Introduction
Digital marketing is complicated, and you can’t just set up a Facebook page and hope for the best. You need a strategy that will grow your business in a way that’s measurable and consistent. If you’re ready to take the leap into digital marketing, follow these steps to create a plan that works for your small business:
Identify Your Goals
- Define your goals.
- Set a timeline.
- Make sure you have the right tools to achieve your goals.
- Know what you want to achieve before you start, so that when it comes time for execution, there are no surprises and no wasted time spent trying out new things or going in circles because of lack of direction or focus on what matters most for your business
Understand Your Audience
The first step to developing a successful digital marketing plan is to understand your audience. To do this, you need to define who they are and what they want.
To begin with, it’s important that you know what pain points or needs your target audience has. For example, if the majority of people in your target market are millennials living in New York City who make less than $50k per year and struggle with finding affordable housing near their jobs or school (and therefore spend hours on public transportation), then it makes sense for you as a small business owner selling furniture for their apartments not just because there’s demand but because there’s also relevance–you’ll be able to speak directly from experience when trying to convince potential customers why they should buy from you instead of someone else!
Determine Your Budget
The first step in creating a digital marketing plan is to determine your budget. You’ll want to start with a realistic number that considers all of the marketing activities you want to promote, not just digital. For example, if you have $1,000 per month available for online advertising, consider whether this also covers costs like website maintenance or social media management.
If your business doesn’t have much money at its disposal right now–and most small businesses don’t–start with something small and grow over time as needed. There are plenty of free tools available that can help get started without breaking the bank (or even costing anything).
Consider a Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is a great way to engage with your audience, build trust and credibility, and grow your business.
It’s also one of the most effective digital marketing strategies you can use!
So what is content marketing? It’s essentially any piece of content–such as a blog post or video–that you create for the purpose of educating potential customers about a specific topic or product in order to help them solve their problem(s). The goal here is not necessarily to sell but rather to educate first so that when they’re ready to buy from you down the road (or from someone else), they’ll choose YOU!
Develop an Email Marketing Strategy
Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing tactics for small businesses. It’s inexpensive, easy to set up and maintain, and it can help you build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and generate leads.
A successful email strategy starts with a compelling subject line that gets people interested in what you have to say; once they open the message itself, it should be short and sweet but also include a call-to-action (CTA) so readers know exactly what they need to do next if they want more information or assistance from your company.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how best to write an effective email message–or if you just want some tips on how not to annoy people so much that they unsubscribe from future messages–we’ve got some great examples below!
Invest in Social Media Marketing
Social media is a great way to reach a large audience. You can use social media to promote your business and engage with customers, which will help you build brand awareness, increase sales and grow your customer base. Social media also has a high return on investment (ROI) because it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other forms of digital marketing such as search engine optimization (SEO).
Pinpoint Local and Mobile Strategies
The first step in creating a digital marketing plan is to identify your target audience. This can be done through customer research and interviews, as well as by analyzing the demographics of your current customers. Once you know who you’re targeting, it’s time to consider how they like to engage with businesses like yours.
- Local search is important for local businesses because it allows consumers to find businesses in their area before visiting them in person. It also provides opportunities for business owners to connect with potential customers on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which makes it easier for those people who may not have heard about your business yet (or even considered using its services).
- Mobile devices have become ubiquitous over the past decade–the Pew Research Center estimates that more than three-quarters of Americans own smartphones–so it’s no surprise that mobile internet usage has skyrocketed: according to Statista Inc., smartphone users spent an average of 2 hours per day using apps during 2018.*
Measure, Analyze, and Improve
- Define success before you start.
- Measure, analyze, and improve.
- Test and experiment with various channels to see what works best for your business.
A good digital marketing plan is key to growing your business.
A good digital marketing plan is key to growing your business. If you’re not sure where to begin, this guide will show you how.
- Create a Digital Marketing Plan
- What Should Be Included In Your Plan?
- How Do You Use A Digital Marketing Plan?
- Measure the Success of Your Digital Marketing Campaigns
Conclusion
The digital world is constantly changing and evolving, so it’s important to keep up with what’s new in this space. By developing a digital marketing plan for your small business, you can stay on top of trends and use them to your advantage. Need help crafting your digital roadmap? Contact our team of experts today!
