If you run and own a small business, you may already know the importance of having the best digital marketing strategies in place. However, this is often not as easy as it sounds. Why? Well many of the strategies that end up working usually arise from trial-and-error. In addition, these efforts are also accompanied by having to spend money. There are also no guarantees you will achieve returns on your investments, which is even truer when your overall budget is much lower when compared to your competitors. What this all means is that as soon as you begin spending money, the campaign has to be something that you have faith in.
Yet what are the best marketing strategies actually made of? If you run a small business that is just starting out, what should feature on your own list of essential elements?
- 1) Search Engine Optimization
This is the first and most important element to begin with, and it is in most cases the more affordable option. If you have skills in writing marketing copy, then it is easy to produce your own content by first conducting the correct keyword research. Creating along with publishing the correct SEO website will assist you in optimizing your website, provided you have the experience, patience, and time to carry this task out correctly.
One of the main reasons as to why many owners of websites usually hire digital marketing agencies has to do with the fact that SEO takes patience, it is time-consuming and often confusing. It is also not a task you can complete in one day and then leave it to run for a few weeks. When you are just starting out, which usually means you do not have a lot of traffic, niche-relevant and accurate SEO strategies become very important. It is also important that your SEO efforts continue to run for months, and in some cases even years, in order for you to get the most out of SEO. Your aim should be focused on getting your website and the pages on your site on Google’s first page when your targeted audience conducts internet searches.
- 2) Pay Per Click Advertising
This is when things start to cost you more money. PPC, which stands for Pay Per Click advertising, is one of the strategies to use with SEO. You will bid for keywords through social media platforms or through the search engines, which will ensure your ad appears on the web page associated with search results. You need to try and get onto the 1st page, which means ongoing optimization associated with the details of the ad is required. This type of optimization also strategizes a way to lower the costs for every click, and at the same time increasing the click numbers from your targeted audiences.
You may be wondering why website owners use this system when it is more expensive? Well, not every website is content-driven. For example, E-commerce websites are far more focused when it comes to duplicate descriptions and their products, which means they need more help in order to start ranking higher. PPC advertising is one of the best ways to achieve this goal.
- 3) Build An Email List
This concept might sound outdated, but building email lists are still among the top-rated digital marketing strategies that are available to everyone. This tactic provides you with direct contact with potential clients and customers. Email is one of the best ways to develop lasting and meaningful customer relationships, provided you are using your list wisely and with respect.
When you use it in the right way, you will ensure that you are only sending emails to people that have already opted-in to the list. Make sure you never sell people’s information or spam them. Also, make sure that your emails are worthwhile to open. Your emails should be sent on time schedules such as one every week.
- 4) Social Media Platforms
Your digital marketing strategies would not be complete if you do not include social media. Even though it doesn’t work for everyone, it is still highly effective when it comes to creating a bit of hype, and building relationships with readers. For example, a post that has gone viral might increase the traffic and visitors to your website. The conversion rates might not be life-changing, but it will provide your website with a favorable boost.