Ten Benefits of Digital Marketing for small businesses

Digital marketing is advertising delivered through digital channels. Channels such as social media, mobile applications, email, web applications, search engines, websites, or any new digital channel. (Neil Patel)

1. Quick and easy touch points for customers – Readily accessible to customers at any time of the day or night, anywhere in the world
2. More cost efficient than traditional marketing – Digital marketing provides a higher return on investment as the spend is lower.  Business owner can also use analytic tools to identify exactly where funds are to be spent.
3. It provides real time results – In a world of instant gratification, digital marketing allows small business owners to see the results of their campaign as it happens. Thus, they can adjust if something is not working or increase the spend based on the returns being experienced.
4. It puts the small business in ‘big’ company – Digital marketing levels the playing field for large and small businesses. Because of the affordability of digital marketing, smart marketing campaigns can yield the same or even better results for small businesses.
5. It builds Brand Reputation – Your brand’s stories are more believable when they are in writing or shared by satisfied customers.  Use positive customer stories to establish your brand and build your reputation online.
6. Extends your business's reach beyond local borders - With digital marketing, business have the opportunity to target customers not just in their local area but in markets you've never imagined.
7. It enables distribution of your business's content - Content and digital marketing are first cousins.  Digital enables efficient content sharing.  Emails, social media status updates, blogs and video sharing are just a few of the ways that digital enables content.
8. It enables mobile marketing - A whopping 90% of internet users access websites using mobile.  Of course, digital marketing enables mobile
9.  Digital allows you to measure ... everything - As a small business, it is important to know how your marketing dollars are being spent and digital allows you to track the performance on each and every tactic.
10. It is the most powerful form of marketing - Digital is the most powerful form of marketing because it incorporates online marketing, social media marketing and mobile marketing. 

 

Five strategies to market your small business on a shoe-string budget

I've been asked about 'marketing on a budget' so many times that I’ve decided to write a short but sweet blog entry offering five ‘free’ marketing strategies to include in any shoe string marketing budget. So here goes:

Always have a business card – Use a design tool such as Canva to help you to create clean, brand-centric business card… The card should include all your contact information such as name of the business, telephone contact, email address, social media handles and a website if you have one.  In terms of cost; printing! Keep electronic cards handy though as many businesses trade online.

Networking – Networking is the single most effective form of marketing when you are on a shoestring budget.  Identify groups that have similar or complementary interests and see how you can benefit from building business relationships.

Collaboration – Another strategy that can build your business Identified during networking, look for businesses that both of you can benefit from a relationship for each other.  For example, you are a maker of bamboo straws and you meet a leather products manufacturer who can create holder for the straws, that could be a beneficial partnership.

Blogging/Content Marketing – My absolute favourite, maybe because I am a Content Writer.  One of the cheapest, most effective way to get the message about your business in front of your target audience is producing and sharing practical, useful content.  If you do not have a website, not a problem.  Sites such as Blogger and Wordpress will host your blog for free, providing free templates that accommodate both text and images and allows for building your audience.  Use your blog to share information about each of your products and/or services and target the blog to your ideal customer audience.  A blog is always best if supported by social media platforms that drive traffic to the blog.

Never miss an opportunity to share your opinion – Yes, you are in business to make money but you may get offers to share your expertise and there is no compensation… do not decline.  Use the opportunity to build your credibility and reputation as a thought leader in the specific area.