If you own a small business, it’s a given that you have to work within a limited marketing budget. Therefore, it’s essential to have a plan that gets the most bang for your marketing buck. There are many marketing options available today, and they can be summed up in the following quote from Salesforce:
“More. It’s certainly one way to sum up the current marketing landscape. There are more available channels and more information. Consumers have more access, can make more informed decisions, and hold more power as a result. And that means more — or higher — customer expectations. They expect you to be extremely nimble, transparent, and available to hear from them and then respond accordingly. They want more.”
So how do you choose which marketing routes to go down? Here’s a list of six top marketing strategies you should consider investing in.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The structure and content of your site should be such that search engines can easily crawl (read) it. Content should focus on relevant keywords to improve your ranking on Google’s search results. Understand also that consumers often search for products to buy locally on their mobile devices. Optimizing your mobile responsive site for local SEO increases your chances of appearing in local mobile search results.
2. Content Marketing
Creating buyer personas is an essential step in ensuring that you reach your desired audience. It’s also important to consider where your leads are in your sales funnel and to match up your content accordingly. Quality content helps promote a positive brand image, improve your SEO, and build trust with your audience.
3. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising enables you to display your ads to consumers searching online for relevant products. Google Ads is the most popular PPC or paid search marketing platform. Keyword research plays a vital role in PPC ad campaigns. An effective keyword list should include a mix of frequently searched terms and long-tail keywords.
4. Facebook Advertising
Facebooks ads are one of the most effective and least expensive ways to advertise your product to a niche audience. These ads come with sophisticated targeting features (e.g., location, age, gender, online behavior) so that only relevant consumers see your ad.
5. Social Media Marketing
Posting content on social media channels is a must! When choosing which ones to use, take into account which platforms your target audience uses the most. Click here for a guide to the differences between each channel.
6. Email Marketing
Most consumers will not buy the first time they visit your site. Therefore, it’s important to capture your visitors’ contact information before they leave. Use a “lead magnet,” a compelling offer to a visitor in exchange for their email address – e.g., an ebook, whitepaper, webinar invitation, special promotion, or even PowerPoint Templates specific to their industry. You can then use email to nurture these leads.
Start Building Your Digital Marketing Strategy Today
A small marketing budget shouldn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of some of the more profitable marketing channels available. With your marketing strategy in place, you’ll be on your way to increasing your visibility and helping to bring in lots of new customers.
