Recently, many small business owners like you have seen the value of digital marketing. But is it truly worth your time and effort? The short answer is yes! Digital marketing includes social media, online advertisements, podcasts, videos, and email subscriptions. We’ll delve deeper into some of these topics as we go. Here are 10 reasons why you need a digital marketing strategy.
Reason #1: Digital marketing is affordable
Digital marketing is less expensive than traditional marketing like radio, print and TV. You’ll find a higher return on investment (ROI) with digital marketing. It doesn’t cost anything to start an account on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. All you need is a phone and some good lighting! You can also create a blog for free, but it is totally worth it to pay a little extra to be privately hosted.
Reason #2: Digital marketing is mobile
With digital marketing, you don’t have to rely on your potential customers to possibly tune into an ad on radio or TV at a certain time. They are always online via their phones and may skip over ads on TV or not notice the ones around them on billboards and buses. It makes sense to allocate your marketing dollars to areas where people are spending the most time. Most of us do a lot of shopping online and are looking for products we can purchase without having to walk into a store.
You can even send out text messages to remind customers when new products are launching. I have had great success with my text line. Users can simply sign up by texting “money maker” to 951-309-7885. Most text messages are read immediately and people like receiving messages from brands they trust.
Reason #3: You can track it easily
You don’t need a degree in mathematics to study your website’s analytics. It’s easy to see where your marketing dollars are going with digital marketing. You can track exactly which sites are leading consumers back to your website. Then, evaluate the click-through-rate (CTR) and conversion rate (CR) to try to gain as many leads as possible.
Decide how much of your business you hope to draw from new consumers. Then figure out where to find those consumers. Will you get the most clicks from an email marketing campaign, Facebook ad, or your Instagram account? And don’t forget about Pinterest! It’s one of the top three search engines on the web. Check out my course on how to get started with Pinterest. Look at the analytics from past campaigns and be honest about which tools are most effective. You can also see which types of media your customers viewed before making a purchase.
Reason #4: Beat your competition
Let’s face it: many of your competitors are already using digital marketing to their advantage. Rather than copying what they are doing, modify their tactics to show how your business is offering something even better. What sets you apart? How is your product or service original? If they are only using a couple of digital channels, try to do more.
Reason #5: Digital marketing is always on
Even when you’re asleep, digital marketing is working for you. It can reach customers across the globe at all hours of the day. If Facebook isn’t working, people can still go to your website or search Pinterest to find out more about your business. Build up your website to include as much information as possible. Learn how you can be making money online with my Blogging 101 course.
Reason #6: Personalization
You can experiment with different digital channels to find out which ways are most effective for reaching your target audience. Younger demographics like Gen Z are more active on TikTok and Instagram. I know, I was hesitant to join TikTok at first but I was amazed at how many followers I gained in the first few months!
Millennials may spend more time on YouTube. While Boomers spend less time online than other age groups, they average more money spent per transaction so it’s important to consider their preferences as well. Create a campaign to reach your audience across multiple platforms.
Reason #7: Digital marketing is flexible
You are in charge of your digital marketing strategy. You can adjust it when it isn’t working for you, or increase your efforts in the areas that are working. No longer do you have to wait until the end of a campaign to evaluate the results. You can view them daily and decide what adjustments to make.
Reason #8: Legitimacy
Have you ever looked for a local business on Google and found nothing? It’s so frustrating! If a company doesn’t have a website, it doesn’t seem legitimate. Having a blog, or at least a landing page where people can shop for your products, is essential for your business. Make sure your customers know what your business is and how they can purchase products. Influencers and affiliates can be another great asset to increase trust in your business. Can you offer your product to someone that your customers already know and trust for recommendations?
Reason #9: Variety
If you have a podcast, YouTube, blog, and Instagram, you can hit people from four different channels. Digital marketing isn’t limited to audio, video, or print alone. You can take the same content and spread it across multiple avenues. This will also allow you to do less work and make more money! Check out my content planning sheets for tips on how to do this and make your life easier.
Reason #10: Build relationships
Social media allows you as a business owner to directly interact with your customers. You can listen to their concerns, fix problems, provide advice, and create trust. If they feel you are listening to them, then they will be more likely to recommend your brand to their friends.
Let’s make a plan!
I hope these 10 reasons you need a digital marketing strategy have helped you understand how it will help you get ahead. Now is the time to decide on your goals and which strategies you will use to reach them. Your competitors may be already using digital marketing, but you’ve still got plenty of time to get the ball rolling. If you’re overwhelmed, pick one channel like a blog, Instagram, or email newsletter to focus on. You can still see results quickly with a small investment into your brand.
And for more business tips and tricks, follow me on TikTok and Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you can do with digital marketing!
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