Virtually every household in America is connected to the internet in some way. If you aren’t using digital marketing, you are missing out on reaching this tremendous market. Unfortunately, many business owners either don’t understand its importance or are unsure how to implement a digital strategy. Whichever category you fall into, the following tips can help.
Focus on Your Niche
This is a simple strategy. You are already really good at something, and your customers know that. You can use digital marketing to share your expertise with others with whom you haven’t formed a relationship. This helps engage people and encourages them to interact with your business.
Many businesses use a blog to establish themselves as authorities in their respective fields. If you choose to go this route, be sure you stay on topic with what you want to promote. Focus on ideas that appeal to your core target market for the biggest impact.
For example, if you operate a resort with recreational facilities, buying a new set of pickleball paddles is not enough to get people out on the courts. You also want to share information about how to play the game or pro tips to improve. Offering an online court reservation or lesson scheduling option is another excellent strategy.
Harness Social Networks
Social media can take on a life of its own. While in some cases that can be dangerous, it makes the medium an excellent tool for businesses looking to reach a large number of people quickly and inexpensively. The trick here is to use the right platform for your business needs.
For example, if you want to find qualified candidates for a job application, you would want to create a Linkedin profile and keep it updated. Share open positions and what qualifications each one needs. Then, ask your network to share the posting and refer friends that seem like a good fit.
On the other hand, if you want to share the news about a new promotion or contest, you will probably want to stay on a more casual platform. Many businesses have found success on Instagram, which is especially helpful for those in visual-rich industries (think of those delicious food pics from your favorite restaurant).
Taking it a step further, many companies have skipped a personalized website in favor of a Facebook business page. This allows some personalization and simple sharing with a broad audience without the expense of a private website. It also allows you to take advantage of the platform’s ad features to boost views.
Create Personalized Email Campaigns
Email is an excellent way to reach your customers and help keep them thinking about your business. It is affordable and easy to compile, making it a perfect addition to a small business digital marketing plan. However, there are a few rules you must keep in mind.
First, you don’t want to bombard people with messages every day. If you have an email account, you know how annoying that is. You’ve probably unsubscribed from a list or two because of it. There is a balance between staying relevant and being obnoxious, and you should find it. For many businesses, a weekly or monthly email newsletter is sufficient.
Another rule to keep in mind is that your emails must be relevant to your customer base. For example, if you wouldn’t steer a retiree toward information about new parents in-store, you also don’t want to send them that information digitally.
One way to make following these rules easier is to find a CRM that lets you gather preferences and then personalize your email campaigns to reach the correct audience at a reasonable frequency. Many have integrated tips and calendar features to make this relatively simple and hands-off.
Digital marketing is a must for small businesses that want to stay relevant and grow. If you have been hesitating to enter the digital world, consider using tools such as social media accounts, a business blog, and personalized email campaigns to build your business.
