digital marketing

9 Low-Budget Small Business Internet Marketing Tips

small business

There’s no denying the significant role of digital marketing in business. It’s key to opening your business to a wider market. It also makes your brand more noticeable in a sea of competitors. It comes as no surprise that business owners blow thousands of dollars to follow the trendiest internet marketing tips to make more sales and win more customers.

While investing in marketing is definitely worth it, indiscriminately spending a lot of money on campaigns isn’t exactly a good decision. In fact, it’s not a feasible move at all for entrepreneurs who are working on a tight budget. So, how can you promote your products and win more customers with limited funds?

How much do businesses spend on marketing?

Being in the loop of things helps in making informed decisions – and in creating a marketing plan, it is no different.

The Manifest 2019 conducted a survey that studied 461 businesses on how much they spent on advertising. Check out the findings below:

You don’t need thousands of dollars to be able to afford effective advertising. If you are financially practical when putting together your marketing strategy, even a small budget can go a long way. The following data can help you make smarter decisions:

80% of people didn’t pay attention to sponsored ads in search results
48% of people thought online ads are more invasive today than they were 2 or 3 years ago
35% of people agreed that they find most online ads today as insulting to their intelligence
When asked why they installed ad blockers, 64% of people said it’s because the ads were annoying or intrusive, 54% claimed the ads are disruptive, and 39% said security reasons.

These findings highlight the fact that while spending money on ads is important, costly marketing doesn’t necessarily equate to successful marketing. For one thing, consumers today are more discriminating when it comes to picking out brands to support. For another, creativity – not money – is the key to making an unforgettable marketing campaign. What’s more, a sound internet marketing plan is one that weighs your financial health into the equation.

Small Business Marketing Tips: How to Promote within Your Means

Put together a marketing action plan that is effective and financially practical. These low-budget online marketing tips should help you get there:

1. Keep investing in effective content.

Many advertising gimmicks have come and gone but content is as relevant as ever. This is even confirmed by a Havas study that revealed 84% of consumers expect brands to produce content. What’s even better is the fact that content costs 62% less than traditional marketing on average. So, how do you keep producing quality content?

Apart from keyword optimization, it’s also helpful to scour social media pages and customer correspondence to find trending topics. What are your customers’ main product questions? Create a How-To article or an instructional video out of these subjects. What issues frustrate your buyers? Put together a guide to resolve these concerns. Here are other money-saving content marketing tricks to try.

TIP: Investing in content also means working with a specialist. Hire a content writer to help you research, write, proofread, and edit your website content, blog articles, and social media posts.

2. Host an online contest.

Running contests on social media or blogs is a tried-and-tested way for businesses to create buzz. Because the people who follow your pages are already interested in what you have to offer, you don’t need to spend as much time and money to get them to take action. Besides, people can’t resist getting prizes or freebies, especially if all they need to do is click a few links or tap a few buttons.

Make sure to make an event out of the contest, too. Give people plenty of time to get ready and participate. Countdowns on your social pages also rouse excitement, so more people are enticed to participate. Don’t forget to post the results of the contest and highlight the winner.

3. Get involved in local events or trade fairs.

Whether you make money from home or have a brick-and-mortar store, getting involved in local events is a great way to create a name for yourself. You can participate in worthwhile causes or charity events, sign up in your local business community, and attend industry-related events.

Remember: marketing doesn’t always mean generating leads or posting flashy campaigns. It can also mean expanding your network, so industry authorities and other businesses recognize your brand. In a nutshell, getting involved in local events and trade fairs help establish your legitimacy as a company.

4. Apply to business awards.

When people go on Google to research products, they are greeted with so many search results pages with different business websites. How do you stand out? One way is to establish authority.

Nothing shows off authority as powerfully as awards. Research the kinds of recognition you want to be known for and submit your application to the corresponding award bodies. From Entrepreneur of the Year and Sustainability Awards to Best Small Business Innovation, you can bag different awards to bolster your brand. Because organizers publish the winner in their newsletters and digital pages, you get free advertising as well. Here’s a list of small business awards to consider applying to.

5. Utilize social media.

Social channels are some of the most important marketing tools today. They are cost-effective, targeted, and relevant. If studies are any indication, social channels have also become a reference guide for shoppers. People read Facebook reviews to determine if a business is credible. They browse Instagram photos to scrutinize a product, and they create shopping guides through Pinterest boards.

Leveraging this can be as simple as promptly responding to comments, mentions, and direct messages. What website do your target customers frequent? Being social media savvy also means knowing your strongest platform and funneling a good portion of your ad funds there. Here are 10 other social media tips for small businesses.

6. Make the most of Google reviews.

A brainchild of Google to help beef up business information, Google Customer Reviews is beneficial for both businesses and consumers. For businesses, it strengthens credibility and highlights product value. For customers, it’s an important determining factor in making purchase decisions. Remember, no matter how much you promote your products, buyers will always consider the advice of fellow buyers.

Google Customer Reviews have 4 main features: Survey, Badge, Seller Rating, and Opt-in. Display the reviews in your online store, particularly near the product image and features. You must also ensure that your reviews are mobile-friendly, so people can see it regardless of which gadget they’re using.

7. Optimize Local SEO.

The internet made it possible to market and sell to an international audience. Perhaps this is why many entrepreneurs work to bag customers from the world over. While making your brand global is commendable, marketing to a large audience can sometimes be tricky. Here’s one web marketing advice you don’t see as often as you should: pay attention to local search.

78% of local searches on mobile phones end up in offline sales. That’s a number you can’t afford to ignore. Help people find you by linking your exact location on Google maps. If you’re operating as a purely virtual business, you can still optimize local search by publishing posts with local themes or soliciting reviews from previous clients. Here are 3 more tips for local SEO success.

8. Post videos more often.

Video is one of the most popular forms of content today. People won’t often sit down to read a whole blog post, but a one-minute or three-minute video is enough to make them stop and pay attention. On Facebook alone, more than 4 billion videos are watched every day.

The good news is that you don’t necessarily need a team of professionals to record and put up winning videos. Even short ones like Instagram stories and Facebook live can harness thousands of views when done creatively and consistently. Instructional videos, local events coverage, and behind-the-scenes are money-saving but popular video content.

9. Expand through virtual staffing.

The bigger your company gets the more demanding work becomes. The task of marketing your brand online is no different. The traditional solution would be to either hire a new worker or delegate more responsibilities to existing employees. The former entails a lot of paperwork and money, while the latter can lead to substandard work output and low employee morale.

The best way to build a marketing team is through virtual staffing. When you hire a virtual assistant (VA), you get the opportunity to work with a specialist without breaking the bank. Because many VAs are experts in content creation, SEO, social media marketing, and graphic design, you no longer have to spend time and money for basic training. If anything, you get expert output, so you can improve your campaigns further.

The best web marketing tips create a name for your brand without burning holes in your pocket. Promote within your means by following these 9 low-budget internet marketing tips and tricks.

Recommended Reading: 5 Types of Internet Marketing You Need to Know

Online Marketing 101 for Small to Midsize Businesses

online marketing 101 for small to midsize businesses

Small to midsize businesses (SMBs) have unique marketing requirements and challenges that traditional, large companies don’t encounter. As online marketing becomes increasingly necessary, the need for SMBs to find appropriate promotional techniques also grows. The problem is that many SMB owners don’t know where or how to start. Thus, many SMB owners find themselves stranded in marketing plans designed for bigger companies.

To help you navigate the tricky and dynamic world of digital marketing, you must put together an action plan backed up by data and use techniques especially made for your business.

Online Marketing Stats for SMB Owners

Broad questions such as, “what’s the best marketing gimmick right now,” or, “how can I make my customers buy more” can quickly lead you down the wrong path. For one thing, they just bring up more issues and questions. For instance, are the current marketing trends relevant to your industry? If so, how? What value can you give your customers to make them buy more? These are questions you always have to as yourself, as you’ll lose track of your specific goals and plans if you follow vague and generic plans.

Avoid getting tangled into schemes that lead your business nowhere. Start strong by doing the following:

Ask better questions. How do I do online marketing for my brand? What can I do to make buyers stay loyal?
Be in the loop. Consider the following facts and figures regarding the world of SMB marketing.

What are SMBs?

Small Business are privately owned companies with less than $50 million average yearly revenue that employ 100 or fewer employees.

Midsize Business are companies with average yearly revenues of more than $50 million but less than $1 billion employing 200 employees or fewer.

91% of consumers have visited a physical store because of an online experience
75% of mobile local searches resulted in foot traffic within 24 hours
60% of consumers research products or services on Google or other search engines prior to visiting a website
41% of consumers read reviews before making an offline purchase
59% of consumers claim promotional emails made them buy something
61% of emails are accessed on mobile gadgets
84% of consumers expect brands to produce entertaining, helpful, and promotional content
71% of people want to learn about products through their website content rather than traditional ads
72% of marketers admit content strategy or management is challenging
73% of brands believe social media marketing works
57% of shoppers admit social media influence their purchase decision

With its significance recognized by both brands and consumers, how do you wield online marketing to fast-track your growth?

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How To: Internet Marketing Guide for SMBs

There is no single formula for acing the dynamic and constantly changing world of digital marketing. That’s why it’s important to put together a DIY digital marketing guide backed by statistics and professional strategies.

Keep your goals and logistics in mind and create an action plan using these pro tips for marketing online:

1. Create relevant, shareable content.

Blogs, sales channels, email, and social media – with the wide variety of virtual platforms today, it’s tempting to promote your products everywhere. Talking about your products in every avenue possible increases your chance of getting new customers, right? Wrong.

Quality always trumps quantity when it comes to publishing content. While it is important to publish content regularly, churning out post after post without strategy will only push people away.

So, how do you create content that resonates with people while helping you brand? What prompts readers to share your posts to their family and friends?

content-marketing-diagram

Find the balance between what you want to say and what your target audience wants to hear. You can zero in on this area by going beyond the basic demographics of your target market (age, gender, location) and learning about their struggles, goals, or fears. In a nutshell, know what makes your target customer tick and find out how your brand and service can make their day or life better.

Content Pointers to Remember

‘Eavesdrop’ on your customers and readers. What are the common questions or issues that people mention in your social channels? What kind of blog posts get the most reaction and shares? Exploit these topics more by re-purposing them into blog series, webinars, videos, or eBooks.
Work with a content writer. Hitting the spot between promotional and engaging takes marketing skill and writing expertise – two things that a proven content writer can offer. So, work with a content writer to transform your ideas into readable, shareable content.

2. Send winning emails.

With the popularity of social media, email marketing tends to be brushed aside and given little attention. Yet, 59% of consumers claim that promotional emails have prompted them to buy something. Don’t miss out on sales and customer acquisition because of generic, substandard emails. These kinds of messages are often routed into people’s Promotions inbox or worse, filtered into Spam.

According to a study by Sales Force, 64% of recipients decide to open an email based on its subject line. So, take the time to personalize your emails based on the recipient’s history or behavior to get them to open and read your messages. Here are other 6 keys to email marketing success.

3. Prioritize social media over traditional marketing.

Local TV stations in the US charge a minimum of $5 for a 30-second commercial per 1,000 viewers, while national broadcasts cost $115,000 on average. On the other hand, radio ads that run for a week range somewhere between $200-$5,000 depending on location. While TV and radio ads cost a lot, they do not always reach the right customers.

Social media, on the other hand, is free to use. You just create an account, input your business information, post photos, and link posts to your website without having to pay a single dime. In fact, this is what many startups and home-based businesses do.

Of course, if you want to reach more customers and increase your revenue through social media, you would need to balance organic marketing and paid advertising. Still, paid ads on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are significantly cheaper than the ones on TV and radio. What’s more, social media advertising is targeted. That is, the platforms give you control over ad demographics, so you can reach the right people in the right locations.

Because there are several social channels, you need to identify the specific sites that your target customers frequent to allocate your marketing funds and campaigns accordingly.

Cost of social media advertising in 2019

The general rule of social media posting is to publish 80% useful or engaging content and 20% promotional posts. This is another reason why working with a content writer is a must. Content writers can put together posts tailored for a specific social platform. Here are other ways you can increase brand awareness through social media.

4. Work with an expert.

The ease and convenience of marketing online make many entrepreneurs take on the task themselves. While this is doable and a great way to learn, there is too much at stake when you work without expert help.

The good news is, working with experts is also easy and convenient. For one thing, you don’t need to break the bank to get professional marketing assistance. For another, you can start ramping up your team to cover different branches of online marketing, from content marketing and social media to search and email.

The best way to go about this is to hire a virtual staff. Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) for different marketing niches is your best shot to work with a stellar team using your startup budget.

Building Your Marketing Team

Project Manager to plan or create a digital content calendar. Of course, you can be the Project Manager while you’re still building your marketing team.
Content Specialist to write and edit posts on your website, social media, and email. Content specialists can also write product descriptions in sales channels to expedite purchase decisions.
Social Media Manager to schedule and publish posts on different channels as well as monitor and respond to communications made on social sites.
Data Specialist to read or interpret and evaluate analytics reports from your marketing campaigns.

A digital marketing VA can also help you choose tried-and-tested processes to curate, distribute, and monitor your campaigns. As experts of the field, marketing VAs know how to navigate the technical side and the human side of advertising. By working closely together, you can create a marketing action plan that beats the competition, follows the rules of the game, and engages buyers.

Learning how to do online marketing takes a lot of practice, time, and patience. Make sure you’re putting in the time, money, and effort on strategies meant for small to midsize businesses like yours. Start creating your online marketing action plan by keeping these takeaways in mind, following these tips, and working with a virtual marketing team.

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Recommended Reading: How to Reduce Operational Costs for Small Businesses

5 Types of Internet Marketing You Need to Know

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Consumer behavior and marketing channels are so closely related that they often affect each other. The evolution of marketing from print advertising in the early 90s to TV and radio broadcasting in the mid-90s, and then finally to internet marketing shows that.

Unlike traditional advertising that only consists of 4 categories (print, broadcast, phone, and direct mail), internet marketing is still evolving. In fact, online marketing is just as dynamic as the behavior of the consumers. As the demands and preferences of people evolve, internet marketing also takes on various forms.

What is internet marketing and why should you know about it?

Internet marketing, also known as web marketing or online marketing, is the collective term for promotional activities or campaigns carried out online. As the channels where these campaigns are conducted expand, internet marketing continues to grow.

Entrepreneurs need to step up their game and be constantly on the lookout for what’s new in the field so that their business doesn’t get left behind. It may sound tedious, but doing business today is virtually impossible otherwise. In fact, internet marketing has evened out the playing field when it comes to reaching out to consumers and increasing brand awareness.

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So, what are these branches of marketing that made the world a little smaller for both business and buyer? Have a look at the 5 types of internet marketing you need to know:

1. Search Engine Optimization

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For several years now, Search Engine Optimization has been instrumental in putting many small businesses on the map. SEO is the process by which companies improve their websites and content so that their web pages get a high website ranking in Google and other search engines.