As a small business owner, you constantly need to stand out from the competition. No matter how better your products and services are, consumers might never know about your brand or prefer you from the next unless you market your products. Marketing is a crucial part of establishing your brand, increasing brand awareness, and generating leads and sales for your small business. With the current massive use of the internet, many businesses are embracing digital marketing strategies to get their message across to their prospective customers.
For many small businesses, everything is run on a tight budget, and when it comes to digital marketing strategies, it always seems like larger corporations have the advantage.
Our article discusses eight of the best small business digital marketing techniques you can employ in 2021 without having to spend a fortune.
Create a Website
Having a website is vital for any business looking to establish an active online presence. It should be the first thing visitors come across when they google your business. A website enables visitors to engage with you directly and learn more about your brand.
It’s crucial to optimize your website by making it convenient and user-friendly for visitors. Since most consumers use their mobile devices to search for businesses, make your website mobile-friendly, easily navigable, uncluttered, clean, and well-structured. Your website should also be very responsive and not take too long to load.
The more convenient and user-friendly your website is, the greater the user experience and the higher the chances of consumers visiting and buying the products and services you provide.
Create a Google Listing for Your Business
According to Google, over the last two years, there has been a 500%+ growth in mobile searches for “where can I buy _ near me.” Statistics also show that 22% of voice searches are used to find local businesses and local content. As a small business with a physical store looking to develop a strong local presence, you should have a Google My Business (GMB) profile. This profile gives your business more visibility by ensuring that it shows up on search engine results every time someone looks for services or products similar to those you provide in your location.
GMB combines all the different Google platforms you are on into one central place. This includes your Google Maps and Google+ profiles, your Google reviews, and your data on Google Insights and Google Analytics.
Setting up a GMB account is easy. All that Google requires from you is the name of your business, your location, and the category. Once Google has confirmed your address, ownership of the company, and ensured it’s not a duplicate, they will create a Business Profile for that location. Having a unique brand name gives you a greater display on search engines.
Embrace SEO
Search Engine Optimization is a growing trend that many small businesses are employing to get better visibility. Being well positioned on the SERP is an efficient way of driving traffic to your website – ultimately attracting clients and building trust between your clients and brand. SEO works by making search engines recognize the value and relevance of the products and services your business has to offer, making you a favorable brand when consumers search for specific keywords.
Display Customer Reviews on Your Website
People are persuaded by consumers like themselves who’ve written about their experience with a service or product. Statistics show that 75% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal product eCommerce recommendations. As a small business looking to attract new customers, displaying customer reviews on your website gives you an advantage. These reviews will make prospective clients better understand the product, evaluate if it meets their needs, and get a sense of the product’s reliability, performance, and customer service your business provides. According to the Spiegel report fund, displaying reviews on your websites can boost conversions by 270%.
Responding to customer reviews also helps you build loyalty and trust with your customers, leaves a positive impression of your brand in your customers’ minds, and encourages them to come back. Google also confirms that responding to reviews improves your SEO.
Embrace and Stay Active on Social Media
Using social media for businesses is no longer a matter of negotiation. Statistics show that 33% of consumers prefer to contact brands on social media instead of using the telephone. If your consumers cannot find you on social media, they will likely turn to a competitor with an active social media presence.
Social media platforms enable businesses to engage with their customers actively and directly. If used effectively, social media is a powerful tool to help your small business generate leads, attract customers, and increase brand awareness.
To fully utilize social media, you need to:
- Find which platform your customers are, how they should be approached, and create a business page there.
- Post regularly to keep your page updated.
- Actively engage with your audience by responding to their queries, messages, and comments in a professional manner.
Use Social Media Ads
Social media provides businesses with a platform to advertise to the specific customer base they are targeting. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram make it easier for businesses to target relevant customers using age, demographics, location, and interests.
- Make Use of Social Media Influencers
Social media influencers aren’t necessarily celebrities, but they are well-known people who have a massive following and are influential on these platforms. You can use these social media influencers to promote and market your products and services to their audience.
Content Marketing
Content will always be king. According to a recent study, 68% of consumers said they feel more confident about a brand after consuming content from it. Create a blog on your business website to improve your interaction with your consumers. Besides driving traffic to your website, content marketing also helps your website rank higher in SERP.
Get Professional Help with PPC Management
Here at BizIQ, we offer small businesses PPC management packages that include every possible PPC strategy to help businesses reach their target market without going past their budget.
Get in touch with us today, or call us on (888) 416-9800 to get started with our free, one-on-one digital marketing evaluation and competitive analysis.
