At the core of any business is attracting prospects, converting them into customers, and keeping those customers coming back. Digital marketing remains crucial no matter how small the business.
Affordable marketing for small business owners depends on scalability. Over time, options that scale easily become reliable and affordable. Therefore, digital marketing services are an essential component of any small business. They offer the most effective ways to reach customers, boost sales and expand your company.
However, most small business owners are too busy to think about digital marketing. They realize its importance, but it is not clear how to proceed. The biggest digital marketing alternatives for small businesses are broken down as follows, although we can’t say which ones are ideal for your particular company.
Top-of-Funnel
Digital marketing is likened to a funnel with three sections. The most part, called the top of the funnel, refers to the lead generation stage. These are solutions with a broad audience in mind. They consist of:
– Search engine optimization (SEO)
Website traffic is essential for all modern businesses. However, since Google serves as the gatekeeper, measures must be taken to ensure that their sites appear at the top of relevant search results. Search engine optimization, or SEO for short, refers to all methods used to achieve that goal.
–Influencer Marketing:
The marketing potential of social media influencers falls somewhere between critical acclaim and celebrity endorsement. An influencer is seen by their followers as a reliable authority when it comes to a particular category of products and services. An endorsement of your product or service by someone with a significant social media following can lead to an overnight increase in sales.
–Targeted PPC
Pay-per-click marketing is a simple and cost-effective way to increase traffic to your website. But it’s a bit like fishing, because the more specific the bait, the more specific the catch. Targeted PPC works in this situation. Essentially, it enables companies to target a narrower audience for their internet advertising.
Middle funnel
With high-quality marketing, you have introduced yourself to a large audience. If all goes well, you now have the interest of potential customers. Mid-funnel digital marketing plays a role in helping them discover more about your business and what you have to offer. Examples include:
– Content marketing
Companies often use Internet publishing of informative content to gain the respect and trust of potential customers. By sending visitors from popular sites to your own, it also helps SEO. In general, the higher your site ranks in relevant search results, the more high-quality content you have on high-quality sites.
– Social media
Most individuals do not second guess their decision to follow brands on social media. With a large yet relevant online audience, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more enable small businesses to stay relevant. Using social media marketing comes with risks, as evidenced by the corporate crashes and failures we sometimes hear about, but the potential rewards are worth it.
– Paid social search
Paid social search can be compared to targeted PPC for popular social media sites. It’s more cost-effective in the long run, but more time-consuming initially. It’s perfect for young businesses just getting started on social media, but it can also be beneficial for businesses that already have a strong social media presence.
Bottom funnel
Last but not least, bottom-funnel digital marketing mainly targets consumers who have already made a purchase and shoppers who have abandoned their carts. The goal is, you guessed it, to get them back. Examples of lower funnel marketing include:
– Email Marketing:
Online retailers often ask about consumers’ interest in receiving email updates, especially at the point of purchase. While many will reject, others will accept. Although, if we’re all aware of our email preferences and routines, and therefore certain that most emails will never be viewed, let alone opened, the effort is still worth it. This is because you are sending marketing emails to those who you know are considering buying your products (even if they are not interested in opening the email). A sale could only be made from the subject line.
-Paid social retargeting
Thanks to Facebook’s liberal approach to data sharing, companies can focus their retargeting efforts on user visitors—Facebook users who visited your site but didn’t buy anything. Consider it a more focused version of paid social exploration.
-Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
You wouldn’t want them to leave without making a purchase after they’ve made it this far. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) comes into play in this situation. CRO is a group of strategies and methods used to increase conversion rates.
Every company needs to master marketing. Small business owners are under pressure to develop cost-effective marketing programs. These days, that almost always means one thing: digital marketing solutions.
Contact MCDA CCG, Inc today with any questions about your business.