Marketing is unavoidable and, in today’s tech-forward world, marketing means digital marketing. Even local, brick-and-mortar stores rely on digital marketing to drive physical traffic to their stores.
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Not convinced that digital marketing is a must? Then, here are 11 benefits of digital marketing for small businesses to change your mind.
1.) Attract More Customers
Digital marketing is crucial because the majority of consumers interact with businesses across digital channels before they make any type of decision. Thus, if you aren’t actively marketing yourself on these channels, then you are missing out on a crucial portion of your target audience.
When you are visible on digital channels, however, capturing Internet users’ attention can garner you new customers that will shop with your brand online and in-person!
2.) Low Cost
Marketing using traditional channels costs money. The majority of digital marketing platforms, on the other hand, can be utilized for next to nothing. Social media, SEO, blogging and many other cornerstone strategies of digital marketing don’t cost anything, except for time.
Small businesses tend to have tight budgets. With digital marketing, this is less of an issue. You can still create desirable marketing outcomes with almost no expense!
3.) Develop Meaningful Connections
As a small business, you don’t have a lot of customers yet. That’s okay! It can actually be an advantage. You can take your time and personally interact with every customer that has a question or comment about your business. These interactions may seem quick, easy and insignificant, but they can have a lasting impact!
One great interaction can make a customer loyal for years to come. Plus, they’ll become your best brand promoters!
4.) Receive Immediate Feedback
Often, these online interactions between customers and businesses involve giving and receiving feedback. Online audiences are not afraid to leave their thoughts and opinions — good or bad — about your business or its products. These types of interactions are incredibly valuable because it allows a business to immediately receive feedback on their efforts.
Why is feedback so important? Positive and negative customer sentiments lets you know what’s working and what needs improvement in your business!
5.) Deeper Understanding Of Customers
Every time a customer engages with your business online, whether they are giving direct feedback or not, it is a valuable learning experience. It tells you what marketing messages are effective, which products are being browsed the most, what questions or features are being searched and much more.
Digital marketing creates valuable data that can be used to continuously refine and improve your business and its offerings. You just need to listen!
6.) Watch The Competition
Digital marketing is great for learning what behaviors and offers motivate your customers. It can also be used to learn about your competitors! They are also present on digital marketing channels and that means that you can easily see what they are offering to customers. The more you’re able to “listen” to the competition, the easier it is to develop counter-strategies.
The competition is always changing. Digital marketing allows you to continuously look in on their efforts so there are no surprises.
7.) Match The Competition
There is also an argument to be made that digital marketing creates the opportunity to stay at pace with your competitors and even gain an edge. If you neglect to take advantage of digital channels, then you’re allowing the competition to prosper without any challenge. Consumers want to have options, but if you aren’t there to present your products as an alternative, then the competition will win every time!
The longer you neglect to develop a digital marketing strategy, the longer the competition has to experience all of these benefits of digital marketing for small businesses without any disruption.
8.) Reach Any Audience
The Internet is a vast place with billions of users. No matter who your desired customer is, they are present on the Internet. It’s just a matter of knowing when, where and how to approach them! This is a much better approach than the marketing of the past, where businesses had to cast a wide net to capture only a couple of individuals in their target market.
Social media sites, search engines and other digital channels make it easy to develop an audience profile and target specific users in that group.
9.) Attract The Mobile Audience
One of the key reasons that digital marketing is a must for today’s businesses is the increasing use of mobile devices, like smartphones. Today’s consumers are always connected to the Internet and they use these devices constantly to discover new businesses and products. Online shopping on mobile devices happens quickly in what’s known as “micro-moments.” You see a product on your way to work or while you’re out walking, you take your phone out and you search for a product just like it.
These micro-moments lead to fast purchases. Mobile users are looking for your products right now. You need to be visible and present on digital channels to take advantage of this interest!
10.) Establish Trust And Reputation
Price and quality is no longer enough to sell products. Today’s consumers care about a brand’s reputation. Thanks to the Internet, they have more options than ever before. The idea of being “the only game in town,” is an archaic concept that just doesn’t exist anymore. You have to present yourself as a trustworthy, reputable business to achieve results.
Digital marketing strategies like blogging and social media networking can be a great way to establish your reputation and show customers your expertise and credibility.
11.) Make Money!
At the end of the day, it’s about growing your business and that means creating more revenue. When you develop a digital marketing strategy, you’re opening the doors to a much wider customer base. Remember, there is a majority of consumers that won’t engage outside of digital channels! More customers means more opportunities to close sales and boost your revenue. Plus, the low cost of digital marketing ensures a healthy return on investment.
If you want to improve your bottom line, digital marketing is a must.
Conclusions
When you consider all of these benefits of digital marketing for small businesses and the low-to-no-cost of many of the most impactful digital marketing strategies, there is really nothing to lose and everything to gain! Building a presence of digital channels will help grow your business and your revenue. So, what are you waiting for?