The most successful companies are those with a powerful online presence. More people than ever head online to discover new brands and services. That’s why it’s crucial for companies of all sizes to take steps to improve their online visibility. Start-ups and well-established brands can all benefit from implementing new digital marketing campaigns. Best of all, you don’t have to spend a fortune. Here are some digital marketing ideas that will take your brand to the next level.
1. Register for Online Directories
Where do people discover small businesses? Many use local SEO directories to locate companies in their area. Some of the most popular include Google Maps, Yelp, City-Data, and Manta. Online directories provide important details about your business, including driving directions, appointment options, and customer reviews. Registering for these sites will help boost your online presence, and it’s important for small businesses in all industries to join as many as possible.
2. Create a Social Media Profile
Facebook isn’t just for chatting with friends and family. The social media giant has also become a hotspot for small businesses. Creating a business page on the most popular social media platforms will help you grow your audience quickly. Social media is a great way to post about upcoming launches or limited-time offers. Best of all, most platforms are free to join.
3. Advertise on Social Media
Small businesses should also consider buying ad space on social media. Both Instagram and Facebook, for example, place ads in user feeds and the sidebars. Do people actually click on these ads? Yes! Research shows that one-third of Instagram users have bought something directly from an advertisement on the platform. With over one billion users each month, the odds of making a sale are high.
4. Offer Customer Service Online
Customers appreciate brands that respond to questions and concerns quickly. Using social media as a customer service tool is a must. Be sure to reply to posts, and when needed, use direct messaging to resolve problems. The faster you offer a solution to a customer, the more likely they are to recommend your business to others.
5. Invest in Better Landing Pages
How interesting are your landing pages? Since landing pages create a first impression, it’s crucial to build eye-catching, informative pages. Make sure your landing pages are clean, grammatically correct, and functional. The best landing pages answer questions and look enticing. You should also include an easy-to-find contact form on every page. Great landing pages make visitors more likely to stick around.
6. Build an Email List
Email is still very much alive and well. It’s also an excellent way for brands to communicate with their entire audience at once. You can use your email list to create FOMO about products or introduce your audience to upcoming launches. Be sure to build an email list as fast as possible. Every landing page should have a place to sign up for your brand’s email list. Offering coupons or promotional deals are both proven ways to get people to join.
7. Offer a Free Webinar
Does your brand provide a service? If so, consider sharing your expertise with others. Webinars are a great tool to give your audience helpful tips or answer questions. Free webinars produce more traction than those that charge an entry fee. Not only do webinars help make you an authority on a particular subject, they can also generate new sales leads.
8. Optimize Keywords
Which keywords are vital to your small business? Landing on the front page of Google is a proven way to boost sales. However, these coveted spots are not always easy to obtain. It’s important to optimize relevant keywords for your brand. Gone are the days of short, generic keywords. Today, long-tail keywords reign supreme. These keywords are very specific and are more valuable to searchers. Determine which long-tail keywords are best for your brand, and be sure to implement an SEO strategy to optimize them fully.
9. Launch a PPC Campaign
You don’t have to wait for your keywords to perform to show on the first page. Instead, consider pay-per-click advertising (PPC) on Google or Bing. These campaigns show up above organic search results as a sponsored post. PPC is a useful marketing tool for small businesses looking to reach a broader audience. However, make sure your landing pages are in top-notch shape before launching a PPC campaign. Since every click costs your company money, you want to make sure visitors can easily find what they want.
10. Co-Market with Other Local Businesses
Do other local businesses share a similar target audience? If so, you may want to connect with them. See if they will mention your brand on their social media pages, through blog posts, or in emails. In return, you will post about their company through your company’s channels. Co-marketing lets you grow your audience without spending any money. It’s beneficial to both parties and is a good way to increase your online visibility.
11. Ask for Customer Reviews
Honest reviews are critical. 93-percent of customers read online reviews before making a purchase. People who are displeased with a brand are likely to leave a negative review. However, not every satisfied customer remembers to write a positive review. Don’t shy away from asking loyal customers for a review. Most will gladly write one to tell others about your services.
12. Get to Know Your Audience
Who does your brand serve? Too many small business owners don’t have a clear answer to this question. Successful companies, however, know the importance of knowing their target audience. Find out what makes your customers tick. Learn about their needs, values, and pain points. Every marketing decision you make should keep your target audience in mind. Once you know your ideal buyer persona, creating rabid fans becomes much easier.
13. Create an Effective Value Proposition
What makes your brand better than the competition? Your value proposition is a key element of any marketing message. It should summarize why customers should choose your product or services over others. An effective value proposition should also address the needs of your target audience directly. It’s not a generic message but rather something that should be unique to your brand.
14. Figure Out What Works
When was the last time you checked our website analytics? Knowing what works and what doesn’t is very important. If you notice your landing page has a high conversion rate, you should double-down on it. At the same time, you may want to revamp or completely abandon any under-performing marketing strategies. It’s smarter to invest more in methods that work than wasting money revitalizing failing schemes.
15. Invest in Existing Customers
Too many small businesses spend the majority of their marketing budget on building a larger audience. They often forget to acknowledge their existing customers. While new leads are great, you shouldn’t forget about those who have already spent their money with you. Find ways to encourage repeat purchasing. Offer deals and promo codes to existing customers, or give them early-bird access to new launches.
16. Design a Professional Website
Having a business website is a must. Your website should reflect your brand’s culture and resonate with your audience. Make sure every page loads quickly, as most people will click out if they have to wait for more than a few seconds. Continually update the website to include new offerings and promotions. Remember, your brand can close a sale 24/7, so you want to make sure it’s always ready for business.
17. Write a Blog to Generate Traffic
Blogging is an effective way to generate new traffic to your site. Write posts that are valuable to your target audience. It’s important to upload new blogs frequently and include any relevant keywords within the content. Adding a call-to-action in every post will help create new leads and improve conversion rates.
18. Improve Your Brand Identity
Is your brand memorable? The most successful companies have a concrete brand identity. Specific colors, symbols, and phrases make people instantly think of a particular company. The name of your brand is important. It should be easy to pronounce and help distinguish your company from others. Creating a logo is also a clever marketing decision. A half-eaten piece of fruit, for instance, makes everyone think of Apple. The Nike swoosh is also well-recognized. Make sure your logo reflects your brand culture and is relatable for your target audience.
19. Go Mobile
Mobile devices are everywhere, and more people than ever connect to the internet from a phone or tablet. Taking advantage of this target audience is a must. However, a website that looks great on a desktop may not be functional on a smartphone. Small business owners need to optimize their websites to fit on smaller screens. Limit the number of slow-loading graphics, and use fonts and colors that show up well on mobile devices.
20. Experiment with Different Types of Content
Visual content has become very popular. Website browsers appreciate interactive graphics and beautiful photographs. Include plenty of pictures on your various online channels to help drive interest in your brand. Video content is also in demand. Interestingly enough, videos created on smartphones generate more views than those produced in a studio. You can even consider optimizing your online channels with user-generated photos and videos.
Try a Variety of Marketing Tactics
Online marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. As a small business owner, you’ll want to test the waters with various marketing methods to figure out which works best for your brand. Some tactics may succeed, and others may fail. However, once you determine the right ones for your niche, you’ll be able to sit back and watch your revenues skyrocket.
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