Why Small Business Marketing Starts With a Plan
Digital marketing is a big umbrella, encompassing everything from keyword usage to paid Google Ads. It’s no wonder so many small business owners are overwhelmed at the prospect of diving into web marketing. Where do you even start? Fortunately, the process doesn’t have to be painful. You can turn an overwhelming, multi-layered project into manageable chunks. Don’t try to master every aspect of marketing simultaneously; your business might not even benefit from such a comprehensive strategy on Day 1. Use a step-by-step approach to cut down on guesswork and avoid wrong turns.
Treat Your Website as Your Marketing Foundation
A responsive website is the most basic aspect of marketing, so polish yours until it shines. Website issues have a disproportionately negative effect on search rankings and ad performance. Start by making sure your website has responsive design that adapts automatically to fit screens of all sizes. The majority of global web traffic is mobile. Those mobile visitors will bounce if they encounter tiny text, text that requires scrolling back and forth to read, malfunctioning forms, or any number of inconveniences that responsive design prevents. Additionally, website speed is critical. Visitors expect near-instant loading times, so they’ll bounce in massive numbers if your site takes longer than three seconds to load. Your site should also have the following:
- Clear calls to action (CTAs)
- Contact information in the footer of every page
- A privacy policy
- Analytics
Use Search Engine Optimization and Google Ads to Get Found
Search visibility turns strangers into customers. SEO is a long-term investment in your business because it never stops working. It also has the potential to be easy on the wallet, depending on how you select your keywords. Professional marketers often use advanced software to narrow down the ideal keywords, but if you’re willing to climb a learning curve, you can perform effective SEO research yourself. Once your SEO is in good shape, Google Ads will complement it. They provide faster visibility. Using them early on to supercharge your campaign at the start can be a fruitful strategy even for small business owners who’d rather not rely on paid advertising as the foundation of their efforts. However, strong SEO is critical even in paid ads.
Develop Consistent Branding on Social Media
Marketing is a complex endeavor, often spread across multiple platforms. Make sure your brand is recognizable no matter where people encounter it. A consistent, easy-to-recognize brand identity makes businesses memorable. Small business branding is about visuals and tone—colour schemes, logos, fonts, and voice. Develop and define them. Consistency is key for more reasons than mere recognition, though. It tells potential customers that your business is run by trustworthy professionals. Once your brand identity is solidified, apply it consistently across all social media profiles so that your audience will recognize your business wherever they go. These efforts will also help boost any paid marketing you may pursue.
