Six Ways to Elevate your Small Business with Digital Marketing
We shouldn’t think small when it comes to small business digital marketing. With the power of digital marketing, small businesses can expand their reach from the corner store to the global marketplace. Whether it’s attracting customers to visit a brick and mortar location or increasing eCommerce sales, digital marketing can take your small business to the next level. In this post, we’ll highlight some key digital marketing strategies that small businesses can adopt to leverage better results irrespective of budget.
#1 Complete your Google My Business Profile
Claiming your business on Google My Business the first step every small business owner should take before investing any more resources in digital marketing. Follow the steps outlined here. Best of all, this is simple and free! We also have a free Google My Business Guide to help get you started.
With a Google My Business listing, business owners can take control of what information is displayed on Google Maps and Google Search by verifying or updating their business information. They can also manage Google reviews which is key for customer engagement and search engine optimization.
#2 Create an SEO Strategy
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a continuous practice not a one-time endeavor. By utilizing keywords relevant to your business on your website’s main pages and published content, search engines will rank your site higher in search results. This is extremely important since search engine ranking correlates directly to website traffic. Studies show that over 70% of users never scroll beyond the first page on Google.
Before fully diving into your SEO strategy, think about what your customers will naturally search for. Write these searches down and start building out from there. If your business is a jewelry shop in Portland think, “jewelry Portland”, “jeweler near me”, “necklaces Portland area” etc. You can test that theory by seeing what keywords top-ranking pages utilize.
Then, you’ll want to create a list of keywords and phrases to start using throughout your website content to drive traffic. The inner workings of SEO are more complex than simply peppering keywords throughout a web page and we recommend you check out our blog post on where to start.
#3 Localize Pay Per Click Ads
It can be difficult to calculate the direct ROI of pay per click ads (PPC). However, they’re certainly worth the investment. Adding PPC ads to your digital marketing mix enhances SEO results making it easier for customers to find you. If your small business focuses on a local market, make sure to use keywords specific to your area.
People generally prefer to work with local businesses and service providers. By bidding on “best coffee shop in Santa Monica” versus simply “coffee shop”, your ads will generate higher click through rates and thus more website traffic.
#4 Organic Engagement on Social Media
It goes without saying that businesses need to be active on social media. There are a plethora of platforms to choose from Twitter to Instagram to TikTok. Which platform to focus on digital marketing efforts towards will depend on your customer demographics.
Many small businesses make the mistake of using social media to blast customers with ads and promotions. While social media is still an appropriate channel to deliver advertising, the majority of efforts should focus on direct engagement and content production. Use your social media platforms to tell stories and create meaningful content like tutorials or product demos. Check out our post on creating social media narrative arcs. Most importantly, respond directly to customer messages and comments to build brand loyalty and trust.
#5 Create a Blog
Blogs offer small businesses an opportunity to create meaningful industry-related content for their customers. The more quality content your website contains, the better your SEO results will be. Think of each blog post as just another avenue to direct search engines to your site. With a blog, you’ll have more opportunities to include keywords, meta titles, photos, and all the other good SEO stuff search engines love.
#6 Partner with a Digital Marketing Agency
Digital marketing is something every small business can engage in. Even the simplest, free efforts can make a huge difference. However, many business owners don’t have the time or expertise it takes to develop websites, advertising and SEO content required to maximize returns on marketing. One of the best things a small business can do is to partner with a digital marketing agency.
At N2Q we employ experts on web design, SEO and branding that help to create blueprints for marketing success. We begin the process by scheduling a complimentary strategy session. We listen to your story, your goals and decide together if we’re a good fit. By partnering with a small business digital marketing agency, you can focus more on the core aspects of your business while reaping the benefits of a well-positioned digital marketing portfolio.
Book your free strategy session or check out our favorite work.
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