Digital marketing offers local businesses tremendous potential, but many local business owners overlook the value of digital because they believe it’s for companies that operate nationwide with large budgets. This is simply not the case. Dominating local search with a modest budget is one of the best ways a small business can see significant growth in the New Year.
Online advertising is a minimum requirement for any business in the modern age, but digital marketing extends far beyond simple ads. If you want to set a course for real growth in 2020, take a holistic approach to digital marketing and start thinking of ways to revamp and upgrade your digital marketing strategy for your business.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component of modern digital marketing. A sound SEO strategy ensures your content and your web pages include keywords and keyword strings that boost your appearance in top search result rankings when search engine users type searches for those keywords. Do not fall into the assumption that your local customers are not using search engines to find the products and services they intend to buy in the area; most modern consumers research their purchases before actually completing purchases, and they do this research online.
Develop a strong SEO strategy for your small business. Think of the search terms local customers might type into Google or Bing that could lead them to your business. Google offers a wealth of tools that allow business owners to customize their listings, make necessary edits to their keyword settings, and even respond to searchers seamlessly. If you plan to leverage search engines to boost your digital marketing return on investment (ROI), it’s vital to use the tools available to you through each search engine.
Social media is an undeniably powerful marketing tool. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook offer intuitive advertising tools that businesses can use to precisely target their ads. Social media platforms also allow small businesses to cultivate followings of local customers and potential new customers. It also provides an easy way to share newly published content, notify the local public about new promotions and sales, and connect with consumers in meaningful ways.
If your local business has not explored social media advertising extensively, make it a point to reinvest your efforts into social media for the new year. Determine which platforms your target customers use the most and start developing a content strategy that connect when them in impactful ways.
One of the most powerful digital marketing trends to make waves in recent years is video content. Videos are easy to consume, consumers can multitask while watching or listening to them, and they’re cheaper to produce than you may have realized. Start considering what type of video content would resonate most with your target customers, your local community, and your products and/or services. Product demonstrations, team introductions, how-to guides, tips and tricks, and commentary videos are great places to start if you have never considered video content to market your business.
YouTube commercials are another great way to capitalize on video content without investing too heavily into video content production. If you can develop a brief video ad to run during related videos, your ads will start appearing before thousands of viewers faster than you might expect.
What type of content marketing do you currently do?
Does your website have a regularly updated blog full of posts covered information relevant to your community and your industry?
What other types of content have you published?
Content marketing offers innumerable possibilities when it comes to connecting with your target audience. Look over the content your company has produced in recent years and start thinking of ways to expand on it or take it to the next level.
Are your evergreen posts still accurate?
Have new industry upheavals made your older content obsolete?
Does your older content cover products or services your company no longer offers?
These are essential questions to ask if you want to revamp your content marketing strategy.
If your company thrives on local business, forging strong professional connections with other local businesses is crucial. Look for other business owners who operate in niches aligned with your own and see if you can find any cross-promotion opportunities. Community fundraisers, charity drives, festivals, fairs, and other local events are great networking and marketing opportunities. If your brand hasn’t participated in any such events in past years, make it a point to arrange something for 2020 and measure the return it generates.
Digital marketing offers a wealth of opportunities to small businesses. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that digital marketing is only for large companies that operate on a national or international scale; local consumers use the internet every day, so think of new ways to engage with them and demonstrate the value of your brand.
Toledo SEO for Growth specializes in helping companies take their digital marketing efforts to the next level. Contact Toledo SEO for Growth for more information about how we can improve your business’s digital marketing in the new year.
Ready? Let’s get to work. Call (419) 540.4437 or email toledoseoforgrowth@gmail.com to get started today.