Whether starting a new small business or expanding an existing one, you must design a marketing plan for a robust online presence.
With 97% of consumers investigating local companies online, meeting prospective consumers where they splurge the most time is critical.
However, expanding your small business in the digital world is complex. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when it comes to identifying your target audience, advertising your services, and spreading the word.
When you add building a marketing plan to the mix, it may appear as if you’re attempting to master a foreign language. Thus, help from expert digital marketing Virginia professionals is always great.
How to Create a Marketing Strategy for a Small Business
There is no magic formula for creating a small company marketing plan. However, the following tactics can help small firms make a high ROI while also gaining crucial time.
While the mix may be trial and error, devoting time and money to marketing will pay dividends in terms of sales and brand recognition.
1. Search Engine Optimization
Beyond creating an eye-catching website, SEO is the most effective marketing method for small businesses. SEO is the process of enhancing your website and content so that search engines or end consumers may easily locate your business.
The better you rank on Google, the more probable you will be able to generate visitors and customers to your website. Customers seeking your services are more likely to locate your brand in search engine results since over 35% of all traffic comes from local sources.
2. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising lets small companies serve adverts when people search for specified keywords on a search engine. While this might result in an expensive bidding war, local markets are frequently less competitive, and PPC advertisements allow you to maintain your budget in check.
Doesn’t it sound good? But how exactly does this work?
You compete on certain keywords, such as “local florist” or “Virginia Beach IT companies,” and then design advertisements based on those terms. Based on keyword relevancy and landing page quality, advertising networks will then utilize an algorithm to promote your adverts in search engine result pages (SERP). You get charged each time someone clicks on your ad.
3. Email Marketing
With 4.3 billion email users predicted by 2023, email marketing is a practical approach to contacting your target demographic. 81% of small businesses say email is their key strategy for lead acquisition and retention.
Email marketing is the sole digital marketing strategy that enables you to cultivate a customized relationship with clients long after their initial purchase. Depending on an activity, you can send customers drip campaigns, such as registering for a meeting or making a purchase. You can also send them regular newsletters containing business and product information.
4. Social Media Marketing
Social media is a must-have for small businesses if you want to reach a broader audience and communicate with consumers daily. While it may not be the most crucial factor of sales growth, it may assist you in meeting awareness and branding objectives.
The average social media user devotes three hours every day to the platform. While it may appear daunting at first, it is critical to maintaining your position by joining every network.
Instead, concentrate on your intended audience. Where do they spend most of their time? What kind of stuff do they like? How can you have the most influence?
Explore the following platforms based on your customers’ needs:
- Facebook: Share amusing photos, status updates, and client success stories.
- Twitter: Share breaking news and respond to customer queries in real-time.
- Pinterest: Quickly disseminate visual material such as blogs, infographics, and e-books.
- YouTube: Utilize user-generated and sponsored video content to dominate
- Instagram: Use high-resolution photos to highlight your services.
