The majority of businesses are small/medium-sized. (SMBs) Globally, it’s 90%, and in the US, it’s 99.9%. Few have dedicated marketing resources, and even fewer are focused on digital marketing at all. Clutch reported that only 30% of small businesses have one employee working on digital marketing.
According to a Keap Small Business Marketing Report, “Marketing, especially digital marketing, is elusive to small businesses. Many owners reported their greatest challenge is getting a break from their business long enough to attempt marketing.”
Who can blame them?
There are so many aspects of digital marketing with different experts coming to SMBs with different advice. Small and medium-sized businesses have limited resources, and they don’t want to waste them. So where should they start?
An Integrated Approach
Businesses need an integrated approach that helps them to:
· Be found online – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ensures the business has a website that is crawlable by Google, has current and relevant content, and has the domain authority to rank higher than its competition.
· Reach more customers – A regular cadence of good marketing communication keeps the business in touch with its customers, prospects, and industry. Outbound communications such as Email marketing and press releases can get the word out.
· Build Credibility – When buyers come to a website, they want to be informed, educated, and inspired. Content marketing such as blogs, videos, and graphic content helps businesses effectively share their expertise and build authority and trust
· Build their Brand, drive traffic to the website, and network with buyers – Social Media is more important than most small businesses realize, especially because their buyers are there. Active social accounts enable a business to share its story, be authentic, and have 2-way digital conversations that can turn into opportunities.
The customer journey is digital. Customers are searching and researching online, and they are using all of the available digital channels – and businesses need to be present across all of them. Investing in an integrated strategy will deliver much more than the sum of its parts. If you have a website, you need to drive traffic to it. If you have a social media plan, you need content to promote. It’s all connected.
Build Momentum & Optimize
It takes time to create momentum. Over time, the business must continually review its progress. While it should continue with an integrated strategy, the business may decide to allocate investments in specific areas where they have low-hanging fruit they can exploit, and in other areas where they need to catch up.
Digital marketing should not be elusive or a mystery for any business. At AscendX Digital, we deliver integrated digital marketing services that cover all of the basics an SMB needs to get started online. We continually communicate, share, and guide our clients each month. The more informed and educated the businesses become, the better strategy we can build together.
Our clients’ success is as important to us as our own. If you are a small or medium-sized business or MSP, check out the Digital Accelerator Bundle from AscendX Digital. It’s an easy way to get started and build a comprehensive online presence, with one, manageable monthly fee. Learn more by visiting our website at www.ascendxdigital.com/DAB.
