5 Major Benefits of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses 

If you’re looking to increase the visibility of your business, expand your customer base, or boost sales, you can likely do all of those with a variety of digital marketing efforts. Digital marketing is one of the most effective ways you can maximize your marketing efforts and attract customers.  

Online marketing puts your small business in front of potential customers whether they’re at their desk, using their smartphones on the go, or shopping in the store. After all, the average consumer spends almost seven hours online each day. It’s safe to say, your business should be showing up there too. 

Here are 5 ways your business can benefit from digital marketing. 

Attract an Audience That’s Looking for You 

One of the benefits of digital marketing for small businesses is the ability to bring your target audience to your website. It’s easier than ever to pinpoint your exact demographic, location, age group, interest areas, and even behavior patterns to ensure a higher return on investment. The more dialed in your digital marketing program is, the farther your marketing dollars will go. Of course, if you want to conduct an international marketing campaign, you can do that through digital channels too!

And because of your ability to be so targeted, you also have the opportunity to personalize your digital marketing — unlike one-size-fits-all traditional advertising methods. It’s simple to create email campaigns and advertisements based on customer demographics and website activity history will help you create meaningful customer interactions. 

Make Your Digital Marketing Strategy Dollars Work Harder 

Digital marketing campaigns don’t have the high upfront costs of traditional marketing methods like billboards or TV ads — and they can be scaled up or down as necessary. This makes it incredibly beneficial for businesses that need to see a great return on investment quickly.  

Email marketing is easy to implement and widely used, and can return up to $36 for every $1 spent — a statistic that’s hard to believe, but has been proven true time and time again.  

Additionally, social media ads and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising let you control your budget while placing ads in places where your potential clients spend their time online. Like the point above, the better-placed your posts and ads are, the more cost efficient it becomes. 

Build Your Brand Through Social Media Marketing, SEO, and Digital Marketing Strategies

Seven out of 10 customers say they’ll buy more from brands they know and trust. That makes brand recognition a critically important part of influencing a consumer’s decision-making process. When they need your service, you want them to immediately put you in the consideration set of who they’ll hire. Some ways to build your brand recognition with digital marketing include: 

• Visibility through SEO. SEO (search engine optimization) means weaving important keywords and phrases into your website so Google learns what your business does. SEO makes it easier for potential customers to find you when they search for similar services or products.   
• Social Media Branding. Social media platforms can play a critical part of increasing brand awareness. Depending on the channel you choose (and you really should choose one), you’ll be able to engage with your target audience regularly through curated posts that consistently represent your brand’s look, feel, and voice.  
• Content Marketing. Crafting high-quality content about important issues in your industry establishes you as an authoritative source of information — bolstering recognition of both you and your business over time. Your followers will think of you first whenever they find themselves needing help and insight. The more helpful you can be when customers are searching for answers online, the more likely they’ll be to call you when they need real help. Content marketing can come in a variety of media forms, including blog posts and video marketing.

Measuring Results Quickly (So You Can Adjust) 

Unlike some other marketing tactics, digital marketing provides measurable results right away.  

This offers you a big advantage in your market (especially if you have a smaller digital marketing team or work with a nimble agency). Here’s three steps to making the most of your data. 

1. Tools like Google Analytics put real-time data at your fingertips — like how many people visited your website, what their demographics are, and how long they stayed on a page — without waiting days or weeks for results. 
2. Once you have performance data for your content or campaigns, you can refine your digital marketing strategy based on those results. Do you notice that promotional video B performed better than promotional video A? Great! This information helps you refine future initiatives for better engagement. 
3. Every penny counts in small business marketing, and measuring and quantifying results directly translates into better use of your marketing budget. 

A Shorter Feedback Loop with Customers 

Online review platforms, chat functions on the website, text messaging, and social media platforms open up opportunities for you to engage in a two-way dialogue with consumers.  

Customers can ask questions and offer feedback, while you have the opportunity to offer superior customer service through prompt responses to queries and critiques. This dialogue helps your clientele feel heard and valued. 

And when your clientele feels valued, they will share your business with others, further multiplying the benefits of digital marketing for small businesses. 

Understanding the Benefits of Digital Marketing for Your Business 

Being highly visible online is critical to lead generation for your business — especially in crowded marketplaces.  

When you don’t have a fortune to spend on getting customers to notice you, smart and strategic digital marketing can be  far more affordable than traditional advertising strategies.  

Fortunately, Socius Marketing is here to help. Our team of experienced digital marketing experts can help you plan and execute your digital marketing strategy to put your small business in front of customers who are ready to buy. Let’s talk!