The internet has undoubtedly changed the way business owners compete for the attention of their target audience. As such, businesses – big or small – need to employ effective digital marketing strategies to help boost their success.

As a small business owner, you are always looking to stay afloat and for ways to adapt to the ever-changing online marketing landscape.

Now more than ever, more and more business owners utilize various digital marketing strategies and channels to keep up with the times.

In today’s post, let’s take a closer look at some effective digital marketing strategies and techniques that can help small businesses.

Starting Digital Marketing for My Small Business

Use this information for tips on how your small business can make use of digital marketing strategies and techniques.

Key Findings

• About 90% of small business owners in the country invest their time, money, and resources in digital marketing strategies, specifically social media, to reach their target customers.
• 53% of small businesses utilize email marketing strategies to foster personal connections with potential and existing customers.
• Small business owners are inclined to strengthen their content creation as part of their digital marketing strategies.
• 33% of small business owners have used video marketing to engage consumers.
• 75% of small business owners believe that their digital marketing strategies are instrumental in achieving success.
• Digital marketing strategies’ top goals are the following: increase online traffic, generate high-quality leads, convert leads, increase brand awareness, increase customer engagement, increase revenue generation. The right goal for your small business will depend on your specific business needs at a certain point in time.

Do Small Businesses Need Digital Marketing Strategies?

The short answer is yes.

Business owners believe that since their product or service is good, their target consumers will eventually find them.

However, that’s not always the case anymore in today’s digital landscape. The competition is fierce; thus, business owners need to be more proactive to reach their target consumers and connect with them.

This is where digital marketing strategies come in.

Businesses, whether big or small, should not be overlooking digital channels. They can increase their reach, enhance their engagement, and convert interest into paying customers through these platforms.

Digital Marketing for Small Businesses 101

For starters, digital marketing goes beyond promoting your small business on the internet.

Here are the top 10 essential things you need to know about digital marketing strategies for your small business.

A professional digital marketing agency will work with you to customize these solutions so they can meet your short and long-term business goals.

A Well-Designed and Developed Business Website

A social media page for your small business can never replace having an actual business website.

Regardless of the industry you are in, your business website serves as the foundation on which you can fully control your brand online.

From establishing your credibility and professionalism to reaching your target audience to managing your advertising efforts – having a website is essential for your small business.

Tailored Content Creation

Online content refers to any material you can find on the web. Online content pieces include blogs, videos, infographics, website copy, eBooks, etc.

As a business owner, your website should be driven by content that’s both meant to educate and amuse your site visitors.

When you do content marketing right, it provides your audience with the information they are seeking. Providing the right content to your audience also positions you as an authority in your industry.

This, in turn, generates traffic to your website, yields high-quality leads, builds trust, and improves your online conversions.

Custom SEO Campaign

Small business owners wear many different hats when it comes to managing all their business operations.

As such, there’s not always time to learn about search engine optimization, digital marketing strategies, and the numerous benefits they can bring their business.

In a nutshell, SEO is how your target consumers find you on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing when they search for your products and services.

Doing SEO right entails having a well-designed website optimized with the right keywords so you can generate high-quality leads and sales for your business.

Local SEO Plan

Most consumers who look for products and services online prefer those that are local to them. Thus, about half of Google search results are for local businesses.

HubSpot reports that 72% of consumers who did a local search visited the physical store of a business near to them.

Whether you own a local restaurant, butcher shop, salon, or other small local business, a reliable local SEO strategy is essential to growing your company.

Creating a local SEO campaign is one of the essential digital marketing strategies you can do for your small business. A local SEO plan will elevate your online presence so you can improve your leads and sales.

Email Marketing Plan

Email remains a reliable marketing tool to promote your brand and improve sales.

More than half of small businesses across various industries plan to invest and incorporate email campaigns in their digital marketing strategies this year.

Whether you are notifying people of a sale, welcoming new subscribers, or sharing a piece of important news about your business, you can create a customized email marketing campaign to connect with your customers.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

Social media has undeniably become an integral component in any business’s digital marketing strategies.

And if you are a small business owner, you are most likely also in charge of all your digital marketing efforts, including social media.

There are a lot of essential things you need to understand about proper social media marketing.

One of the top considerations is creating high-value social media content, so you can connect and engage with your followers.

You need to tailor your content depending on the type of social media platform you are using. On top of that, you don’t necessarily have to have a profile on all social media platforms.

A professional digital marketing strategist will give you the best recommendations and advice.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

PPC ads appear when a user goes online and type the search terms you use in the advertisement. You only pay search engine companies like Google when someone clicks your ad.

Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram have also initiated their own PPC advertising platforms.

Mobile Messaging Marketing

Digital marketers utilize phone messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Viber to initiate a mobile messaging campaign to connect with their target audience.

About 90% of internet users use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. As such, mobile devices have become the primary device for looking for products and services and learning about new brands.

Unlike social media and email marketing campaigns, mobile messaging has paved the way for one-to-one conversations between businesses and consumers. Most consumers prefer this type of more personal connection to a particular business.

Online Reviews

Effective digital marketing strategies entail gathering online reviews for your small business.

These reviews and ratings are major contributing factors in how consumers perceive your business.

More than 90% of consumers read customer feedback and reviews about a business before purchasing.

In many cases, consumers tend to trust customer reviews they see online as much as personal endorsements or recommendations.

Google also considers customer reviews as an essential ranking consideration in local search.