Since the invention of electronic mail (commonly known as email), people have been using the technology to send and receive important information from colleagues, humorous chain mail, and personal communications from friends and family. Today, email is a major avenue for businesses to communicate with existing and potential customers. From welcome emails to reminders about abandoned carts, email keeps subscribers informed and engaged with the brands they love. What is email marketing? Email marketing is a marketing strategy that uses emails to generate measurable returns for your business. Marketing emails differ in a few ways from a typical email you might send to a relative or coworker. First, a marketing email is sent to a current or prospective customer. Second, while personal emails are often just relaying information, the goal of a marketing email is always to drive subscriber actions that benefit the business, such as signing up for an event or clicking through to a product page. You’ll achieve your business goals by delivering value to your readers, often through engaging content, coupons, and exclusive offers. Finally, while you may send out a personal email and move on immediately, marketing emails should be measured to see if readers are opening them and taking the desired action(s). Benefits of email marketing One of the top benefits of email marketing is that it helps you to keep in touch with your customers. Whether a simple “Thank you for subscribing,” a cheery “Welcome on board,” or a sincere Happy Birthday email, email is the easiest and most effective way to let your customers know you value them. Customers love it when a business treats them as individuals. That value should show in the emails you send, and the more value you provide to your customers, the more they’ll look forward to hearing from you. Getting them to engage with your call to action is more effortless when that happens. Studies show that email marketing outperforms other digital marketing channels, including social media and paid search. 1. Boost engagement & loyalty Email marketing is a powerful tool for boosting engagement and customer loyalty. By delivering personalized content and targeted email marketing campaigns, businesses can capture and keep the attention of recipients — driving higher open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. In your search to boost engagement through email marketing, you’ll discover the best digital marketing tool to fit your needs includes the ability to automate email marketing campaigns. Automation allows your business to better tailor your customer’s experience with your marketing messages and gives you time back in your schedule. Whether your user is extending their subscription or buying a new product, you can leverage email drip campaigns to engage customers during the renewal or new purchase process. Whenever a user leaves an unpurchased product in their cart, use email automation to send an abandoned cart email and let them know the product is still available for purchase. 2. Promote relevant content Email marketing opens up a communication line with your subscribers, potential customers, and loyalists to receive content that keeps them up-to-date about what’s happening with your business. As you craft content, you’ll want to provide expert advice, promote a new product line, or share customer testimonials to lend credibility to your brand and reassure your clientele. Remember, data is a friend to both your subscribers and your business. When you know where a customer fits into your email cycle, sending them content that’ll interest them and keep them engaged is easy. Email campaigns become especially handy when you are running a small business and have to be strategic about how you spend your time. Try targeting user segments based on which aspects of your service subscribers use most, recent purchases, or behaviors . 3. Help increase brand awareness Email marketing is a great way to develop your brand identity because it gives you a direct line to customers and potential customers while showcasing your voice, style, and mission. You’ll have an edge over your competitors once you create valuable content for the customer. Email marketing can also help you gauge subscriber and customer sentiment toward your brand. Use a survey to ask for feedback. Are customers happy with the content you’re providing? Would they like to learn something different? Once you know what interests them, you’ll know how to provide valuable email content. 4. Boost sales Email marketing offers equal opportunity to incite impulse purchases and drive careful consideration. Whatever your target audience looks like, you can use email marketing to encourage a first-time buyer to click “add to cart” or a long-time shopper to stay true to your brand. For new customers, you might consider:
To shoot for a repeat customer, try:
What are the types of email marketing? It’s important for businesses to choose the appropriate type of email marketing based on their goals, target audience, and the desired outcome of the campaign. Here are some common types:
This promotional email from DoorDash offers subscribers five free package deliveries. Image Source: DoorDash 2. Welcome Emails: Sent to new subscribers or customers, welcome emails aim to introduce the brand, set expectations, and provide valuable information. They can include a warm greeting, a brief company overview, and a call to action to encourage further engagement. 3. Newsletter Emails: Newsletters are regular emails sent to subscribers to provide updates, news, and valuable content. They can include industry insights, blog articles, product updates, or curated content to keep subscribers informed and engaged. 4. Abandoned Cart Emails: These emails are triggered when a customer adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase. Abandoned cart emails aim to remind customers of their unfinished purchases, offer incentives, and encourage them to complete the transaction. This abandoned cart email from PlayStation encourages a potential customer to take action on an abandoned cart. Image Source: PlayStation 5. Re-engagement Emails: Sent to inactive subscribers, re-engagement emails aim to win back their interest. They can include special offers, personalized recommendations, or surveys to better understand their preferences. 6. Transactional Emails: These emails are triggered by specific actions or transactions, such as order confirmations, shipping notifications, or password resets. While primarily informative, transactional emails can also include personalized recommendations or cross-sell opportunities. 7. Event Invitation Emails: Emails sent to invite subscribers to events, webinars, or workshops, these emails provide details about the event, registration links, and any special offers or incentives for attending. 8. Feedback or Survey Emails: These emails are sent to gather feedback from customers or subscribers. They can include surveys, polls, or feedback forms to collect valuable insights and improve the customer experience. This email from Miro asks subscribers to participate in a survey to provide valuable feedback to help them improve their product. Image Source: Miro Key email marketing stats and cost-effectiveness Email marketing is relatively cheap. Whether you do it yourself or through an email marketing provider, marketing to hundreds of customers via email will cost you peanuts compared to other advertising channels. With email marketing, you can send targeted emails based on what you know about your customers – such as likes, dislikes, content preferences, age, location, and buying patterns. A few key stats: → Email marketing has an average return of $36 for every dollar spent, so investing in email marketing can have some serious payoffs. → On average, abandoned cart emails have a 43.76% open rate, an 8.76% click-through rate, and a conversion rate of 10.7% → According to a 2022 Radicati Group study, there will be more than 4.48 billion email users by the end of 2024. In other words, over half of the people on this planet use email right now. That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But think about it: whenever you register with a new website or sign up for an account, you must have an email address. Yes, you can log in with a social media account like Facebook, but you still need an email address to sign up for Facebook. Email is still the dominant form of communication, and smart businesses use email every day to turn prospects into customers. What’s more, email results are easy to measure. Constant Contact customers have real-time access to metrics like open rates, clicks, bounces, forwards, social shares, and more. Expert tips to know about email marketing 1. Choose an email marketing service provider If you’re serious about email marketing, you must work with an email marketing service provider. Working with a provider is the only way your business can leverage email marketing to deliver messages to large groups of contacts or subscribers effectively. You’ll also benefit from professional email templates, automation tools to help you expand, easy ways to manage and grow your email list, and tracking features showing how customers respond to your emails. 2. Gather contacts for your email marketing list Most businesses have some existing contacts when they start a mailing list. Think of the customers and people you already have a business relationship with. Maybe they’re contacts you email regularly, or you could start with a few supportive friends and family members. Don’t get discouraged, even if you’re building an email list completely from scratch. Start by putting a paper sign-up sheet near your register, adding an online sign-up form to your website, and encouraging your social media followers and loyal customers to sign up. Whatever you do, don’t purchase an email list. Email marketing management is all about building and nurturing relationships; connecting with a smaller list of quality contacts is more impactful than blasting out emails to contacts who haven’t consented to receive marketing emails from your business. 3. Set up your welcome email The first email a new subscriber should receive is the welcome email. Use your welcome emails to help your business build a relationship with your audience. Connect them to your brand voice, provide valuable content, and offer exclusive deals to set the tone for future customer experiences. Consider automating your welcome emails. New subscribers will be added to your welcome email list and receive content in a timely manner. 4. Write persuasive messages This tends to be one of the scariest steps for business owners. You don’t want to sound too sales-y or push too hard to get potential customers to buy your products, but at the same time, you want to convert them into paying customers. When thinking of email marketing campaign ideas, it helps to follow a repeatable process and break your message down into three crucial sections:
This simple three-step formula helps you stay focused so you can write more effective messages. 5. Use personalization in subject lines The subject line of your email is one of the first impressions someone gets from your brand, especially when you’re sending them an email for the first time. Using what you already know about the customer should be your first priority while sending email marketing campaigns. Your subject line should be short and snappy — around 40 characters. You can draw attention by asking a compelling question, including a deadline to increase urgency, or teasing your message. 6. Focus on customers, not your products Have you ever received a marketing email that didn’t feel relevant enough? Yeah, that can get a little annoying. An email cluttered with products or information that doesn’t provide the subscriber with value will cause them to lose interest in your email marketing and unsubscribe from your email list if the issue persists. When you’re dividing your readers into segments, make sure to remember what stage of the customer lifecycle they’re in. For example, they’re a new customer or someone who’s left something behind in their cart. A little extra effort when segmenting emails can go a long way. 7. Preview and test before you send Make sure the content you’re sending is grammatically correct and free of styling errors. Use the preview function in your email marketing software to view your content, check links and promo codes, and send test emails. Catch errors when they count, so you can provide a high quality email experience for your subscribers. 8. Track your results Email marketing doesn’t end with a send. You will want to track your open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribe rates, etc., and work to improve over time. You need to know which metrics will help you create a perfect email marketing strategy. These aren’t the only indicators of optimal email performance, but they’re a good start. Remember to A/B test different emails with different segments to see what works and what doesn’t. Learning from these metrics can help you define your goals and answer important questions like, “Are customers opening my emails?”, “Are they clicking?”, and “Do they care at all?” Knowing what works and what doesn’t help you save time, effort, and money. Start sending your emails with confidence! Create an email marketing strategy that fits within your budget and helps you to attract new customers. Take the first step by crafting a welcome email to introduce your brand and begin building a relationship with your subscribers. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) How should I measure the success of my email marketing campaign? While you might be inclined to focus on open rates, it’s not the only metric to look to when you’re measuring the success of your email marketing campaigns. Look to click-through rates and conversions, in addition to open rates, to help you determine if your email marketing campaigns were successful. How do I make sure my marketing emails avoid ending up in the spam folder? A couple of factors contribute to a high rate of email deliverability. From sender score to subject lines, you want to make sure your marketing emails are making it into the inbox and staying out of the spam folder. What’s the best structure for a marketing email? Typically every great marketing email has the following elements:
Source: https://www.constantcontact.com/
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Influencer marketing is a growing trend and a tactic that you should consider adding to your marketing mix. While it’s unlikely you’ll be hiring Kim Kardashian to represent your brand anytime soon, everyone has some degree of influence, and many will talk about your company, products and services, provided you offer the right incentive. This article will help you understand the ins-and-outs of influencer marketing and how it can help your business. What is Influencer Marketing? According to Joe Sinkwitz, founder and CEO of Intellifluence, an influencer marketing marketplace, who spoke with Small Business Trends by phone, the term just means getting someone else to spread your message for you. Sinkwitz says an influencer marketing campaign can take many forms: blogger reviews, social media mentions, celebrity endorsements and more. In some cases, content is sponsored, meaning that money changes hands. In others, the company sends products to influencers in exchange for a review. (The FTC requires explicit disclosure of compensation in these campaigns, but that doesn’t always happen, so “caveat emptor.”) How Can Influencer Marketing Help my Small Business? Influencer marketing works for three reasons: Relies on trust. It takes advantage (in a good way) of the trust influencers have earned from their constituency. Trust is valuable currency in a world where peer influence reigns supreme and leveraging it to call attention to your brand, products and services is worth the investment. Penetrates a niche. Influencer marketing relies not on breadth but depth regarding numbers — a heuristic that says it’s better to penetrate deeply into a niche market (where the person has influence) rather than shallowly across a broad market. Can be cost-effective. Influencer marketing campaigns can garner media attention without requiring a huge investment of resources. One campaign, for a coconut oil products company, received 218 mentions from influencers across blogs, social media, YouTube, Instagram and other outlets. The only expenditure was a box of sample products sent to each person, as this video reveals: You don’t necessarily have to reach out to hundreds of influencers to run a successful campaign. Depending on your market niche, even a few dozen can tip the scale in drawing consumer attention to your brand or products, bringing them to the forefront on search engines and social networks. Keep in mind that the shorter your list, the more high-profile it needs to be, so find the most authoritative people in your industry that you can. Statistics Show Influencer Marketing Potential A report from Rhythmone (PDF), an influencer marketplace, cites the following statistics as evidence of influencer marketing’s potential for success:
“Influencers draw passionate audiences that engage with their content and actively take part in the community conversations that stem from it,” the report states. That’s reason enough to try this approach, don’t you think? How Can I Use Influencer Marketing? The following five practices, contributed by Intellifluence CEO Joe Sinkwitz, can help ensure that your campaign is a success. 1. Define Your Goals Before launching an influencer marketing campaign, it’s essential to have clear, measurable goals. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or promote a new product? Setting specific objectives helps in selecting the right influencers, crafting the message, and measuring the campaign’s success. For instance, if your goal is brand awareness, you might measure success by the reach and engagement of your campaign posts. On the other hand, for sales, you might track the conversion rates and ROI of the campaign. Sinkwitz advises: “If the goal is branding and visibility, finding an aspirational influencer (i.e., celebrity) would make sense given their broad reach,” he says. “If the goal is sales, develop multiple use cases in the form of buyer personas (a fictional person who represents your target market), then extrapolate using tools such as Hootsuite to figure out who is most similar to these personas.” 2. Appeal to a Sense of Authority Identifying and engaging with authoritative influencers within your niche can significantly amplify your campaign’s credibility and impact. These influencers have built trust with their audience over time, and their endorsement can serve as a powerful testament to your brand’s value. To appeal to these influencers, research their content and understand what matters to them and their followers. Tailoring your approach to align with their interests and expertise can increase your chances of forming a successful partnership. Sinkwitz says that you can take the persona approach a step further by appealing to the most authoritative among the group you discovered. “See who among the group is most authoritative on the subject you’re interested in, engage them directly and employ a peer influence strategy, which relies on the influencers to reach out to others in the target market on your behalf.” 3. Rely on the Right Channels Choosing the most effective social media channels is crucial for the success of your influencer marketing campaign. The choice of platform should be driven by where your target audience spends their time and the nature of your product or service. For B2B products, LinkedIn might be more appropriate, while consumer goods might see better engagement on Instagram or TikTok. Analyzing the demographics and user behavior on each platform will guide you in selecting the most suitable channel for your campaign. A common mistake businesses make when starting an influencer campaign is relying on the wrong channels, Sinkwitz says. “A small business selling B2B customer relationship management software probably shouldn’t be spending much time trying to increase Instagram engagement, since the buying audience is going to exist more on Twitter and LinkedIn,” he says. “Conversely, the organic tea manufacturer needs to be targeting Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, considering the demographics in these networks are more in line with the target audience.” Sinkwitz added that if you sell products on Amazon, you should put ample effort into getting as many reviews as possible there, then promote them on your social network channels, to drive business back to the site. 4. Agree on the Compensation Transparent and fair compensation is key to building a positive relationship with influencers. Compensation can vary widely, from free products or services to monetary payments, depending on the influencer’s reach and the complexity of the campaign. It’s important to have open discussions about expectations and deliverables to ensure both parties feel valued and satisfied. Remember, a well-compensated influencer is more likely to put genuine effort into their content, benefiting your campaign. Pitching influencers shouldn’t be a cause for consternation and panic, says Sinkwitz, who added that many small businesses “fret and undervalue their products” when reaching out to potential influencers, thinking it will require “obscene amounts of money and a year’s supply of product for coverage.” “In reality, if you’ve done your homework on picking the right influencers, the product might be sufficient compensation in and of itself since it would be a valued product in the eyes of the influencer,” he says. Sinkwitz warns that businesses should not be alarmed if an influencer demands monetary compensation in addition to products. “Just make sure of what you will be receiving in return,” he says. “Is it a well thought out video and blog post or a simple product tweet? Is the value obtained in keeping with the compensation?” 5. Combine Influencer Campaigns Into the Overall Marketing Mix Marketing professionals will tell you that no marketing tactic should exist in a vacuum, and Sinkwitz agrees. “When placed within a chain of other proven tactics, influencer marketing as a concept is almost unfair in its use of psychological triggers,” he says. “Employed correctly, it can stimulate an intense purchase desire among your target market.” Sinkwitz posits this scenario as a case in point: “Imagine what would happen if your buyer persona saw her favorite celebrity tweeting about your product, followed by a well-respected member of her community mentioning the positive attributes of your product on his blog,” he says. “She then sees a friend posting on Facebook about how great the product is and, finally, sees retargeted ads via native advertising channels promoting a discount trial offer of the product.” A celebrity endorsement combined with an authoritative review, subtle peer pressure from friends and a discount offer would be hard to resist by anyone’s standards. Such is the power of influencer marketing. Integrating influencer campaigns with other marketing efforts, such as content marketing, social media advertising, and email marketing, can create a cohesive and multi-faceted approach to reaching your audience. This integration ensures consistency in messaging and maximizes the overall impact of your marketing efforts. For example, content created by influencers can be repurposed across your brand’s social media channels, website, and email newsletters, extending the reach and life of your campaign.
Other Tips Consider these tips, in addition to the best practices listed above: Be generous. The better the “gift” you offer in your pitch, the more likely the influencer is to agree to write or, in the case of video, record a review. Go beyond the A-list. It can be difficult to get A-listers to decide to look at your product, much less write about it. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Just don’t limit yourself to them. Bloggers and social networking types further down the “long tail” can be easier to connect with and more receptive to your advances. Remember that less is more. Don’t cover every detail in your pitch. Leave room for intrigue. Often, the product will sell itself. Allow for personality. Don’t place too many constraints around what you’re asking the influencer to do. Instead, leave room for the person to make the review fit her style and personality. It will come across as more genuine and engaging that way. Use Small Business Influencer Marketplaces One way to find prospects to promote your products is through marketplaces that match companies with influencers. Quite a few exist, although not all are intended for small businesses. These three are: Intellifluence. Previously mentioned and written about here, Intellifluence is a bit more one-sided than the other marketplaces in that it allows businesses to reach out to influencers but not the other way around. Still, at $9 per month for unlimited usage it’s quite a bargain. Tomoson. For $99 per month, Tomoson lets businesses carry out up to ten campaigns with as many as 100 people. Famebit. This marketplace allows businesses to get started for free. Endorsements cost as little as $100, and campaign creators can set a budget that’s comfortable for them, review proposals from influencers and choose which platform to use for brand promotion.
ConclusionInfluencer marketing is a rapidly growing trend and a powerful strategy that you should seriously consider incorporating into your marketing mix. While you may not be able to secure celebrities like Kim Kardashian to represent your brand, influencer marketing offers numerous advantages. Influencer marketing involves leveraging individuals with varying degrees of influence to spread your brand message. These campaigns can take various forms, including blogger reviews, social media mentions, and celebrity endorsements. Compensation, whether in the form of money or products, is common in influencer marketing, although the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates explicit disclosure of compensation in such campaigns. There are several compelling reasons to embrace influencer marketing:
Statistics support the potential of influencer marketing:
To ensure the success of your influencer marketing campaign, follow these practices:
Additional tips for success include being generous in your pitch, reaching beyond A-list influencers, keeping pitches concise, and allowing influencers the flexibility to incorporate their personality into their reviews. Furthermore, consider utilizing small business influencer marketplaces like Intellifluence, Tomoson, and Famebit, which can facilitate connections between your brand and potential influencers, making influencer marketing more accessible and manageable. Source: https://smallbiztrends.com Image Source: Influence Photo via Shutterstock
Building a business from the ground up is an exciting endeavor. While many entrepreneurs dream of launching their very own startup, few pull it off successfully. Statistically speaking, 20% of all startups fail in their first year. Flash forward five years, and the failure rate jumps to 50%. This failure rate often isn't a result of having a bad product or service. Many startups have great, innovative products that have a lot of potential. The challenge is that startups face many headwinds in their early years, especially when they are competing in sectors that have large established brands. Not only do they have to figure out how to draw attention to their product, but they also need to do it with limited financial and personnel resources. Successfully marketing a startup requires creativity and innovation. Here are six out-of-the-box marketing strategies that any startup can use to capture brand attention in a unique and exciting way. 1. Influencer partnerships One of the most challenging things about being a startup is the lack of brand awareness. Without brand awareness, you'll struggle to generate sales and revenue to keep the business alive. It's critical to build brand recognition and awareness as quickly as possible. You can have the greatest product on the market, but unless someone gives you a chance, it's unlikely that you will make many sales. Working with an influencer who has connections with your target audience is a great way to generate rapid brand recognition. People follow influencers because they care what they have to say. If an influencer promotes your brand, their audience will listen. 2. Enhanced content marketing Most marketers swear by the power of content marketing. While there is power in delivering a steady stream of informative and entertaining blog posts, articles and social media posts, you can take this to a whole new level by focusing heavily on audience engagement . Figuring out ways to promote user-generated content is a great way to build a following and establish social proof. User-generated content focuses on encouraging your audience to post information and reviews and creating content featuring your brand. Like influencer marketing, people care about what their friends and family say about the products and services they use. Another highly effective method is to make your content as interactive as possible by introducing quizzes, polls and interactive videos. 3. Memorable experiences Studies have shown that three-fourths of people who engage with a brand during an event are more likely to buy the promoted product or service. Events are the perfect way to deliver the authenticity and unique experiences that consumers crave today. These events can include pop-up stores, exclusive product launches and workshops. Don't be afraid to experiment with cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality to build memorable connections in the digital world. 4. AI-powered personalization Consumers are tired of feeling like a number. Any opportunity you have to customize your marketing messages to each specific customer is a win. Fortunately, new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are making this much easier. These tools can sift through thousands of data points to help you identify your target customers' personal behaviors and preferences to deliver customized messages or product recommendations designed just for them. 5. Cause marketing and social impact campaigns People no longer want to simply purchase a product or service. More and more consumers care about the impact that brands are making on the world around them. Aligning your brand with a social cause or issue that resonates with your target audience is a great way to build brand awareness and positive reception. 6. Collaborate with other startups Just because you are running a startup, doesn't mean you are on your own. There are other startups out there that are looking to build their brand as well. Forming partnerships with other startups that have complimentary offerings is a great way to work together and tap into each other's audiences. This can also help foster a sense of innovation and idea-sharing within the startup community. The world of startup marketing is constantly evolving. It's important that startup marketers keep a pulse on changes in technology, especially as AI, ML and voice optimization mature. Social movements and cultural norms may also shift over time, allowing leading brands to stay ahead rather than jumping on the bandwagon when it's too late. Finally, more and more companies have the capability to develop and produce similar products. Success will ultimately boil down to the overall experience and authenticity of the brand itself. Startups that are able to keep these trends in mind will be best positioned to be one of the few that go on to obtain long-term success. Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com
Running a small business isn’t for the faint of heart. Revenue, customer service, and everything else falls into your lap…and then there’s marketing. You’re not alone. Did you know that 4.4 million businesses open each year? That’s millions of entrepreneurs learning how to develop a digital marketing strategy to support their business. In this article, you’ll learn about the elements of digital marketing and how to use them to effectively market your small business. Core components of digital marketing What is digital marketing? In short, digital marketing is a collection of online strategies that promote your business. It includes, but isn’t limited to:
It helps to look at digital marketing through the “7 Cs” — a framework or checklist that helps marketers navigate and achieve their goals. As the name implies, this framework revolves around seven points:
Making the most of your small business digital marketing A digital marketing strategy is essential to long-term success. Here’s how to set things up: Understand your target audience Before creating marketing campaigns, you must know who you’re talking to. Each business has a target audience — a group of consumers whose needs and preferences match the business’s strengths. Learning about your target audience helps you personalize your marketing, a service that today’s audiences expect. You can personalize your offering based on your audience’s age group, location, family status, buying behavior, and anything else relevant. Generate leads with content Content is an excellent lead-in to digital marketing for small businesses. It’s usually low-cost and perfect for marketing on a shoestring budget. Follow these three tips to kickstart your content production:
Every content piece should have a “next step” the reader can take to learn more. Since you’re building your audience at this stage, focus on inviting audiences to join your email list. Each new subscriber is a potential long-term customer. Target local buyers Did you know that 81% of consumers prefer to shop locally? More than half would pay more to do so. But to leverage this fact, you must help people learn you’re out there. Online local marketing sends that message. You need a website with local keywords and a business profile you can add to online listing sites, like Yelp or Google Business Profile. Optimize your website for mobile It’s official — more than half of all searches and almost two-thirds of email opens happen on mobile devices. Your website needs to look professional and polished if you want to land those on-the-go customers. Maximizing engagement and conversions Engagement and conversion are the biggest “power words” in digital marketing for small businesses. Engagement is any audience interaction, such as customer calls or comments on social media, and conversion is when someone takes a desired action, like purchasing your product or downloading a free resource. It goes without saying, you must keep these two at a high level for successful business. Reaching more new customers New customers mean growth, and digital advertising provides the fastest way to reach them. There are multiple types of digital ads, including:
Ads are one of the most beginner-friendly marketing strategies. Advertising platforms, such as Google Ads, lead you through the process step-by-step. Retaining current and past buyers Returning buyers have the potential to become loyal customers. The key to developing relationships with them is staying in touch to remain top-of-mind. SMS marketing or text message marketing is a simple yet effective way to stay in touch. Once someone opts in to receive your texts, you can send all kinds of brief messages, from announcements about upcoming promotions to notifications that a favorite product is back in stock. Building meaningful relationships Personalized email marketing is your number one ticket to deepening relationships with prospects to transform them from one-time buyers into long-term customers. Constant Contact makes personalization easy with digital marketing tools powered by automation. Segment your customers by interest so you can send the right messages to the right people, create custom emails quickly using drag-and-drop email templates, and schedule tasks to launch automatically to improve efficiency. Constant Contact provides email marketing, social media marketing, SMS marketing, and analytics services, so you always know what works and what needs adjusting for better results. Listening and responding to feedback Engaging with consumer reviews is another essential way brands build relationships. Requesting feedback shows you care about the customer experience, especially when you respond to reviewers. According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers are likely to buy from a brand that responds to all reviews. Practical considerations for small business marketers Let’s look at some details that will make your campaigns more effective. Call them the three S’s — search engine optimization (SEO), shareability, and savvy budgeting. Search engine optimization SEO helps your website rank higher in search results for search engines like Bing and Google. In terms of local search, 87% of queries are made through Google, according to BrightLocal: Check out how Google has taken over the business search market. It’s only getting more popular! Image source: BrightLocal Consumer Review Survey 2023. The higher you rank, the more likely audiences will see you. Getting there means showing Google your website is trustworthy and helpful to its target audience. You do that by:
Social media shareability If your content is shareable on social media, everything you create will have more potential reach. The most shareable content is:
Get the most from your content by asking yourself, “If this popped up on my feed, would I share it?” Return on investment In digital marketing for small businesses, getting the most for your money is a high priority. Planning before you act is crucial, so list the strategies you want to use and their costs. If your strategy exceeds your budget, prioritize free tactics, like blogging or organic social. DIYing as much as possible can save money, but it might not earn as much. Freelancers and agencies often provide the best marketing advice. Advanced digital marketing tactics The day will come when you’re ready for more than the basics. Here are three tactics to keep in mind for that day. Google Business Profile Formerly called a Google My Business listing, your Business Profile appears at the top of local search listings. Here’s how it shows up: This business came up on a “near me” search. A click on the business name reveals the profile. Image source: Google Fill out your profile as completely as you can. Add contact details, photos, a website link, and all other relevant details. Google shows high-quality and comprehensive business profiles in local searches, and you want to rank above the competition. Paid digital marketing If you have the budget, consider running paid ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Ads make it easier to reach people who don’t already follow you. Plus, you can target demographics that match your customer segments. Sponsored content is similar, though slightly longer in form. It mimics the structure and style of a website’s typical content, but it’s a paid promotion for another business’s products or services. Affiliate marketing is a popular example. Special promotions and events As your audience grows, consider running digital events and referral campaigns. A digital event invites your audience to something that educates and entertains while simultaneously introducing your business. A referral campaign is a popular option for service-based and subscription businesses. Offer an incentive for customers who refer others to your business, and welcome those referred customers with extra enthusiasm. Monitoring and adjusting digital marketing campaigns With all of these tips and tricks to keep in mind, one question stands out. What are the most effective digital marketing strategies for small businesses? The answer is in your marketing analytics. There are countless free and paid tools available, each with different functionalities. As a beginner, the best way to start is with an in-app tool like Constant Contact’s reporting feature since it comes with a platform you already know and use. Set a schedule for checking your data. Monthly or quarterly checks work well for beginners. Look at what campaigns do well, figure out what they have in common, and then add those elements to future campaigns. Budgeting for digital marketing Budgeting is one of the biggest challenges in digital marketing for small businesses. To allocate funds to the most valuable channels, you need data. You want to know which channels give you the best return on investment. In other words, what marketing campaigns and platforms convert the most customers and generate the most revenue? The simplest method to find out is to ask a “How did you find us” question on your sales page. You can also obtain key data by linking Google Analytics to your website. It shows you how customers reach your page and what they do there. Choosing your small business digital marketing strategies Take time to compare digital marketing strategies, noting when an approach would work for your business. Look at long-established and newer strategies. Thanks to advancements in user technology, tools like AI automation and chatbots are now available to even the smallest businesses. Remember that marketing isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Instead of rushing into a strategy that feels almost right, research until you find one that clicks. Also, don’t expect to have the same strategy forever. Conduct mid-year reviews of what’s working and what isn’t. Staying current: Accessibility and trends Over the past few years, accessibility has become a hot topic in digital marketing. You need to ensure everyone can read your content to meet current expectations. Color matters more than you might think. High-contrast text and background colors are essential for people with vision challenges. There are plenty of accessibility guidelines online to help you stay on track. But be careful not to use color alone to convey your message — color-blind people won’t be able to see it. User experience (UX) best practices are always good guidelines for accessibility. It’s all about making your content useful, findable, and navigable. Your first steps in digital marketing for small business Congratulations — you’ve introduced yourself to the basics and finer points of digital marketing for small businesses. Now, it’s time to plan your strategy. Start by looking at available digital marketing tools. A little bit of help makes everything seem more manageable. Maybe you’ll start with email — playing with a drag-and-drop template to suit your brand. The next thing you know, you’ll have an introductory newsletter ready to send! In the meantime, keep an eye on shifting standards and implement changes as they occur. Source: https://www.constantcontact.com
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