Attracting customers is one of the biggest challenges that many businesses face. No matter how compelling your products or services are, you can’t expect your business to grow without customers. Some marketing strategies that local businesses may turn to include: advertising in the local paper or putting up flyers around town.

These strategies can certainly work, but more consumers are increasingly turning to online channels for product research. Reach a larger target audience online by implementing these five digital marketing strategies for your small business.

1. Optimise Your Website With Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is in the process of optimising your website with the intent of ranking higher in search results. There are two aspects: On-page and off-page SEO. On-page SEO involves factors on your site like your content, headings, loading times, etc. Off-page SEO involves building your site’s authority like acquiring backlinks from relevant sites.

Once your pages start ranking, they can drive targeted organic traffic for years to come. Organic traffic refers to the visitors that land on your website as a result of unpaid (“organic”) search results. Organic traffic is the opposite of paid traffic, which defines the visits generated by paid advertisement. Visitors who are considered organic will find your site after using a search engine like Google or Bing.

2. Create a Profile on Google My Business

If you’re a local business, you simply cannot afford to overlook Google My Business (GMB). As of 2022, Google handle over 91% of searches in the U.S. GMB is essential if you want your business to be visible online.

Creating a GMB account is completely free. Note that you’ll need to verify your business, but once you do you’ll be able to optimise how your local business listings are in Search and Maps. Be sure to completely fill out your profile including your address, hours, phone number, website, and relevant photos. The more information you provide, the more trust you can establish with your potential customer.

3. Reach More Customers With Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating and publishing quality content. Examples include blog posts, infographics, videos, newsletters, and webinars.

The goal is to publish content that your target audience would find useful, which then helps establish your business as an industry leader. Content marketing can also boost your SEO efforts as any content you publish can rank in search results.

The quality of the content and number of backlinks determine the authority of the page which in terms translates the ranking of the page. Obviously the higher the ranking, the better. The key is to rank on the first page of the search results, as anything after often receives minimum visits.

4. Promote Your Business on Social Media

Another online channel that your business should utilise is social media. Facebook is the largest platform with well over a billion active users, with others including Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn on the rise. Rather than creating an account on every social media platform you can think of, it’s best to focus your efforts on only a handful.

A good rule of thumb is to have a focus on one platform as your primary channel, since it requires a large amount of time and effort to gain a decent amount of followings.

Just creating an account isn’t enough though. You also need to share relevant content and engage with your audience to aid with your branding efforts.

5. Build an Email Marketing Campaign

Even in 2023, email marketing is still one of the most cost effective ways to convert prospects into customers with targeted messaging.

There are a number of ways you can build an email list. Examples include offering something of value such as a guide in the form of a PDF file or video in exchange for an email on your website or hosting events in your area and adding emails from attendees (with permission of course).

Just be careful not to bombard your list with constant irrelevant marketing messages as that could make your prospects quickly hit the unsubscribe button.

I hope the above tips will help you boost your business presence. With a strategic approach and some prior organisation, you have the opportunity to significantly boost sales and grow your brand. If you need help implementing any of the above suggestions, please contact me! You know I am always happy to help.