The prime focus of small business owners is to get their business off the ground by promoting it on traditional channels like print media, via coupons, outdoor advertising, etc. However, in this age of rapid digital acceleration relying solely on traditional means of advertising can no longer suffice. Subscribing to the belief that a good product or service can sell itself without much promotion won’t survive in today’s competitive business landscape. While this strategy may bring in business for a short while, it is not sustainable in the long run. It is increasingly important to consider the global marketplace of online customers as your business landscape to gain maximum dividends. A robust digital marketing strategy can help you to navigate the choppy waters of online marketing effectively.

92.3 per cent of smartphone owners use their phones to search online.

With businesses of similar size and industry opening up every day, there is immense competition in the market. But if you know your customer behaviour and have the correct product for them, then digital marketing is a fantastic tool to attract customers and keep competition at bay. No business, irrespective of its size should overlook digital marketing channels as an effective way to generate leads and convert prospects into customers. Digital marketing leverages various strategies to connect with online customers and turn them into active users. Various methods can be used by brands easily to attract customer attention online like:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC)
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Content Marketing
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Inbound Marketing
  • Email Marketing

As an online business, you can decide on the digital marketing channels that will yield the maximum output for your business niche. With digital, there are no geographical boundaries and you can reach out to customers anytime, anywhere. It enables you to interact with your customers at every stage of the buying journey. By using gathered insights and data you can personalize the messaging and drive engagement to create brand loyalty. The good news is that with digital marketing the results are quantifiable and the success of each campaign can be measured to derive the best decision. 

It offers endless opportunities for a brand to explore but can seem intimidating if you haven’t used this before. Small businesses often live under the notion that they do not possess the necessary skillset to compete online and stick to a few traditional marketing methods that yield no significant results. But with 85.4 per cent of internet users searching for information online every month, this is not a proactive approach to thrive in the market. 

If as a small business you’re still overlooking the benefits of digital marketing then read to know why digital marketing is an important aspect for your brand.

Build long-lasting customer relationships

Marketing today is not about completing one sale successfully. It is about nurturing customers and re-engaging them to build long-lasting relationships. With over half a billion new businesses opening every month in the US alone, losing your customers to competition has become far easier. Unlike traditional methods of advertising and in-store buying journeys, digital marketing doesn’t end once you walk out of the store. It goes much beyond to ensure that buyers become the ultimate brand ambassadors by keeping them engaged even after the sale. Keep them engaged on social media channels with product recommendations, cool videos, sponsored content, etc. You can also create a remarketing campaign to offer other products and services.

Increase accessibility

In today’s age of increased adoption of internet services among all age groups, you need to be present where your customers are that is online. Whatever product customers are searching for they look online before purchasing. If you have limited your services or products for offline purchase, you’re missing out on a large chunk of online buyers who might be interested in your product. Also if you already have an online presence but your customers rank higher than you in SERPs, you still might not be found by prospective customers. Digital marketing techniques like organic SEO can help you in effectively tackling this problem. Reaching where your customers are is an excellent strategy for grabbing eyeballs and attracting customer attention. 

Gain insights about your customers

Marketing today is about precise results and is not shooting in the dark hoping to attract the right audience. With limited resources, small businesses often face the challenge of attracting, capturing, and converting leads to customers. Digital marketing strategies allow you to engage with your prospects, gather meaningful data to address their pain points through a viable solution. By interacting with your audience online you can get to know what they’re looking for. Use the information you have gathered to provide solutions through your specific products and services. These insights will aid you in improving your products to better meet customer demands. Being privy to customer pain points and addressing them deftly is an excellent strategy for beating competition even from large enterprises. Digital marketing aids you in understanding your customers and providing personalized service and messaging. By doing this, you build long-standing relationships with your customers who value your commitment.

A multichannel approach to boost conversions

Digital marketing offers brands to target and attract customers through various strategies and adopt a multichannel approach. Depending on your business niche, brands can leverage various social media channels like Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, etc. to get leads and customers. 54% of customers today browse through social media for researching a product. Advertising on Google and Facebook, organic SEO, email marketing, social media marketing, there as numerous avenues that you can explore to reach your audience and promote your products and services. As a small business, you don’t have to pour in big bucks to get huge dividends. Small but sustained marketing efforts on digital channels is sometimes enough to boost conversions of your store. Each channel is unique and requires a different strategy to ace. Use the multichannel approach of digital marketing channels to effectively reach and interact with potential buyers.

Higher affordability

Huge corporations are pouring in millions to sustain their marketing efforts. But marketing to your audience doesn’t always have to be this expensive. Digital marketing is a tool in the arsenal of small businesses that they can use to effectively reach customers without spending heavily. SMEs cannot always afford billboards, print advertisements, TV or a radio campaign. Advertising online can help you save your marketing budget while completing your bigger goal. Social media is another great example of reaching your target audience with a limited budget. It allows you to filter out prospects and adopt a targeted approach- and bar advertising to those who may never buy or subscribe to your services. The key to acing this is to research the platforms that work best for your business. Do not just go for trending platforms but opt for those mediums that can be most beneficial to your business. Go for free organic search optimization for your business instead of paid advertising. Organic search dominates web traffic and is a highly effective medium for boosting conversions. 

Unlike traditional marketing techniques, digital marketing yields a high ROI, is measurable and is highly efficient for small businesses. The probability of your competitors already using digital marketing techniques for their online stores is already high. Digital marketing allows you to transform the marketing capabilities of your small business. In today’s age of rapid digital transformation, you just cannot afford to miss the train. 

Looking to develop a high-performing website that can generate leads? Or require assistance in strategising your digital marketing efforts? Citytech is here for it all. Our Digital Marketing Experts are skilled in all the latest market trends and strategies and have helped countless global businesses in channelising their digital marketing efforts. From social media advertising to Google Shopping, Facebook ads, organic and paid search, we provide you with all the tools to help you succeed online. To leverage Citytech’s services to propel your digital marketing initiatives, visit https://www.citytechcorp.com/company/contact-us/.