answers. They are drawn to the feature snippet or knowledge panel of Google Search results. Having a strong presence on SERPs (search engine results pages) will improve brand visibility. In addition, it will increase the amount of traffic to your website. In time, this can ultimately contribute to more business. This is one of the most effective aspects of small business digital marketing.

With Google’s emphasis on quality content (including sites offering location-specific results), small business owners should invest efforts on local SEO. This can help to gain an advantage over larger businesses in their immediate catchment areas.

There are a host of strategies relating to SEO which can help improve site visibility. Some can include keyword optimisation, link building and technical improvements to websites. However, search engines also have harsh guidelines, so you’ll need to be mindful of the techniques that you use. Using outdated techniques can do more damage than good, including keyword stuffing and bulk link acquisition.

Whilst there are aspects of SEO that are easy to manage, we encourage the use of an expert for more technical aspects. These can include crawl rate optimisation and site speed. These techniques can also be an effective way of ensuring results and ultimately growth in your lead generation.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

PPC is the paid method of digital marketing advertising. It’s how your advert can rank as the top result of SERPs or popular websites. It’s the reason why you may see ad placements of products and services on sites like YouTube and BBC News.

As previously mentioned, most users click on relevant paid links or the first result of a search query. PPC is a wonderful advertising tool because you control your budget and measure your results through conversions. Furthermore, it monitors insightful metrics like Cost Per Click, and Cost Per Conversion.

For an effective PPC campaign, your website will need to have some of the following characteristics:

• Relevant targeted keyword list
• Relevant website landing pages
• Logical website optimisation

Making sure analytics and code tracking is correct to monitor campaigns is also vital. Re-marketing to users who don’t perform a specified function. An example is filling in a contact form on the site. Remarketing can remind them of your site and attract them back.

While the setup process for Google AdWords and Bing Ads is fairly simple, it can easily become complicated and expensive. Seek expert help if need be, particularly given that there can be significant expenditure if not carefully monitored.

Website Design and Development

Having a user-friendly website is vital for the overall small business digital marketing strategy. Traffic can be driven to a website but its design and usability will be a significant factor in converting visitors into actual business.

Flexibility is an important factor when it comes to landing pages, this allows for changes when necessary. It is also particularly important to include plenty of “Calls-to-Actions” that encourage visitors to purchase goods or make contact.

These are the principal items to strongly consider when approaching small business digital marketing. It should form the base of the activities that will best serve any small business. When used effectively, digital marketing is a powerful recipe that can drive results and success in time.

At PrimePixels, we’re experts at small business digital marketing. We have the tools and skills to help you on your business journey. With a variety of business growth services available, there is something for everyone. So get in touch, we’d love to be of service to you.