Making space in some markets that are brimming with competition can be a difficult task. The entrepreneurs and startup certainly agree with me on this one. They have to compete with the big fishes which have been a part of the game for quite some time. The most common tactic which every small enterprise has adopted is leveraging the internet to reach out to masses internationally. Keep in mind that when forming your marketing strategy, proper international marketing is entirely different from local marketing since you need translation to do it right, but they both nonetheless share the same marketing principles and it literally pays to get them done right.
However, statistics have shown that 49% of the organization does not have a well-defined online marketing strategy. Hubspot’s research found out that 39% of the marketers don’t think their marketing strategy are effective and don’t yield the results desired. Did anything dawn on you? No? Well, the thing to ponder here is that 39% of businesses don’t think that their digital marketing strategy is efficient which gives you a competitive edge. You may not have the highest of quality or product and being a small brand you can completely win the audience over with a sound digital marketing strategy.
What should a digital marketing strategy consist of? And how should you expand your digital footprint as your proceed? We will share seven marketing plans which will ensure success for your small business.
1. Leverage on the potential of Social Media Marketing
Social media can be very tricky for small businesses but holds great potential for them as well. Many businesses get started with it but don’t have the first idea how to draw its true potential. Choose the social media channel according to your business. If you’re a recruiting agency then you would want to utilize LinkedIn and if you’re a communication company like Cox communications you’d want to target Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You’d want your audience to stay updated with Cox internet packages, TV and phone packages.
Your campaign on Social media channels should have the following two purposes:
- To help you in reaching your potential and targeted audience by assuring that your brand gets the maximum relevant attention.
- The second purpose of social media is that it amplifies the number of visitors towards your platform which will provide you with opportunities to convert the incoming traffic into sales.
Social media marketing relies on content and influencer marketing. These two supporting sub division give a boost to your social media marketing.
The best thing about social media marketing is that it promotes free communication. The customer receives a prompt response to their queries and is enhanced by fellow followers. Great customer service always results in loyal customers.
2. SEM (Search Engine Marketing)
Search Engine Marketing is a must for your digital marketing strategy. When I refer to SEM it covers both its core participants which would be SEO and PPC. SEO is about optimizing your website to increase visability resulting in a higher ranking on the SERPs whereas PPC is the paid advertisement on Google. 61% of marketers think that SEO is the priority for inbound marketing. SEO helps in boosting your traffic organically whereas PPC is the fast way to get lots of traffic. Both have their own benefits.
3. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a strong part of the digital marketing strategy. Even giants like Samsung, Huawei, etc. are utilizing the potential of influencer marketing to persuade the audience towards their brand. Influencer generated content expands the reach of your brand which in turn increases your potential audience which wasn’t previously aware of your brand. We see that most of the beauty bloggers are utilizing Huda beauty cosmetic products. Huda itself started off with a YouTube channel and then launched her own makeup line. She strategically targeted influencer marketers on Instagram and other platforms to get her products the exposure she wanted. Within five years she has gotten global recongination. People from every country across the world are aware of her product which has resulted in an increase of sales for both physical and online outlets.
4. Email Marketing
Many marketers may say that E-mail marketing is an underused technique now but to be honest they would be wrong. E-mail marketing is still one of the most effective marketing technique. 30% of marketers even say that it provides the highest ROI than other marketing techniques.
Building a directory of your existing and prospective customers and then reaching out to them with the ongoing offers and promotions will to result in the desired traction. The above mentioned points that have been discussed also allow you to build a strong directory of prospective customers. Reach out to them via E-mail marketing and share newsletter, updates, offers and surprise gifts to keep them interested.
5. Local SEO
Search engine optimization is a stepping stone when it comes digital marketing. It allows you to remain prominent against a particular queries among so many of your competitors. A successful digital marketing strategy doesn’t exist without SEO. You’ll be surprised to know that 76% of the people who search for a business using a search engine actually visit them within a day. 28% of the searched result end in a purchase, which clearly shows the important of ranking higher when Googled.
6. Mobile Marketing
2018 has shown that 58% of traffic to a websites were from mobile devices whereas 42% were from the desktop. This clearly states that mobile marketing should be the docus when it comes to your online marketing effort. Many marketers make the mistake of underestimating the importance of mobile marketing however, they are missing out on a load of opportunities. Optimizing your website for mobile devices has become increasingly important. Explainer videos are a great way of visual content demonstration. There are several tools which enable you to create mobile-friendly websites.
7. Content Marketing
Content is king says business icon, Bill Gates. None of the above-mentioned strategies can work without content. It can take several forms of content depending upon your marketing strategy. The content can consit of guides, how-to’s, E-books, long form, short form, videos, and photographs etc. Explainer videos are a great way of visual content demonstration. There are endless options when it comes to content. Content marketing also helps in creating quality backlinks for your website which creates a positive effect on your search engine results.
I know this may seem a little too much to implement for a small business, but trust me all these strategies together can deliver the desired results in a short span of time.
