3 Most Effective Small Business Internet Marketing Strategies
Whether your 2021 New Year’s resolution was to get that much-anticipated new business idea off the ground or simply looking for ways to increase the awareness of your existing small business, the need for internet marketing is ever-present. While many people know that small business internet marketing is an effective tool to increase revenue and audience reach, implementing the best strategy is a whole other beast to try and wrestle with… or so it is believed.
When it comes to internet marketing for small business owners, many perceived obstacles come up; one of these obstacles is budget. While having a healthy budget does allow a marketing campaign to be more effective and reach a greater audience, there are several ways to enhance your small business internet marketing with little to no cost.
1. Search Engine Optimization
For decades, one of the most effective ways to get your brand and/or products into the public eye has been through mass media advertising—however, it doesn’t always mean that it is the only way. One of the best small business internet marketing strategies that you can implement today is SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
In simple terms, SEO is the process of enhancing your site to make it more visible on search engines. The more visible your site can become after relevant search terms are used in a search engine such as Google, the more likely you are going to gain more organic traffic. There is no form of paid advertising that is more effective than having your website, product, or content as the top result when searched for on the web.
Although SEO isn’t paid, it does require an investment of time and effort for it to be effective. The emphasis of your efforts should be focused on understanding user intent through keywords, content production, and building links. Everything should be centered around the buyer persona of your customer and being specific in your keywords.
2. Content Marketing
Another great small business internet marketing strategy is to provide great content for your customers. What does quality content entail? Quality content is relevant, useful, and attractive. This means that what you share with your customers should be so relevant to them that they want to engage with it. A major key to content marketing is leading your customer to take an action (i.e. subscribe to a newsletter, follow or like your page on social media, or take part in a survey).
If you don’t have the immediate resources to invest in marketing, a blog should be a major component of your content marketing strategy. With a blog, you can share how-to guides, tips, eBooks, and other useful sources that will help you sell your product. It is also important to maintain a steady blogging frequency—typically between 2-3 blog posts a week.
Before creating content for your audience, it is important to think about how your content will benefit your customers. Does your content aim to entertain or to instruct? Will it help them understand what your brand has to offer, or will you simply show how your brand can bring them a bit of joy during their day? It is important not to fall into the trap of creating content for content’s sake. Although it is crucial to create and share content regularly, it is even more important to make sure that the content that they are receiving is content that they want, and not just to fulfill a content schedule.
Here are a couple of resources to help you get started with your blog!
3. Social Media Marketing
Now that you have enhanced your content marketing know-how, you are ready to take the next step in your small business internet marketing strategy: social media.
Activity on social and messaging platforms accounts for roughly one-third of all time spent online, and there are over 3 billion social media users worldwide… That is a lot of people. Social media has become one of the most powerful and influential tools for individuals and brands alike.
The main goal of social media marketing for your business should be to personify your brand. This can be done in both organic and paid methods and when used together it serves as a potent mix of marketing for your company. If you don’t yet have the budget or resources for a paid social strategy, you will want to go ahead and start with an organic strategy immediately. Organic social boosts the validity of your brand, provides a way for you to genuinely connect with followers, and is a cost-effective long-term marketing solution. Social media marketing requires dedicated attention but will allow you to gain targeted followers and brand exposure turning viewers into customers.
Internet marketing for small business owners can seem like a daunting task when faced alone, but luckily you don’t have to! For additional help on understanding and or executing an internet marketing strategy for your small business, contact us today for a free consultation call with one of our experienced client strategists!
Born and raised in the mountains of the beautiful Heber Valley, Cayden can be found doing unwarranted freelance NBA analysis, unsuccessfully perfecting his golf game on the course, or tinkering with motorcycles when he’s not combining business strategy with creative execution for his clients.
