The buzzword “digital marketing” has evolved quite a bit in recent years. Though there may be some confusion around the term & how it is applied to small businesses, the fact remains that it is not going away & is growing year-over-year.
The number of users who now have access to the internet is growing exponentially. In the U.S., 87.27% of people already have access to the internet. That is about 293 million individuals! And more than half of these online users are accessing information via a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.
The power of digital marketing comes from the low barrier to entry & the attribution models that give advertisers the ability to better determine what is working for their business.
Consider this, 84% of Americans are shopping for something at any given time, in up to six different categories. And in nearly one-quarter of shopping occasions, shoppers say they turn to their smartphone first.
By leveraging big data, any small business can tap into advertising inventory that has a similar reach to traditional marketing (such as television); along with performance that can usually outperform traditional marketing when leveraged correctly.
The question that remains is, “how do I add a strong digital marketing strategy to my small business?”
Whether it’s leveraging the power of user-intent through networks such as Google Search or finding a brand’s voice amongst social media or online video advertising, digital marketing offers a unique solution to small businesses.
Even with a small budget, a business can begin to build awareness of its brand through digital marketing tactics. It doesn’t even need to be that complicated to start.
Begin with the question, “Where is my target audience spending their time online?” Then follow up with, “What action or actions (like click-through, pick up the phone, etc.) do I want my target audience to take that is valuable to my business?”.
By answering these two simple questions, anyone can begin to get an idea of what digital marketing strategies may work for their business.
Then, start with a small budget and begin testing on various platforms to see what works and what doesn’t.
If the thought of diving in is too overwhelming or you just simply don’t have the bandwidth to conquer this on your own, you don’t have to! We have digital marketing specialists who can easily assess the best strategy & tactics to getting your business found online.
If this is something you’d like to hear more about, hit us up! We’d love to chat.