One of the best things about the internet is that small businesses can now reach people from across the globe, making it easier to find customers who are interested in your company’s niche. However, this does also mean that small businesses are no longer just competing against others in their local area – but the entire world. For this reason, it’s harder than ever before for small businesses to be seen, especially if they only have a little budget for their advertising. Don’t worry yourself too much over this, though. We have some great digital marketing tips and tricks for SMEs who haven’t got a massive budget and so need cost-effective solutions. Read on to find out what they are and drive high-quality traffic to your business.
Optimising Social Media
Social media is completely free for businesses to register on, and they provide a perfect platform for advertising. However, most people give up too quickly on their social media advertising, because they aren’t seeing immediate results. So, let’s go over some ways to optimise your social media for digital marketing purposes without breaking the bank.
For starters, ensure you’re only posting newsworthy information on your accounts. Nobody wants to be bombarded with irrelevant content all the time, plus consumers are much more likely to respond to posts which contain something novel or intriguing. Typically, small businesses should post whenever they have released a new product, or when they have special discounts going. Hosting competitions on your social media is also an excellent idea. Many will offer giveaways of free products, allowing people to enter if they tag some friends or share the post. This helps to generate a buzz and attract more customers. It’s also not too costly because of the amount of business it brings to your company.
Next, you need to focus on the presentation of your social media pages. People always gravitate towards something which looks professional and aesthetically pleasing, as this speaks of high quality. Don’t forget to hashtag your posts, either. This is what sorts your content into categories, so when people search relevant keywords on the platform, they can find your business. This helps you reach your desired audience. For instance, a hairdresser might hashtag their Instagram post with ‘#blonde’, so those wanting to dye their hair this colour will be directed to them. Finally, use your social media to build your brand. The more personality you bring, the more customers will feel attached to your company, guaranteeing their returning business.
Email Marketing
Aside from social media, email marketing is a great form of digital marketing which is cost-effective when done correctly. Email marketing is perfect for building customer loyalty, delivering targeted messages, chasing up sales, and driving revenue. What’s more, it’s pretty easy to measure the success rate of email marketing campaigns through data analytics, but we’ll go further detail about that later.
To ensure your email marketing is effective, once again, you need to create content which is novel and newsworthy. What fresh products, discounts or competitions are you offering? Have you got any seasonal updates to share? Emails also have fewer constraints than social media does, like the character limit on Twitter. This means you can repurpose them for a variety of things, such as newsletters, posters, directories, ectara.
Like we mentioned before, email marketing can create targeted content, like prompts which remind a customer they haven’t bought what’s in their basket yet, or promotions that highlight items users might like based on their browsing history. However, you do need an email marketing software to achieve these things, which can be somewhat costly. Fortunately, nowadays there are plenty of free marketing tools online that offer these services, too. This is a cost-effective way to improve your digital marketing campaign, drive traffic to your company, and close sales with customers.
Data Analysis
Data analysis used to be reserved for big businesses that could afford to hire their own statisticians. Now, however, advancements in technology mean everyone can access the data analytics they need to evaluate and improve their marketing campaigns. Completing regular assessments is essential in ensuring everything you’re doing is time-effective and cost-effective. Especially when you’re a small business, you don’t want to waste your budget on something that isn’t producing lucrative results.
Social media platforms now helpfully provide businesses with data analytics on how their posts are doing with the general public. This information ranges from which demographics are most engaging with your content to the number of impressions you have made. If you aren’t seeing as many responses as you would like, then it’s time to revaluate how you’re using social media.
As we mentioned before, email marketing software can also produce data analytics for small businesses, showing which messages are doing better than others. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to open-rates and click-through rates. Are the subject lines of your email compelling people to open them? Is the content inside engaging enough to translate into traffic towards your website? Stop wasting your budget on content which isn’t working and instead focus on what the feedback is telling you people like.
Posting on Forums
It’s completely free for businesses to post promotional content on internet forums, so this is definitely a tactic that SMEs with small marketing budgets should make use of. There are some things to remember about posting on forums, though. Not all forums will accept advertising content, so be wary of that. There’s also the issue of posting on ‘dead’ forums, which are no longer being populated by new or regular visitors. Don’t forget to research where you’re posting your promotional content, either. Writing in forums which are directly relevant to your business is the perfect way to get into contact with customers who fall under your target demographic, so don’t miss out on that opportunity.
Using these tips for your digital marketing, you’re sure to see a return on investment as a small business. All it takes is a little savviness and perseverance.
