The Power of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing can be a confusing concept…but it doesn’t have to be. Digital marketing is simply a marketing plan for how you are represented online. This will include your website, social media posts, blog posts, online listings, and any other online aspect. With the rise in numbers of how many people are shopping online, you can’t afford to NOT have an online presence. As a small business owner, you may feel that you are too small to worry about being seen online, but you would be missing out on so much lost revenue. Having a solid digital marketing plan has many benefits.

 

You can reach the people you are targeting where they shop. 

Studies done in 2016 show that 96% of Americans are looking online to find information on products, information about sellers, browse what inventory stores have available, and complete purchases online. By utilizing a solid marketing plan, you can target that audience and get your share of the revenue. You need to make sure that online shoppers can find you. This will mean making sure you have a website, take an active role on social media, and putting some time and money into a good SEO plan.

 

Social media has become a great way to connect and reach your customers in a more personal way. Many buyers will post to your business’s page to ask questions, leave a review, or air a complaint. Other potential buyers will look to see if your business responds and how you will respond and handle those complaints.

 

Businesses that are online are on a more level playing field. 

In the days before online shopping, when a large business would open a store in a small town the small businesses found themselves seeing less and less customers until they ended up closing. Small businesses could not compete with larger businesses and ended up going bankrupt. With the advancements of technology, small businesses can afford to compete with larger businesses for a fair share of the customers. In fact, many shoppers seek out smaller businesses because want that more personal touch. Make sure that your business information is the same on all your business listings. You don’t want to confuse or lose customers by having outdated information.

 

Digital marketing allows for better analytics. 

It used to be that you had to go to great lengths to learn how well an ad did and what was the best ad for your business. With today’s businesses being found online, getting that same information is 10x easier. You are now able to easily watch which ads people are responding too, how those ads are run, what their interaction was, and if it prompted them to make a purchase. This information allows you to dial in your marketing strategy and to maximize your marketing budget. Because you are online, it is cheaper and easier to change and redirect your strategy as well as set a hard budget for how much each ad will cost you.

 

Email marketing and being mobile friendly have lager ROI than traditional marketing. 

Email marketing is an aspect of digital marketing and by far has the best ROI for any marketing plan. To begin your email database, you need to have a lead capture form. Once you have your leads, you need to use meaningful content (most businesses use aspects of their blogs) to keep your leads engaged and convince them to purchase. This is all more efficient than sending out traditional mailers at a fraction of the cost.  

 

It may seem like a small thing but having your website mobile friendly is a big key to creating more customers. Buyers will look sooner on a mobile device and capitalizing on that makes your business seem up-to-date with today’s shoppers. Consumers today look and shop on different sized devices. Your site should respond and look the same whether it is on a smart phone, a tablet, or a desktop. If your site is not mobile friendly, you could be missing out.

 

For a business to survive in today’s market, a digital marketing strategy is a must no matter what size business you have. It allows you to connect with customers and show them that they matter as people, not just a dollar sign. You can specifically market the clientele you want and at a cheaper price than traditional marketing allowing you to keep costs and prices down, which is a win for businesses and customers alike.