Big businesses have taken to digital platforms and marketing for quite a while. However, in the last few years, small businesses too are eagerly adapting to digital marketing. The fallouts of the Coronavirus pandemic has shown that digital is a strong platform for businesses. It helps in keeping brands engaged to the consumers and improves sales and revenues.

For a very long time, small businesses have relied on traditional and outdated models of marketing and advertising. For example, you might have seen your local deli advertising through leaflets, brochures as well as other means.

It is only recently, that small businesses have started seeing results from digital marketing activities. In this article, we look at how digital marketing can help small businesses survive the ongoing pandemic. We also look at five digital marketing strategies; small brands should look to follow.

How Digital Marketing can help, Small Businesses survive the COVID-19 Pandemic

The changing realities of life and commerce in the aftermath of the pandemic has altered everything. Businesses can no longer expect that existing model of reaching out to consumers, making sales, convincing prospective buyers will continue to hold the same level of sway.

With norms for social distancing and other protocols becoming the order of the day, it is important that small brands take help from digital marketing. Reaching out to consumers on search engines and social platforms can help put forward small businesses’ products and services.

With more and more people staying indoors and using the internet for almost every aspect of their lives, it is important to make the transition to digital. This means working with a specialised digital marketing agency or setting up your own internal teams.

Small businesses, as a start, should at least look to create their brand website and social media pages. This is part of the basic hygiene of having a digital presence. AdWords, PPC, SEO and GMB are the next steps.

Benefits of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

One of the simplest things small businesses need to understand about digital marketing is the following.

When any business pursues digital marketing, it always stands to interact, engage, reach out to and convince a far larger proportion of prospective consumers than any other medium.

In addition to this, the other major advantages of digital marketing for small businesses are the following:

  • Multiple channels to interact with your consumers on digital
  • Your website remains open 24×7, unlike your store or office room
  • Making your small business into a big branding through digital branding
  • Doing businesses in different cities and even countries thanks to digital
  • Tracking responses from consumers using data analytics and allocating resources
  • Making future projections by studying trends, analytics and predictions

Digital offers a much fairer playing field for small businesses to play with the big boys. If your creative strategy is good enough, you will be able to woo your target audiences.

5 Main Areas of Digital Marketing a Small Business needs to concentrate on:

1. Social Media

It is understood, that every business, regardless of their size should be on social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap, LinkedIn and other social media platforms are great for engaging with audiences. They are also interactive, help in building credibility and loyalty. However, most importantly, they can help in making a direct impact on sales and revenues.

2. Ecommerce Website

You might have notices how Jeff Bezos and Amazon laughed all the way to the bank even during the pandemic. This is because eCommerce is the future of the world’s digital experience. If you are a small business, you need to have your own eCommerce setup. If you do not want to invest in your own website, sign up as a Seller on the bigger aggregator eCommerce websites.

3. Google My Business

For a very long time, GMB has continued to be a strong aid and asset for small businesses. This continues even in 2020. For a small business, GMB presents multiple opportunities to ace local search. Have a strong and active profile on GMB. List photos, reviews, complete addresses and information, among other things. You will see GMB driving a lot of your business.

4. PPC Campaigns

Every once in a while, every small business should invest a small sum of money in running paid adverts in various digital formats. This will help give your business a small boost during festivals, holiday seasons and other months of the year when your business is active. Explore AdWords on Google and PPC on social media platforms to fuel sales and revenue figures.

5. Strong Inbound Marketing

Small businesses that are looking to win new consumers should invest and focus on the content creation process. This means having a string blog section on the website. The aim is to offer value and information to consumers. Once they get educated about the topic, they will unconsciously start using your product and service based on trust and credibility.

Why Small Businesses should not postpone Digital Marketing any more

The world is increasingly moving towards a digital framework. This means that not only are your consumers online, but your competitors are online as well. Every small business that is postposing its foray into the digital is losing time and opportunity.

The need of the hour is to plan an entry into digital actively. There is no right time to enter into this field. Every data, statistic and expert will vouch how the world has already made the transition to a digital ecosystem.

Every time someone hears about your brand, do you know the first thing that they are going to do? Yes, you guessed it right- they are going to Google you! If they do not find you on search, it means that you do not exist. The result- you lost a consumer.

Conclusion

Most experts suggest digital marketing is appropriate for small businesses because it is cost-effective. Unlike spending millions on a regular TV advert, digital marketing spends can be targeted to your consumers directly. If you are a small business, who is looking to start investing and pursuing digital marketing strongly, you can reach out to Digitrio.com.sg.