Small business owners can’t avoid modern forms of marketing. Marketing vehicles like social media, content creation and curation and marketing automation are replacing more traditional marketing formats.
The problem is that new business owners may only tangentially know how to use these channels for business purposes. In order to sharpen your digital marketing skills, read through this small business digital marketing guide. We’ve compiled 10 useful tips to help boost your content marketing and social media knowledge.
It’s impossible to succeed on social media without a thought-out strategy. You can’t post whatever you want, whenever you want -- successful social branding means being consistent, offering value and engaging with followers. It also means knowing who you are posting content for.
Do you have a business blog? Use your social media accounts to promote it. Facebook has incredible user statistics, and it’s a great platform for getting your blog noticed. Twitter is also a great resource for content and you should be putting yours there also. You need to be sharing your blog content on channels where your target audience is active.
Another important aspect of digital marketing is SEO, or “search engine optimization.” There are tried and true SEO methods, but there are also experimental SEO strategies that may or may not work. Don’t be afraid to push the limits to see what SEO can do for you. SEO can be intimidating and confusing. It's also not a fix it and forget it process. You may need to see help from a specialist, but it will be well worth the investment.
Many business owners choose quantity over quality when it comes to their brand’s blog. Why? They believe more blog posts is equivalent to more visibility. This may be true, but quality blog content also helps to build another aspect of a brand: credibility. It will also help with SEO. Your credibility and SEO are long term plans. As a business owner, that's the way you should be thinking about it.
If you have a lot on your plate, don’t be afraid to send out tasks to other employees or even outside help. Delegating tasks to others can save you time and put more focus on each individual to-do list item, improving quality. To learn more about outsourcing social media management, take a look at this article: 5 Benefits of Outsourcing Your Social Media Management. Hiring an agency is one path to take. Another may be a virtual assistant. Either way, make sure you vet them out properly.
Most brands aren’t looking to market to every single person on Earth -- instead, they have a specific audience in mind. Your content and social posting efforts should acknowledge this audience based on who they are. You should publish content that appeals to their specific interests.
No one online wants to read bland business blog post after bland business blog post. Customers react well to a business they feel like they know. Share who you and your business are, not just the technical aspects.
There are dozens of social sites to navigate, and it can be difficult to figure out where you should stake your social claim. Any social strategy you create should be well-thought-out and tested. Put in the time upfront and save yourself time in the long run.
Testimonials can also count as content marketing, but many business owners don’t truly focus on them like they should. Consumers like to see that a business’ worth is being confirmed by someone else, not just by the business itself. Add your testimonials to your landing page or provide a link to a testimonials page.
For every digital marketing task you take on, don’t forget to look into metrics and analytics. It is extremely important to track your efforts. These stats tell business owners the proper direction to take and adjustments to make. Nothing stays the same and you should be constantly monitoring and making adjustments to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Some of this may look intimidating, but business owners get the hang of it the more they educate themselves and practice their strategies. Utilize our small business digital marketing guide and see where your own digital marketing strategies take you.