Starting a business is one thing; growing it over time is another.
Evidently, small and mid-size enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs don’t only want to keep their business up and running. Over time, they look forward to growing and expanding their enterprises. Ultimately, they aspire to sustain their business for the long term.
However, a crucial facet of the overall equation is marketing. Not only does this process involve promoting your products or services, but it also entails reaching out to your target consumers and building good relationships with them.
But when it comes to business growth and success, digital marketing is the key. However, there are a handful of online campaigns you can implement. As such, it can be hard to decide what strategies are best for your business.
Fret not — we’ve rounded up different forms of digital marketing for your business. That said, here’s how to promote your business online and grow it over time:
1. Website Marketing
When it comes to marketing, what better way to do than to promote your business via your website? Yes, having a business website is paramount in this time and age. As such, you should create one or update it from time to time. Consider its overall aesthetics and functionality and have the user experience (UX) in mind.
Why? It is where you’ll promote your products or services. It’s also where you’ll carve your business identity for branding. It’s where you’ll build your online reputation by publishing your ISO quality management system certification and posting your positive online reviews. Ultimately, it’s where you’ll connect with your target customers and build relationships with them.
2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
As far as business growth is concerned, it should take space in the digital realm. However, having a business website on a highly saturated web isn’t enough. Your site must be able to stand out in a sea of digital competition. That’s where SEM comes in for boosting online visibility and website traffic. Under SEM are the following online marketing campaigns:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): This consists of three processes. First, technical SEO entails improving the technical aspects of your website. Second, on-page SEO involves producing content with the integration of relevant keywords. Lastly, off-page SEO has to do with promoting your business via other digital platforms (outside your website). Doing so will allow your business to take the top spot in the search engine results pages (SERP).
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC): This is a form of paid advertising. The PPC process involves creating ads for promoting your products or services and bidding ad placements on SERP. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to display your ads on SERP right before the eyes of your prospective customers. But the catch is: you’ll pay for every successful click, which can then drive traffic to your website.
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media is deemed powerful in the world of business. Not only does it enable people to interact with other individuals, but it also allows business owners and digital marketers to connect with their target consumers. Below are some social media marketing strategies you can implement for your business:
- Employ Facebook advertising by creating ads, choosing placements, and targeting particular audiences based on demographics.
- Resort to product photography and post your product images on Instagram.
- Produce promotional video clips and publish them on your social media pages like YouTube and TikTok.
- Build your network not only with customers but with other businesses via LinkedIn.
- Utilize social media apps that allow customers to send their queries and place their orders online.
4. Email Marketing
No one can argue the power of using emails for business and marketing. Many companies and SMEs continue to use emails for communicating with various stakeholders, from employees to customers to suppliers. In addition, digital marketers send emails to both new and old customers for product or service promotion and customer engagement. That’s where email marketing comes into play.
If you have a list of regular customers, provide them with regular updates via emails like newsletters. You can also send them special offers and exclusive deals. But for potential customers, you have to do the legwork to create your buyer persona and earn some qualified leads. From there, you can send these prospects promotional emails.
At this point, you now know what it takes to promote your business online. Be sure to consider the digital marketing strategies outlined above. However, factor in your business goals, financial resources, target consumers, and digital platforms. From there, you can decide on what online promotional tactics to implement. Ultimately, digital marketing can be instrumental to your overall business growth and success.
