5 Best Ways To Digitally Market Your Small Business
When you’re a small business in a sea of corporations, you might know the first think about getting the word out about your company. How do you market your small business so that it reaches the widest audience possible? What kind of strategies will be the most effective as you transition into the new year?
1. Make Your Online Presence Known
The world of marketing has transitioned from printed newspaper and magazine ads to all things digital. Print marketing does have a time and a place in today’s world, but don’t lose sight of the fact that small business marketing has gone digital. For better or worse, the best way to market your business is on the internet, thanks to the hundreds of millions of online visitors every day.
Come out of the Dark Ages and get your online presence out there.
2. Develop A Killer Website
Think about your own habits when you’re trying to find information; the first place you look is on the internet, right? The most significant step that you can take when you’re trying to build your online presence is to create a website that satisfies the end goal of consumers.
Pictures
Whether you offer a service, product, or a mixture of both, your website should clearly showcase whatever you’re offering. Low-quality images are unattractive to look at and don’t do justice to your company, so put some effort into them. You might think about hiring a professional photographer to help you.
Contact information
Don’t be the frustrating company that has nobody available to reach when there’s a question or concern. Have a special tab just for contact information on your website. Don’t forget to include basics like phone numbers and extensions along with an email address and hours of operation.
An about section
You might think that nobody cares about your backstory, but you’re mistaken. Clients love being able to relate to a company, and understanding its roots can help them to know better what you’re all about.
Remember, your website is the first portal into the online world. Once you have a website established and have got a regular flow of visitors, it’s time to think about the next step in building your online presence.
3. Utilize Social Media To Your Advantage
Do you think that cat memes and pictures of food are the only things that social media is good for? Well, to some people, that might be the case, but as a small business owner, then social media can be your best friend. Not only are you reaching out to a wider audience, but you can also use it to help you advertise new products and upcoming promotions.
Twitter
Twitter can be a great way to tease new products in 160 characters or less. Get the public excited by being mysterious and building buzz by dropping subtle hints.
With upwards of 2.38 billion users, how many people could you get excited by posting status updates announcing sales, promotions, and surprises for the public?
If a picture is worth a thousand words, let your followers give you the words as you upload lovely pictures that showcase your products in the best light possible.
With new social media apps being released every day, you’re sure to find something that speaks to you. The more platforms you can reach, the better!
4. Search Engine Optimization Is Your Friend
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is one of the latest buzzwords in online marketing these days, but do you know what it is? In a nutshell, SEO is exactly what it sounds like: Optimizing the results of search engines to help you garner more traffic to your website.
How Does SEO Work?
Let’s say that you run a bakery. What are some things that you would search for on Google if you were looking for it? Perhaps things like “best cupcakes near me” or “local bakeries.” Chances are if you are searching with those keywords, then others are too.
How Do I Use It?
Adding keywords that people search for on Google and other search engines into your website’s content is the best way that you can use SEO. Does this mean mindlessly stuffing keywords into your blog? Definitely not. Imagine reading it on someone else’s website:
“Do you know where to find the best local cupcakes? If you’re looking for the best local cupcakes, look no further than X shop for the best local cupcakes.”
Does that sound natural? No, it sounds awkward and clunky. Do use keywords to your advantage, but also use common sense as you do. Read your content out loud to make sure it sounds as clear and flowing as possible.
5. Consider Hiring A Marketing Specialist
Although there are plenty of tools and resources that you can make use of for free, one surefire way to help you boost your marketing plan is to hire a marketing specialist. These professionals make their livelihood out of helping small businesses like yours grow and thrive by helping them come up with a better strategy.
Aside from helping you with things like website design and the best ways to use SEO, marketing specialists can also help to manage your social media accounts. Access to software that can help track trending keywords, topics, and hashtags gives them an upper hand when you’re trying to help your online image.
When you’re looking for a marketing specialist to help you, make sure to look over their portfolio, check references, and see what their price plans are like. It might take some time, but finding the right marketing agency for you is worth it in the end for the health of your company.
Being smart with the way that you market your business is the best way to draw in new clientele. Since the world does not rely on print marketing the same way that it used to, the online world is the way of the future. Discover the best ways to use online marketing to help you go from a small business to a thriving corporation.
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