You’ve heard it all before: the myriad of reasons your small business should invest in digital marketing strategies. But you’ve never heard it like this before.
Let’s break it down in easy to digest terms so you can get your digital media and marketing channels in place this year—and not be left behind by your competition.
Do You Know How Important Your Small Business Is?
Let’s start by talking about you first. You may not realize it, but your small business is incredibly vital for a thriving economy. In the last several years, small businesses have added nearly 1.4 million fresh new jobs. Out of which, 39% comes from small businesses that have less than 50 people. Small businesses were key for the country’s recovery from the recession. Between 2009 and 2013, around 60% of the jobs were created from small businesses.
Because your small business is so essential, it makes sense that you should be promoting it through the best promotional tools at hand. That’s were social media, content marketing, and email marketing all come into play.
Social Media Marketing Channels
Let’s be honest, social media marketing is a proven advertising tool for small businesses. There is no longer any doubt: for the successful execution of your small business’ digital marketing strategies, you need to go social. Why? Your customers are already using social media.
You wouldn’t buy a billboard in the desert, would you? You would put it up the heart of a city where people can see it. Being where your target audience is, is the most important lesson for being a successful digital marketer.
Content Marketing and Blogging
Content marketing, which consists of a strong blogging strategy, should be on the top of your digital marketing list. Based on expenditure alone, many companies find content marketing beneficial for their business. Firms allocate about 32% of their total marketing budgets, on average, to promoting their own content. According to business statistics for growth and expansion, approximately 88% of B2B marketers use content marketing as an integral part of their overall strategy.
The reason why content marketing is so popular: it works. It establishes your company as a thought leader and solidifies your brand’s positioning as a trusted expert in your industry.
Eager to beat your competition? Just 32% of businesses have a formal content marketing strategy. Instead of creating a content calendar, or editorial strategy, they fly by the seat of their pants. Imagine how much more productive a company’s content strategy is when they take the time to create a comprehensive plan. This is where you can easily out-perform your competition.
A Deeper Dive on Blogging
Blogging is clearly one of the most popular ways to implement a content strategy. Plus, it is a great way for customers to engage with your small business. Keep in mind that your blogging strategy should be influenced by your SEO strategy—optimize your blog content with the keywords you need for organic traffic.
A few tips to consider, is be consistent with your schedule, create a blogging calendar, and blog as frequently as possible. Did you know that daily blogging can be up to 25% more effective that monthly blogging? Google and other search engines love fresh content, so keep feeding it to them. Companies that blog on a consistent and regular schedule can benefit greatly compared to those who don’t do it at all.
Email Marketing
Did you know that nearly 4.3 billion population of the world uses email? This is approximately half of the entire population of the world. When conversing with consumers, most business professional prefer communicating through email.
Your content strategy feeds your email marketing strategy. Use the content you blog about in your email marketing strategy. A regular newsletter or tip sheet can easily be made to aggregate your most recent blog posts, strengthening both your email marketing strategy and your content strategy quickly and easily.
Facebook Continues to Reign
Facebook continues to be the number one social media platform in the world. On average, it has two billion active users per month and 1.32 billion users per day. Facebook offers great potential to obtaining a positive return on your investment because you can laser-target your audience. Its consumer data is unmatched in the digital media sphere, meaning you can create audiences that crave your content with an increased chance of converting them into customers.
Besides Facebook, other popular platforms to consider are Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Linked In. Take the time to explore each one to determine the best features and benefits for your small business.
B2B Marketing and Social Media
Don’t let anyone tell you that social media marketing doesn’t make sense for B2B businesses. LinkedIn is the perfect place for your small business to engage with and form relationships with other business. Posting blog content is easy to do with LinkedIn’s dashboard. Just like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you can post your content and use hashtags to curate and promote your content.
So, Is Your Small Business Ready for a Comprehensive Digital Media Strategy?
Familiarity with the many social media platforms and the benefits they offer your small business’ content strategy is the first step. Creating a content strategy, outlining a calendar, and using the platforms to their maximum potential will help you stand out in your space within your industry. That’s why there is no better time than now, to invest in your small business’ digital marketing.
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