Small business owners struggle to get up and running with digital marketing because they don't know where to start. They are trying too hard on their own, which is why a couple of recent studies show that small businesses aren’t doing as much in the way of online advertising and social media outreach as entrepreneurs could be if only there was more support out there for them. Are you making these common mistakes with your small business marketing? Then keep reading to find out. A study found that small businesses are mostly concerned with getting their name out there. A little over half of the respondents, 57%, said they were more focused on brand awareness and exposure than anything else. The majority spend less than $10,000 a year on digital marketing annually; however, only 47% actually do so (the rest don't even know where to start or how much it would cost). Those who did have some idea spent between $10-100k per year--26% chose this option as opposed to 26%. It's clear that small businesses are aware of the importance of marketing themselves, as they have invested time and money in social media (62%) and a business website (61%). The next most popular are email marketing at 39% followed by search engine optimization with 25%.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
There are many places where entrepreneurs can market their business more effectively. Let's take a look at the three biggest missed opportunities:
1. They do not have a website.
In a recent survey, nearly four in ten small businesses reported that they do not use websites as marketing tools. I talk about why every business needs a website and this is still true today- people are now predominantly shopping online for the majority of their purchases. Your business website serves as the foundation of your digital marketing strategy. It should be mobile-friendly, easy to use and attractively designed in order for it to effectively serve its purpose. Your other digital marketing efforts — email, social media, content marketing etc.—should all lead back to your business website because it is where potential customers can find you online.
2. They don’t use content marketing.
If you're a small business owner who's not currently investing in content marketing, it might be time to do just that. Not only is this type of approach fast and easy for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes, but according to research, 80% of surveyed companies weren't planning on starting anytime soon - which means they've already left opportunity behind. In fact, the only digital marketing channel small business owners use less frequently than content marketing is augmented reality/virtual-reality marketing. Content might seem difficult to execute because creating different types of relevant and engaging content for a variety of demographics can be time consuming; however, it's actually fairly easy. Simply create whatever type of content your target audience is most interested in from white papers to blog posts or videos depending on what you are targeting with your brand - share this across all social media platforms as well as through email newsletters if possible using an RSS feed - get attention for your company and attract prospects back into buying goods or services by sharing insightful information that educates them about topics they care about while building trust over time.
3. They don’t use email marketing.
About six in 10 small business owners don't use email marketing. Email marketing is so simple to do, and so effective for both B2B and B2C businesses, that ignoring it is a big mistake. There are plenty of email marketing services that make it easy to create professional–looking emails with appealing templates, send them out to your target customers (always make sure to get written permission from customers before sending any). Segment your lists - separate into different types of customer each type most relevant sends you those emails they receive. Unsurprisingly, over half of small businesses don't use email marketing. It's a simple technique that can be used for both B2B and B2C markets; after all, it is the most effective way to reach target customers. There are plenty of services like Mailchimp or Emma which allow users to create professional looking emails with appealing templates among other features - just make sure you have permission from your clients before sending them any form of communication! If possible try segmenting your lists into different groups based on their interests so they receive content tailored specifically towards them in order to increase open rates/engagement as well.
WHO DOES YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING?
If you're a small business owner that does their own marketing, it might not be the best move for your company. Out of those surveyed in Clutch's survey 30% have only one person handling all aspects and 28% with two people. With so much responsibility on each individual they probably don't spend enough time to market effectively.
In a survey of over 2,700 franchisees and dealers from national brands, only 7% have an in-house employee dedicated to marketing. 64%, however; do all the marketing themselves with no specific leadership. In addition, 26% market catch as catch can share duties among more than one person internally without any designated leader or employees focused solely on it.
Allowing your small business to handle marketing alone can prove difficult. Whether you’re managing everything by yourself because of lack of funds or inability, outsourcing at least some tasks is a wise step for the future and even better return on investment (ROI). Outsourcing allows companies access skill sets that their employees may not have all while saving money over time compared to hiring someone new.
Many different companies are available to help out small businesses with their marketing. Some of these include freelance individuals and web design/hosting firms, but there's no reason why you can't take advantage of them all yourself!
CONNECT WITH US
For more information about how to grow your small local business, book a free strategy call here: https://www.montalvo.marketing/grow-now. You can also call us at 407-838-3030.