Why Digital Marketing for Small Businesses is Important
When I told people that I’d be starting my digital marketing agency for small businesses looking to grow, I got a lot of surprising pushback.
Can’t they do Facebook ads themselves?
How much time does it take to put an Instagram post together?
No one reads their email anymore.
What is SEO anyway?
Small businesses don’t need marketing on the internet; they just need a sign.
Maybe it’s my ten years in digital marketing, but I couldn’t believe my friends’ and family’s confusion. This perspective made me question whether people genuinely understand the power of digital marketing for a brand - even small ones. So, I’m addressing that in my very first blog post.
My Top 5 Reasons Small Businesses Need Digital Marketing Support
1.Getting found online.
Having a website and a Facebook page isn’t enough anymore. You may be sitting quietly scanning your Newsfeed, but the internet is full of noise. You aren’t only competing with the people in your industry, but every other industry with which your customers engage. What happens when you get found online? You make money, and your business grows!
For instance, let’s pretend you are a hair salon owner looking to increase the number of new clients? You are not just competing with other local salons, but also every beauty brand and down-stream, the at-home seller also trying to find your exact ideal client. If you rely on organic posts on your Facebook and Instagram accounts to drive new demand, you’re missing a massive marketing opportunity. Facebook/Instagram ads, especially for local businesses focused on one geographic area, are extremely economical, and the return on investment is usually extremely high (more on that later).
Nothing can substitute a well-placed advertisement; however, not every digital marketing effort needs a budget. If you are a local small business with a storefront, you want to make sure your Google My Business page is set up correctly and managed by you. If enough potential customers google your name or visit your location, Google will generate its content. Don’t let this happen to you. You own your storefront, so own your business’ online presence too.
2.Build loyalty to your brand.
Did you know digital marketing is more than just posting awesome content on Facebook and Instagram? It’s about engaging with your customers and making them feel like you care. When you accomplish this, you lock them in.
It’s also a medium to allow your customers to feel your loyalty to them. Email marketing, for instance, is a great way for small businesses to reach their loyal customers at a low cost. There are several email marketing tools that you can use for free or a small monthly amount. You can send out emails with exclusive content (like the recipe of your most purchased pastry) or announcements of upcoming events or sales.
Not everyone is driving past your storefront every day. You need to bring your storefront to them. Social media, email marketing, and review sites (like Yelp or TripAdvisor) are excellent tools.
3. Know how to grow your business.
If you aren’t where your customers are, how will you know how to grow your business? Even amazing products adapt eventually. A dairy farm local to my home, established five generations ago, hasn’t forgotten what established its brand: milk. Yet, they also just launched a sister brand selling ice cream by the scoop, not just the pint. That is brand growth. They heard what their customers needed, and they acted.
You can do this type of growth through conversations with your current customers or engage with potential customers on social media. Engaging with potential customers allows you to stay loyal to your brand and existing customers while innovating your brand and product lines to include new customers looking for something just a little different. If you are only talking to the people who walk through your door, you’ll never see what you could grow to be!
4.Beat your competitors.
If you aren’t on social media or doing paid advertising through Google, you are most likely not even in the competitive conversation. Do you wonder why your customers are slowing or staying stagnant, but your rival shop seems to be growing, bringing in new products, and hiring new people? Digital marketing.
To do digital marketing right, you need to understand what your competitors are doing on the platforms. You want to stand out among the noise while providing customers something they can keep close. You need to let everyone know why you are different and what makes you unique. If you aren’t shouting that from the rooftops, how is anyone going to know?
Beating your competitors isn’t always about price. You want to think about what makes you stand out. What makes you unique? Do you have a barista that makes the best latte in town? Do you donate a portion of your proceeds to a local charity? Do you offer a money-back guarantee? Maybe you do all of these things - these are the things you want to share through social media advertising and Google Ads to get people in the door and connected with you.
5. The return is (usually) worth it.
Digital marketing has many different facets and channels, but when people think of marketing, they typically focus on social media engagement and general online advertising. Yes, these are channels where you will SEE a direct return on your marketing budget. When you put time behind non-advertising efforts, you will see increased engagement and sales at the cost of manhours. These “free” digital marketing efforts can be:
optimizing your Google presence,
setting up an experience for online reviews,
creating a consistent blog,
crafting online quizzes or downloadable product content,
sending promotional emails to a loyal customer base.
The most crucial component of maintaining a positive ROI is engaging in the right digital marketing channels. Test everything. Be willing to fail. There is no guarantee that any particular channel is going to work. Knowing your customer and how to target them online is the first step to ensuring a successful campaign.
It’s scary to start something new, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s where a professional marketer can help you. Investing in the right digital marketing professional to guide you in the right direction and assist you with your campaigns could be essential. If you are interested in a no-commitment talk about your business and potentially working with me as your digital marketing consultant - click here and fill out my quick contact form!