5 Things Small Businesses Should Be Doing Now (Yes, Now More Than Ever)
This pandemic has certainly brought about the need for businesses to change in many ways. Restaurants are doing curbside service, schools are creating hybrid models, grocery stores are offering an app so that you can scan your own groceries for checkout as you shop. Not only is it important to innovate in the ways that you serve your customers but also, and maybe equally as important, in the ways that you are communicating with them.
One thing that’s becoming increasingly apparent during this ”new normal” is the need to have a solid digital presence. With fewer people visiting brick and mortar stores, fewer networking opportunities, fewer cars on the road and fewer people walking down streets, comes fewer opportunities to get your business’s name in front of consumers.
So what can you do about it? Make sure you have a solid online presence!
How do you accomplish that? Here are 5 areas of digital marketing that you should be addressing if you aren’t already:
Social Media - Like it or not, social media platforms are here to stay and people are spending more and more time on them. If you’re not regularly posting on the platforms where your target audience hangs out, you better get on it because other businesses are already there. Create and curate compelling content that is helpful and relevant to your audience. Don’t post something just to post something. Be thoughtful and strategic. Aim to post daily if you can. If that’s too much to start out, commit to posting 3 times per week. If you feel like your content isn’t getting enough impressions or interactions, consider boosting posts. Facebook advertising can be surprisingly inexpensive and it’s a great way to be highly specific about the people you target.
Website - Do you know what purpose your website serves for your business? Do you know how it’s performing? Knowing your metrics, setting goals for what you want from your site and re-evaluating your content are all great ways to help ensure that your website is driving business. This can be a challenging task for people inside the business because you’re so close to it. Hiring an outside consultant to evaluate your website can be worth it’s weight in gold. They offer a fresh pair of eyes, an outsiders perspective, and will likely have a lot of ideas of how you can enhance your existing website and strategically use content to drive leads.
Blog - What better way to engage your audience than by providing unique, thoughtful and relevant content? Creating a blog (or article, if you prefer that verbiage) strategy is an extremely valuable way to bring new content (and new people) to your site, while also giving you material to use on social media and in email campaigns to help showcase your thought leadership. Don’t blog about your products and services. Think about topics that directly relate to your audience. What are their challenges and how can you solve them? If you don’t have writing resources internally, find a contract writer - it’s easier than you may think!
Email Campaigns - Do you have a list of leads and current customers? Are you communicating with them at least monthly? Email campaigns are a great way to stay in touch with the existing people you know who may need your products and services. Newsletters, tips of the week, or other creative and relevant content give you a reason to reach out to your audience, showcase your expertise and subtly remind them to contact you when they need your products or services.
Webinars - This can be a tricky tactic to take on but if done right it can also be a great way to share helpful information and provide value to your audience. With so many events moving online these days, it can be easy to get lost in the noise but if you have timely, relevant information to share then a webinar can be a great way to communicate and draw people in. The nice part about webinars is that they give you something to post about on social media and in email campaigns ahead of time leading up to the event, and also afterwards as you share a recording of the event and/or corresponding materials (such as eBooks) that are repurposed content from the event itself.
I know this is a lot to take in, especially if you haven’t been thinking about any of these tactics. Don’t feel overwhelmed by this list. Start with one thing that you think can have the biggest impact on your business and get the ball rolling. And if you need help - reach out!