The world of marketing has changed immensely over the last decade. SEO was once a foreign term but now a number of business owners know about its importance. Online marketing can help drive a business to new heights if they provide a quality product or service. Attracting customers without retaining a number of them is not a great recipe for consistent growth. Small businesses are not going to have massive marketing budgets so it is important to keep expenses streamlined. The following rea tips to market your small business online on a budget.
Social Media Can Promote For Free
Social media is a great platform as it is free to post and can help build a brand image. Certain social media platforms will have more of an impact than others. Running a travel agency will require more Instagram posts than that of Twitter. A digital marketing company might want to stick more with Twitter and Facebook. Tracking ROI is imperative as it will help reduce waste of marketing budget.
Target Local Areas in Terms of SEO
Targeting local keywords is essential for businesses that are restricted to a certain area. Sheds delivery to Durham or HVAC in Raleigh are great examples of phrases to target. Targeting the local area is imperative when competing against larger companies that might be throughout the country. SEO will take consistent effort so it might be wise to invest in some outside help of a digital marketing agency.
Use Freelancers to Drive Costs Down
Freelancers can help drive down costs rather than hiring people in-house. The freelance market is full of people that are talented but would rather work remotely. Finding a great virtual assistant can allow you to truly get to the tasks that you truly thrive at. Data entry is a perfect example of a task that can be outsourced for a fraction of the price that it would cost to hire an employee in-house to handle it.
Freelance digital marketing professionals might have agency experience but just wanted more professional freedom. Platforms like that of Upwork have ratings so you can see which freelancers actually deliver on what they promise. You can also search freelancers by hourly rate which makes it incredibly easy to find talent.
Monitor and Respond to Online Reviews
Monitoring online reviews can be a great way to find things that can be improved on. People are far more willing to complain online than they are in person. This can also be the perfect opportunity to retain customers after they have had a bad experience. A discount is all some customers will need while others will need a full-fledged apology. Monitor major review sites and social media for complaints to try to do as much damage control as possible.
Digital marketing is consistently changing so it is important to stay up to date with current marketing tactics. Tactics that worked in 2013 like spamming guest posts can actually do more harm than good. Find the right marketers that will help take your business to the next level.