What is small business digital marketing and why is it so important we hear you ask? Digital marketing encompasses all marketing techniques that use the internet or electronics devices. It covers digital channels such as search engines, social media, email and websites in order to connect with current, prospective and potential consumers.
Eager to test your digital marketing savviness? Take our Quiz and see how much you know about digital marketing.
With the number of people going online every day still increasing, effective small business digital marketing is becoming more important than ever. The way that people search, shop, and buy has rapidly evolved in the modern era. It’s therefore so important to stay at the forefront of online marketing to ensure the success of your small business.
To help you get started we have rounded up our 5 top tips for digital marketing. Let’s check them out.
Website
This might seem obvious, but a good website can make or break your small business. They are the backbone of businesses and brands. With 3.58 billion internet users worldwide in 2017 (Statista), your website is your business.
Building and maintaining a professional website is more important than ever. To avoid missing the mark, read about the 5 Most Common Website Mistakes and how to avoid them.
Building your website from scratch? We recommend keeping the following in mind:
- Use simple fonts
- Maintain a consistent colour scheme
- Use few but high-quality images
- Share short and simple videos
Keep the user’s experience at the forefront of your mind. Complete regular (if not daily) checks to make sure your all your web functions are working properly. If you are really stuck, we have a fantastic team of Web Developers who can help design and build the perfect site for your small business.
Social Media
What do we mean when we talk about social media? It pretty much covers all digital platforms used to interact, share experiences and ‘socialise’ electronically. The most commonly used platforms for small business digital marketing are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
Having a social media presence immediately gives companies more legitimacy in the modern world. It’s no longer a question of “if” a company should utitlise social media platforms, but it’s when and how. Not only that but when managed properly, it’s a cost-effective and easy way to increase brand awareness and build a loyal customer base.
But make sure you think strategically. It can be tempting to spread your social wings across lots of social platforms. But spreading yourself too thin might be counterproductive. Instead, do your research and start small. Read up on what platform might best suit your small business digital marketing strategy. Perhaps start with one or two platforms, master them and then expand to others depending on your target audience.
Managing these platforms is key to your small business digital marketing. If you are strapped for time, outsourcing a community manager might be the best move for you. We can offer expertise with various digital marketing packages to help you connect with your consumers online, build a community and grow your business.
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) has an important role to play in small business digital marketing. Not only is it one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your products or services, but it also ensures you remain at the forefront of your industry and don’t fall behind to your competitors.
Depending on the nature of your small business, consumers who search and click on ads are more likely to buy now or in the near future. With PPC you only pay for these ads when someone clicks through onto your website. This means that you don’t waste precious money on an uninterested audience.
PPC ads can ensure that your company is at the top of the search engine results page, staying at the forefront of consumer’s minds. Learn more about our Pay-Per-Click tips and tricks here.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of enhancing the online visibility and legitimacy of your website “organically.” Think of it like quality control for websites. While PPC pays to get you to the top of the page, SEO is a free and effective way of keeping you at the top of the unpaid search section.
How does it work? SEO helps your website to appear in search engines for ‘keywords’ or phrases that are relevant to what your website is offering. How do you improve your SEO? There are a few ways:
- Backlinks – get your company on directories or featured on other sites (Digital PR)
- Blogs – Write blogs with researched keywords
- Good bounce rate – Make sure all the content on your site is engaging, keeping users on the page for as long as possible
SEO is a complex business and often it takes time to see real improvement. We can offer expert SEO services with keyword research and SEO optimised content creation to help improve your website’s rankings and grow your business organically.
Digital PR
Digital PR is closely linked to SEO. It’s a way of increasing your online presence by building connections with key content writers to create high-quality backlinks. Backlinks improve your SEO ranking as they increase the legitimacy of your website. Not only that but by getting your website onto other relevant sites broadens your brand awareness and helps you connect with new consumers.
Much like traditional PR, Digital PR works by connecting with others. Exposing your brand to as many people as possible while presenting it in a professional light, Digital PR is a win-win. Digital PR for small business digital marketing makes use of online channels such as:
- Social Media
- Online Newsrooms/Forums
- Article directories
- Industry related websites
- Press release sites
- Relevant Blogs
But as you can imagine Digital PR takes time. That’s where we come in. We can help you to network with trending influencer sites and channels to collaborate on content – creating the optimal conditions for broadscale networking. Outsourcing your Digital PR to experts might be the best thing to expand your small business digital marketing.
Getting Started with your Small Business Digital Marketing
Now that you’ve got 5 top tips for small business digital marketing, you should be heading in the right direction. Still not convinced? Read more about the Importance of an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy for Start-Ups.
Eager to get started but low on time? That’s where we come in. If you don’t have the capacity to properly implement these digital marketing strategies, we can help. We have the perfect team of experts to enhance your SEO, manage your social channels and grow your small business online. Together we can devise, implement and manage a digital marketing strategy to ensure your small business becomes a success. Get in touch with us here or view our various digital marketing plans here.
