Digital Marketing tips for small businesses

Owning a small business is no easy task – and we are entirely aware of that. Especially now, given the pandemic's situation, many managers and business owners had to rethink and reevaluate their marketing strategies and adapt to the current state of events. Many small businesses had to change the digital marketing approach since we are spending time online now more than ever. However, do not panic – there are quite a few things you can do to keep business on the line and even help it blossom during those trying times.

What are the advantages of a small business?

In order to build a good digital marketing tactic, it needs to be aware of the advantages that small businesses hold. While it might not have the budget that big brands and companies have, it has other aces up your sleeve, and some of them are:

1. Brand's personality. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many people have turned to small, local businesses. We recognize how important it is to support local entrepreneurs and their work, so this is the perfect time to shaping and highlight businesses' personalities. Polish web pages – Instagram, Facebook, blog/website. Stick to a specific color palette, a logo, and a few keywords to define a brand and what you are doing. Think of the businesses you admire that started from the bottom – how did they promote themselves on social media? What digital marketing tactics did they use to showcase their personality?

2. Flexibility. Even though it might seem like it is harder to advance when you have a small team of people/employees, it is actually a good aspect. Having fewer people to manage means that you can be more flexible with your digital marketing strategies – if it has a new idea or plan, it can easily discuss it with a team, rather than wait for the suggestion to be approved and implemented in other departments. It is much easier to update, modify and play around with marketing strategies. Big companies do not have that luxury.

3. Ability to build an online community. Depending on the type of business you have, building a loyal and connected online community can be of great help when it comes to marketing (and not only!). Think of Facebook groups that need to discuss and take feedback from clients, leave reviews and help improve, and find out what people expect from you. Please pay attention to the words people use when describing your work/business, and use them as keywords in your posts. Since you are a small business, people will tend to feel more connected to you, especially if you show your presence online and are open and understanding – this can serve as a marketing network.

4. Ability to focus more on details. If it is your own business, then you have or currently are also the online marketing manager. While this can be pretty time-consuming, it allows you to choose what SEO aspects you want to pay attention to and use only the most efficient tactics that work for you. You can choose which social media sites you want to be present on. You can also monitor your content (images, videos, articles, etc.) and their performance much more accessible and see or yourself what works and what does not. You can also pay attention to what keywords your clients and target population are searching for. In this case, the best advice would be to make a list and organize your SEO priorities.

In conclusion, marketing for a small, local business can be at times tricky and challenging.

However, especially if you are just starting, you should know that hustling is a part of the process – but you will see the results. Do not forget that your business has advantages that giant companies don't, and they allow you to grow an online presence and work with SEO strategies in unique ways.