One major reason that prevents small businesses from engaging with digital marketing is the cost factor. While almost everyone has started acknowledging the benefits of digital marketing, small businesses suffer from two major problems-
- Lack of complete knowledge and education on digital marketing
- Limited funds and resources that small businesses cannot afford
This is ironic given how almost every digital marketing strategy is supposed to be ‘Free’!
However, engaging a full-fledged agency, employing experts by hiring them in your team, or using paid SEO tools require costs. Starting a social media page is free; similarly, writing content and publishing on your blog’s website does not require you to spend any money.
Yet, digital marketing has metamorphosed into one of the biggest spending verticals for any business organization in recent years. Some businesses are not hesitant to devote their maximum budgets to digital growth.
In this resource article, we speak to some of the top digital marketing experts from Digitrio. We request them to share with us seven digital marketing strategies for small businesses that are affordable and cost-efficient. If you are a small business owner, please stick around till the end of the article.
List of 7 Digital Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
1. Content Marketing
If there is one universal truth that triumphs over the different cycles of workable digital marketing strategies For Small Businesses, it is content marketing.
As a small business, you need to ensure that you spend time and energy on content marketing. According to Google, a business owner knows best about their business and not any hired SEO content writer.
Try to maximize this potential by creating content that informs, educates, and engages your target audience. Great content has an excellent organic reach and will perform naturally.
2. Social Media Marketing
While everyone says that you have to spend a fortune creating content on social media, that is not necessarily true. The last few years have seen almost all social platforms divert to increasing reach to live to stream.
Social media can be a potent tool for small businesses. By prioritizing community building, small businesses can reach out to their target audiences, communicate with them, address their concerns and build authority.
There is a wave the world over in communities looking to buy from small businesses.
3. Search Engine Optimization
Small businesses need to think of SEO in terms of guidelines set by search engines like Google to maintain their brand websites.
SEO, at its core, is dependent on quality content creation. By helping other publishers in your website niche with high-quality, informative articles.
They can also expect to drive traffic from the blogger’s website back to their own. SEO, just like content marketing, is a long-term strategy that should be pursued by small businesses intelligently.
4. Email Marketing
Sending emails is free. Understanding what templates, email subject lines, and body content work require careful investigation.
Small business owners should keep in mind that email marketing as a digital marketing strategy delivers the highest ROIs for your business. If you are a B2B small business, email marketing can help you establish professionalism in your marketing endeavors.
It can help you communicate effectively and aggressively with clients and vendors and help you generate a massive database for your business.
5. Local SEO and Listings
While we could have included this point along with point three on SEO, we wanted to keep it separate for a reason. Local SEO is critical for small businesses dependent on local footfalls, neighborhoods, and communities for driving sales.
Creating and maintaining a Google My Business (GMB) page can help ensure that your business gets visible exposure in terms of local geotargeting that search engines effectively use.
Make sure to have as many reviews and ratings on the GMB pages to help build credibility and confidence.
6. Pay Per Click Advertising
As a small business, you do not have to go bonkers for your paid advertising. If you set the right target for the ads, you can run limited-budget campaigns on search engines and social media platforms.
There is no reason to believe that conservatively managing paid ads cannot help you get the desired ROIs.
Small campaigns stretched out over defined periods can help you gain traction on search engines. PPC is something that small businesses should look to invest in from time to time.
7. Blogging
Maintaining a website blog helps you establish the potential of your small business effectively. It demonstrated authority, expertise, and credibility for your small business.
You need to pay particular attention to creating different resources on your brand’s blog. Try a mix of content- Guides, How-To’s, Listicles, Case Studies, Tips, Tricks, etc.
The more content you have around your brand, the better you will engage and communicate with a broader target audience. Make sure that you do not skim on blogging for your small business.
The Final Takeaway
Small businesses should not get overwhelmed by the budgets of larger corporations as far as digital marketing is concerned.
You do not need to spend a million dollars to gain success and traction on search and social. What you need is an intelligent strategy that is workable and can connect with your target audiences.
If you have that, you will always optimize and grow your presence online. Let us know if you have any questions on any of the strategies discussed in the article. We would be more than happy to help you out.