5 Digital Marketing Tips on a Small Budget

Digital marketing is essential to establishing your business as a frontrunner in your industry. But it is often assumed that for marketing to be effective, one must spend big to win big. As the fastest growing segment of sales and marketing, digital marketing is a powerful tool for small businesses to drive revenue on a restricted budget. Engaging your audience, driving interest, building a brand, and achieving sales is possible without breaking the bank. Here are “5 Digital Marketing Tips on a Small Budget.”

Reviews  

Consumers are inundated with choices for choosing a service or purchasing a product. With a multitude of options available, 90% of consumers are checking out online reviews first before making a major purchase. Popular crowd-sourced sites such as Google Reviews, Tripadvisor, Facebook and Yelp, guide consumers in making purchase decisions. Shoppers want to know how a product or service measures up before spending money. Trusting community feedback is one reason why Yelp receives over 145 million unique visitors per month. Word-of-mouth marketing is powerful, for both positive and negative experiences. When managed properly, online reviews can be a driving force in building a customer base and generating new sales. Build online reviews by simply asking for one. When a customer shares a positive experience, ask them to write about it. Code a post-purchase review into your shopping cart program. Send a follow-up email. Make it easy by providing direct links to review websites. Since responses are best fresh, reviews should be requested immediately following the customer’s experience.

Blogging

The benefits of adding a blog section to your site are numerous. It keeps the site fresh and gives your audience a reason to return. As you add more relevant content, search engine visibility increases. Speaking on topics you understand builds credibility and authority in your industry. Most blog pages include a “subscribe” tab. This is an excellent opportunity to gather qualified names and email addresses to begin building a database for further email marketing campaigns. Taking snippets of a blog and posting on company social sites, is another way to drive traffic. Known as ‘repurposing’ these additional posts include links back to the full article. Another way to direct traffic back to your site.

Engage on Social Media 

Consider this: 22% of the world’s population uses Facebook and LinkedIn has nearly half a billion users. Social media is everywhere these days, and people are using it both personally and professionally. Your target audience is online. Local businesses can reach a global audience and expand their opportunity beyond their immediate zip code. Share engaging relevant industry articles, adding 1-2 sentences of meaningful commentary with the post. Post news about your product or service offers relevant advice, share videos, and post promotions. LinkedIn is the best platform for B2B, while B2C has more audience interaction through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The key to success is an increase in engagement with your audience. This can be measured by likes, shares, as well as responding to comments and questions from your followers.

Website Development

In the absence of a physical brick and mortar location where customers are greeted, your website assumes that role. From images and design layout to quality content, the speed of the site, responsive design, and more, your website creates a first impression with customers and prospects. Equally important is the backend of your site. What you don’t see. Site optimization is critical for search engine ranking. If you do anything with your budget, build a digital marketing strategy that includes a website that powerfully represents your business. While there are reputable no cost website content management sites, allocating a portion of your budget to hire a web designer or web development agency, will ensure your site is built using the right tools that maximize functionality and growth.

Email Marketing

Email marketing creates conversation and strengthens relationships by staying connected with your audience. With a properly thought-out strategy, email marketing campaigns can include a monthly newsletter or one-time email, scheduled promotional offers and event reminders. As with any digital marketing initiative, linking back to the business site encourages action to drive conversion and sales. Capture Digital Marketing utilizes MailChimp for marketing automation. Ideal for small businesses, this simple tool is free up to the first 2,000 email addresses.

Digital marketing and all that falls under its umbrella is a powerful tool for small businesses. It enables competitiveness and the ability to reach a targeted audience on multiple levels. A good marketing plan can be a cost-effective, multi-tiered solution that delivers higher ROI over traditional marketing.

Contact Capture Digital Marketing to discuss a customized digital marketing plan that is right for your business needs.

 Larry Goldstick is the owner of Capture Digital Marketing based in Jupiter, Florida. 

Capture Digital Marketing specializes in creative solutions to help businesses optimize their digital presence through website development, online marketing, and individualized SEO services. Our team of professionals, work with small and mid-size companies, entrepreneurs, and independent business owners, to develop digital strategies that drive revenue. For more information, contact us today at  (561) 630-3699 or [email protected].