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Studies show that 1 in 5 small businesses don’t utilize digital marketing. Being active online is essential to small business success in 2021. What is your approach to online marketing? Are you putting your business in a position to succeed with that approach? What questions do you have about online marketing strategies? Keep reading to learn a few great strategies that every small business should be using to achieve success on the digital stage.
Invest in a Stellar Website
Have you ever looked up a company and went to their website only to find that it was designed poorly and had no helpful information?
You don’t want to be this company. Using money to invest in a website that serves a specific purpose for your business is extremely important. Websites are important tools that can capture customer information to add to your mailing lists or give you more information about the demographic of your customer base.
There are several options for a professional website that don’t have to break the bank. You can create it yourself or hire a web designer to help guide you with the process. Brainstorm by taking notes of websites that you like; this can help you create the design for yours.
Utilize Google My Business
Have you ever heard of Google My Business?
Chances are high that you have used this feature if you have ever Googled a local restaurant or service. Google My Business is a free service that allows you to share the information about your business so that it has the potential to show up in search results.
Here you can link your website and include the best ways for current or potential customers to contact you. The reviews that your business receives will also show up in this area. You can add content like photos and videos to give your profile a more in-depth look at your business.
While creating a Google My Business profile may not seem like marketing, it is a tool that will drive people to take action and interact with your business.
Nonstop Networking
Is networking a form of online marketing? Absolutely!
Think about LinkedIn. The entire platform was created to foster networking between professionals. You can meet hundreds of new people and grow your network weekly without attending a single cocktail hour.
Small businesses can market themselves by sharing their products and services via word-of-mouth. Networking with people that are already running successful small businesses is important because they could serve as people that send clients your way in the future.
Be Active on Social Media
Is your business active on social media? Are there areas in which you could be more active?
Social media is the storm that continues to gather strength. There is a unique opportunity to engage with your customers and bring them along on your business journey.
YouTube can host a number of different videos about your business. This serves as an effective way to drive interest toward your product or service. You could produce mini-commercials each week that promotes a new product, or that highlights testimonials of someone who has used your service.
A huge benefit of social media is the ability for content to be shared. If someone likes a video you made, they can easily tag their friends or share it with them. This can speed up the sales process and introduce new people to your business that you may have never reached otherwise.
Collaborate With Other Businesses
Community is vital within the small business world. Working with other businesses to provide value to your community can benefit you both.
This can be as simple as promoting an event they are hosting on your social media sites. In doing this, you can tap into their audience that may not be aware of what your business does. You could also sign up to be a sponsor for something that they are doing and get in front of their audience that way.
This collaboration should be a mutually beneficial relationship in which you both help bring value to the customers within the community while growing your businesses.
Get Started Today
Online marketing has an endless amount of potential and the strategies in this article are just a few of the possibilities. It is important to be constantly innovative with your approach and capitalize on trends that are successful within the area and industry. The more resources that you pour into online marketing, the greater the potential return is for your business. After all, your customers can’t buy from you if they aren’t aware of your existence.
What other online marketing strategies do you use to get the word out on your business? Let us know in the comments!
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
