Why must small businesses invest in digital marketing if they have not already done so?
The answer is straightforward.
Nearly 90% of shoppers prefer to buy online – and they do so as well.
This perhaps is the single most persuasive reason to invest in digital marketing strategies.
But then you have other reasons as well.
Digital Marketing Offers a Multi-Channel Approach to do Business
Your prospective customers can be on any platform. They hunt for products on Amazon, or any other shopping site on Google. And then social media leaders like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer opportunities as well. Small business advertisement is the cost-efficient method of putting your brand and website in front of a targeted audience.
Digital Marketing Offers a Level Playing Field
You can compete even with big businesses that have huge advertising budgets.
At first this may appear an uphill task but you can outdo competition from big guns by,
- Offering top class customer service
- By using innovative approaches
- By connecting with your target audience better
- By tapping niche markets by focusing more on regional customers
- By attracting the best local talent
That said, it is important for you to understand what trends are driving digital marketing in the present times and what must you do to stay ahead.
Fine Tune Your Content Marketing
Content will continue to be king. But modalities may change.
This is as to be expected because the internet is inundated with content.
Today the buyer is choosier.
Create content that is educative and tells the consumers how your product or service helps solve their problems.
The trend now is interactive content.
Such content especially on social media will allow customers to respond, comment and offer suggestions.
Make use of videos
Written content is easy to craft, and has the ability to create a lasting impact.
But videos go a step further.
They greatly enhance the understanding of your brand. If your brand is multifaceted, videos are the best tools for providing clear explanations that any ordinary consumer can understand.
Here is one another reason why must you include videos in your digital marketing strategy.
Today more than 80% of internet users own a smartphone. They use their smartphone to consume content and buy goods.
Reading texts on smartphone screens can be troublesome. Customers prefer videos.
Videos do much more than grab attention. It leads to better engagement and eventually more conversions.
After Facebook started to upload videos in 2016, they reported logging of a whopping 100 million hours of watch time by users.
Strategize in a mature market
If you are already in a mature market you may feel growth is a big challenge.
Yes it is but there is no any need to fret.
You can build a strategy to get going in a market that is slowing down.
You can resort to new channel creation, targeted marketing, and modify your products.
Unify the digital with the physical
While people do get all details of a brand on the internet, they still love shopping in the brick-and-mortar stores so that they can get the feel of the real thing.
You can use technologies that allow consumers to digitally interact with shoppers that are physically present in the stores. The trick is to send notifications or special coupons to consumers that are in the vicinity.
For small businesses having a cutting edge does not mean going for a complete overhaul. You can make smart changes in your approaches with regard to social media, content, and the manner in which you engage with your customers online.
