The Importance of Digital Marketing for a Small Business

In today’s rapidly evolving digital world, there is no denying the importance of digital marketing, especially when it comes to small businesses. Having a strong online presence and reaching and engaging with their target audience is essential for them to grow (or even survive). Let’s take a further look at why this type of advertising is important and how you can do it right.

What is Digital Marketing

Online advertising is a type of marketing that utilizes digital technologies and platforms for advertising and selling certain products or services. It allows businesses to reach their target consumers and connect with them online. If you know that an average user spends more than six hours on the internet every day, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that online channels have become a successful promoting tool. 

Why Digital Marketing Is Important for a Small Business?

Online advertising is crucial for SMBs as it provides an opportunity for them to approach a larger audience, increase their revenue, and grow – even with limited resources. The rise of internet technologies has made channels like social media or search engines essential for reaching potential clients and earning their trust. 

Besides allowing SMBs to select specific audiences, online advertising makes it easy to track their advertising efforts and measure their success. However, small business owners often hesitate to invest in online advertising – which is why they remain without the benefits it could provide them. Although small enterprises make up a significant amount of the US economy, it is estimated that only 25% use forms of internet advertising besides social media, and only 17% of them decide to make use of and invest in professional SEO.

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Investing in online marketing is bound to show the results

The Benefits a Small Business Could Get From Online Advertising

Did you know that nearly 80% of people conduct service or product research online? But yet, there is still a large portion of SMBs that don’t even own a website. If you wish to stay competitive and have the maximum reach, you need to create your presence in a place where most of your customers are – and that’s an online world. Take a look at the main advantages investing in online advertising will be able to provide you with. 

Reaching a Wider Range of Your Audience

Traditional ads are lacking when it comes to the amount and type of audience they’re allowing you to approach. With the right online advertising plan, your audience won’t be limited to newspaper subscribers or people who watch a specific TV channel at a specific time. Not only will you be able to reach clients worldwide, but also target potential clients based on their age, gender, location, and interests and even adjust your message to the demographics you wish to reach. By studying visiting patterns, you’ll be able to learn who is engaging with your online posts and get a better insight into who your target audience is. 

Providing a Better Return on Investment Than Traditional Methods

Let’s say you choose some of the traditional methods and decide to advertise through billboard space, local newspaper, or, for example, local radio ads. There is no denying that you’ll be able to reach a large number of potential clients, but no one can guarantee that these people who hear or read about you would be interested in a product or service you’re offering. However, with internet advertising, you can choose the audience that is more likely to become your purchasing customer.

Whether you decide to do an in-house campaign or hire a professional SEO marketing agency to do it for you, there is no denying that using online channels is the most cost-effective way of promoting your business. Not only that, but one of the well-known benefits of SEO and other forms of inbound advertising is lower costs – some studies show that this type of advertising costs approximately 62% less per lead. 

The Benefits a Small Business Could Get From Online Advertising
The Benefits a Small Business Could Get From Online Advertising – Statistics

Easier Tracking of Strategy Performance

Traditional ads usually don’t allow you to effectively track how many leads were generated from the strategy – so you won’t be able to assess the success of your efforts. Different online channels you decide to use, on the other hand, can provide you with this valuable information. Not only that, but online platforms allow you to stay in touch with potential customers that haven’t decided to use your services or buy your product just yet. It allows you to build trust over time and convert a lead into a sale. 

Improving Customer Engagement

Engaging with customers (something traditional ads can’t provide you with) will allow you to gain better brand recognition and earn your customers’ trust and support. Providing your customers with online content regularly means you’re reminding them about your business and brand frequently. Not only that, but offering an interactive experience through social media posts, for example, is a type of advertising that will help you connect with your target clients better.

Staying Competitive in Your Field

It’s only natural that large companies and well-known brands have all the means to help them meet their goals. However, that doesn’t mean that SMBs can’t grow visibility and audience. By implementing well-planned local SEO strategies, social media campaigns, and a strong content distribution system, your business will be able to meet high search engine ranks, get more traffic – and evolve. 

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The right plan can help you remain relevant in the competitive landscape

Key Components of a Successful Digital Advertising Strategy

Small companies need to focus on a plan that will allow them to have maximum reach without breaking the bank. Therefore they need to work toward their brand awareness building and ways of generating more leads. Simultaneously, they can decide to manage online advertising on their own or hire a professional and affordable SEO agency able to help them with implementing online marketing’s key components, such as:

Website development

Did you know that more than one-quarter of small enterprises don’t own a website? Think about the number of opportunities they’ve lost because of it! One of the most important online marketing trends of today is putting your customers first, so your web development should aim for a user-friendly interface with an aesthetically pleasing and consistent design. It should also be responsive across different platforms – don’t forget that mobile devices lead up to 63% of organic search visits.

Search engine optimization

What is the importance of SEO in digital marketing? SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it allows you to gain a better ranking and become more visible. SEO marketing services can help you generate more organic traffic on your website and, therefore, get more opportunities. An SMB, however, can significantly benefit from local SEO since there is a vast number of online searches with local intent – it accounts for around 46% of all Google searches.

Content writing

It is estimated that the pandemic led to a 207% rise in content usage. Rich and quality content writing allows SMBs to improve their brand value and reputation. Providing current and potential clients with relevant and interesting material will help you achieve your desired goals, such as reaching new audiences and growing relationships with existing ones.

Social media marketing

Studies show that more than 40% of local businesses rely on social media for their profit, while even more than 95% claim they have implemented social media in their advertising plan. Using different platforms for promoting your brand can be a great way of reaching target clients, connecting with them, and bundling brand recognition.

Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)

Displaying ads through PPC on Google or online platforms is yet another way of gaining visibility and generating leads where you can easily track your results. However, a PPC and SEO need to work together if you wish to increase the number of clicks to your web page.

A successful online advertising strategy is essential for SMBs looking to thrive. It involves a comprehensive plan with small business data analytics in mind that leverages various channels and techniques to reach and engage with target audiences, drive traffic, generate leads, and ultimately increase sales.

The Importance of Digital Marketing for a Small Business
The Importance of Digital Marketing for a Small Business

Possible Marketing-Related Challenges Small Businesses Face

According to the data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the first two years, around 20% of small businesses fail – and advertising difficulties they face are a significant part of it. But which marketing-related challenges are placed in front of them? Consider the following:

  • Limited budget and resources – budget is one of the biggest problems small enterprises have, but one of the biggest mistakes they tend to make is not setting aside any money strictly for advertising purposes. Many SMBs can’t survive without attracting more clients, which is why a large number of them don’t end up succeeding. 
  • Lack of knowledge and expertise – in order to save as much money as possible, SMBs tend to assign advertising tasks to people with no experience and training in this field and no time to devote themselves to this task. When it comes to long-term benefits, it’s always a better solution to hire a professional SEO digital marketing agency familiar with all the latest internet advertising trends and the ability to get people to your website
  • Competition with larger companies – gaining visibility and leads next to companies in your field, especially those with quality advertising teams, can be tough. However, with the right SEO agency by your side and consistent and effective efforts, your business can reach more customers.

Partnering With an Online Advertising Agency as a Way of Overcoming Obstacles

Internet advertising agencies have a team of experts with specialized skills in various aspects of digital marketing, such as web development, search engine optimization, content distribution services, social media, and so on. This expertise can help SMBs achieve their goals in a more effective and efficient manner. Moreover, online advertising requires a significant investment of time and effort – something small enterprises can’t afford. By partnering with a digital advertising agency, small business owners can focus on running their company while the agency handles their advertising needs.

While hiring an advertising team full-time can be costly for small enterprises, keep in mind that working with an agency can provide access to a range of services at a more affordable cost. In the end, remember that the best agencies stay up-to-date with the latest technology and trends in the industry and can provide SMBs with cutting-edge solutions and strategies.

people working
n experienced team can help you develop a robust and effective strategy

Now That You Know the Importance of Digital Marketing, Invest in a Strategy That Will Help You Grow

If you want to be among those small businesses that successfully survive the first few years, you need to find a way to implement an internet advertising strategy and not harm your daily business operations. The best way of doing so is to get help from an experienced and skillful agency – and that’s where Made Online comes in.

Whether you need website development and design, SEO services, content writing and distribution, or social media promotion, our team got you covered. Therefore, don’t hesitate to contact us – and we will help you achieve long-term growth and success in a highly competitive market. 

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