As we step into the new year, it’s crucial for small businesses to reassess their marketing strategies and find innovative ways to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
The marketing trends that worked last year may not yield the same results in the coming months. To help your business thrive in 2023, we’ve compiled a list of eight effective small business digital marketing strategies to set your marketing apart and drive success.
Use data to understand your customers
The first step to setting your marketing apart is understanding the most important part of the equation: the customer. In the digital world, there’s no excuse for not understanding how your customers are interacting with your business.
The data and analytics for your website or social media profile tell an insightful story about your customers that marketers can use to set your marketing apart this year.
We highly recommend using a platform like Google Analytics to keep track of where your customers are coming from and how they’re interacting with your website. The newest version of Google Analytics (GA4) can become a valuable tool for your small business.
We create a complimentary Google Analytics property along with our web design services.
Use the trend of video marketing
Video content continues to dominate the online space, and its popularity is only expected to grow in the new year. Engage your audience with compelling videos that tell your brand story, showcase your products or services, and provide valuable insights.
Live streaming, webinars, and short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels can give your business a dynamic and authentic presence, setting you apart from competitors.
We recommend incorporating video into your content marketing mix.
Use mobile marketing
Mobile optimization is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.
With a growing number of users accessing the internet on mobile devices, ensure that your website, emails, and advertisements are mobile-friendly. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search results, making optimization crucial for both user experience and search engine rankings.
Additionally, consider investing in mobile marketing strategies, such as SMS campaigns and location-based targeting, to reach consumers on the go. Mobile app development is another creative way to bring your marketing messages to the mobile audience.
Go for social media engagement
Want to set your marketing apart on social media? Tailor your content for social media engagement. The goal for your business is to increase your bottom-line sales. But, if you are making content on social media, engagement should be your goal.
Engagement on your social media posts could be likes, comments, shares or clicks. But any type of engagement is a sign of successful marketing. Engaging posts will be shared in social media algorithms and have the best impact on your customers.
Read this blog if you need tips for increasing your social media engagement.
Run cost-effective ads
The faster and most guaranteed way to set your marketing apart is to invest in a cost-effective digital advertising plan.
Online advertising is pay-per-click, meaning your business only gets charged when people interact with your content. PPC advertising is commonly found on search engines, social media platforms or website banners. The right content with the right PPC strategy is guaranteed to stand out.
Fine-tune your content
If you’re looking to make your website stand out more effectively you might want to take a look at the content. Improving your website content can improve your conversion rates and help you take advantage of search engine traffic.
Content writing services are worth investing to keep your website working how it is meant to. Improving your overall website copy, blog posts and product descriptions is a great plan to enhance your website.
Get ROI with email marketing
Email marketing has shown to provide the best return on investment of any digital marketing strategy.
If your business can leverage email automation you can create a great way to build connections with your customers with a lot of ongoing work for your team. Your team could automate welcome emails, thank-you emails, abandoned cart emails or promotions.
Grow organically for the long-term
For your marketing messages to stand out for the long past this year, we recommend investing in your long-term organic strategy. Search engine optimization is a marketing strategy that grows your website slowly in search engine results.
SEO focuses on your overall website quality including the content, performance and technical details. Investing in SEO doesn’t just help you stand out but provides long-term value.
To recap, setting your marketing apart for the new year is going to take an investment in each part of your web presence. We recommend taking the time to plan carefully for this year’s marketing plan. A great place to start would be downloading our Digital Marketing Checklist.