Why Your Small Business Needs A Powerful Digital Marketing Strategy
Small Businesses face different battles compared to larger corporations. When the small business first opens, the owners are so focused on getting business through the door. As time goes on, business owners are constantly trying to get new customers through the door. Without these customers, there is no business. While remaining focused on drawing in business is not a bad thing, it’s not something the small business needs to do themselves. As a small business owner, you have plenty of other tasks at hand.
Whether you have been handling your own marketing or have not even developed a marketing plan, there is an easier and more effective alternative out there. Small businesses should consider outsourcing their marketing efforts to a group of marketing experts. Regardless of how long your small business has been around, no small business should overlook the importance of digital marketing.
Digital Marketing: Setting Your Business Up for Success
Wondering just how important digital marketing is? Consider the buying process today. Before you make a purchase, chances are you take a look around online to read reviews, search for places that sell what you are looking for and you might even make an online purchase right then and there. If you are not present online, you are missing out on a ton of business. Digital marketing will continue to change and become more prominent. Business owners need to have a powerful digital marketing strategy to stay ahead of the curve. At Joseph Studios, we are here to share the many benefits of digital marketing, so you know exactly what to expect when your digital marketing strategy comes to life.
The Benefits of Digital Marketing
Your Customers Are Online
As great as storefronts are, the world has shifted to an online presence. Some customers might still prefer coming into your storefront to do business in person, but the majority of people today are all online. Doing business online is new and uncomfortable for many small businesses. Many small businesses choose to avoid digital marketing simply because they believe they are not ready or need some time to establish their business before taking on this new challenge.
The issue with this is that many of your customers are online. As a matter of fact, they might be searching for a business that offers your products or services right now, as you are reading this. If they can not find your business easily, they are going to choose a competitor of yours.
People today expect everything to be online. They want to know about your business, how you do business and they are curious about your brand. Customers today use websites and social media to learn more about you.
If you are not present online or don’t have the information that they need, customers quickly come to the conclusion that your business does not exist or it’s not a reputable business. The worst part is, once they go with another business, it’s unlikely that they will return to you.
It’s A Fair Game
Have you seen a huge company like target come to town and it wipes out a lot of the smaller businesses in town? Or maybe a huge restaurant chain like Olive Garden comes to town and the smaller mom and pop Italian restaurant shuts down. Similarly, Amazon has forced many smaller businesses to struggle because customers prefer to buy from somewhere that is convenient, and they know their reputation. Thanks to digital marketing, smaller businesses now have a shot against these huge corporate companies. Depending on how good of a digital marketing strategy you have, you can build a reputable brand that people love and trust. Small businesses can now hold a top-ranking position next to the big guys.
Digital marketing is much different than any traditional marketing method such as television ads, magazine ads, etc., because of how cost-effective it is. Digital marketing allows you to compete with larger companies on a smaller budget. It’s a fair game for everyone.
Digital Marketing Is More Targeted
Television advertising is not nearly as effective compared to digital marketing when it comes to reaching your target audience. Sure, you are reaching a large number of people but how many of those people are actually your target audience? Plus, television ads are way out of most small business owners’ budgets. Digital marketing, on the other hand, allows you to focus on smaller groups or even down to a specific type of person.
Digital marketing allows you to create a message and send it out to an audience that finds it relevant. The word relevant is extremely important to note. This relevance allows you to connect with an audience whereas a broader form of advertising (such as television ads) couldn’t. This connection is what influences the customers buying decision.
Businesses that strongly focus on SEO (search engine optimization), nearly 80% of traffic will come from search results. So, while a customer searches for a product that amazon offers, they might come across your business that also offers the same product.
Social media is also a popular and necessary digital marketing technique. Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have the tools you need to target your audience based on gender, location, age, and more. There are also tools out there such as Sprout Social, where you can see when your audience is online. It’s important to find when your audience is online and post during that time so more people can see your posts.
Digital Marketing Allows You to Build Relationships
Building relationships with your customers is what will help them to choose your business over others. You can utilize digital marketing to build those relationships. Email marketing, for instance, is a digital marketing method that you can use to stay in touch with your customers.
You can send emails that include launches on the newest products, the latest deals, special events and more. Email marketing is so advanced that you can now address each customer by name and craft a message based on their interests. Has your customer been to your site and abandoned their shopping cart? Email marketing will let you create a message to remind the customer that the item is still available. You can even send a message to discount the item they have abandoned to give them the push they need to mark the purchase.
There are many benefits to digital marketing and it’s the future of the advertising and marketing industry. However, the catch with digital marketing is that it requires dedication and consistency. Small business owners oftentimes don’t have the time to dedicate themselves to creating and implementing a digital marketing strategy. Not to worry though! Our team at Joseph Studios is here to help. Want to learn more about digital marketing and how it can help your business? Contact the team at Joseph Studios to get started!
