Our current reality is that we live in a digital age, as a small business, if you don’t establish an online presence, you will essentially miss out on a huge cross-section of your target demographic. Therefore, digital marketing should be a fundamental part of your overall marketing strategy. If you are new to online marketing, here are some of the steps that you can take to start building your online presence.
Build a Website
If you don’t already have a website, build one. You can either hire a professional web designer to create your site for you, however, if you are on a shoestring budget, there are various platforms such as Squarespace and Wix that provide you with all the necessary tools to create your business website yourself. Either way, remember that your website is essentially your digital storefront, it should represent your brand in the best possible way.
Create Content
The word content points to a broad range of creative media that help to build brand awareness, create social proof and build your online presence as a small business. First, you need written content on your website that explains to your potential customers exactly what you offer. Most business websites have a blog attached to their site, the written content helps with search engine optimization and also builds your credibility as a small business owner.
Create blog posts that are specific to your target audience. For example, if your business focuses on beauty, create written content about beauty, provide tips, tricks and useful information that would attract your target demographic.
You might need the help of an SEO agency as they can provide you with expert help and advice regarding your search engine optimization. If your business is located in Edmonton for example, hire an SEO agency in Edmonton to help you boost your SEO.
You will also need social media content to raise your brand awareness. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are good platforms to start with. However, in the beginning, it might seem a little overwhelming, therefore, start with one platform, build your followers to 1000 followers before you move on to another platform.
For visual brands, Instagram and Pinterest are effective for social media marketing. However, your target demographic will determine which platform is best. Pinterest is excellent for the female demographic, for beauty, fashion, health and wellness. Instagram has a broader appeal.
Create daily social media content such as helpful tips in the form of infographics, captions and short video clips to provide value to your target audience.
Digital Advertising
Social media marketing can help you to drive free traffic to your business site however if you really want to scale you should consider digital advertising. Google ads, Facebook and Instagram ads, TikTok ads and influencer marketing. With influencer marketing instead of paying for an advert, you pay a well-known influencer to post content about your products or services. Their influence should help to boost traffic to your products or services. If done right, influencer marketing can be one of the most effective ways of marketing your business online.
Digital marketing is a complex beast therefore if you really want to take your online marketing to the next level as a small business, hiring online marketing experts is a good idea. They have the knowledge and the tools to build your online presence effectively and efficiently. This will provide you with the time to focus on your most important tasks as a small business owner.
