Digital marketing has become increasingly popular among businesses, whether big or small. Gone are the days when companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) heavily relied on traditional marketing forms such as TV, radio, and print marketing. In this digital era, many businesses have depended so much on digital platforms for promoting their products or services.
But did you know that the COVID-19 crisis has further amplified the need for digital marketing? At the onset of the pandemic, many companies and SMEs have employed online marketing strategies to deal with the pandemic restrictions. A year after, they have realized the value of digital marketing in the world of business. It appears that digital marketing will define and determine the business landscape during the post-COVID period.
As such, it’s a good idea to implement digital marketing campaigns such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, content marketing, and social media management. Why? Here are the top reasons to employ digital marketing during this pandemic:
1. For branding through website update
Most successful companies have brands that instantly resonate with people. Think of Google, Apple, Nike, Amazon, and McDonalds and how people easily and quickly recognize them. Every small business aspires to boost its brand by improving its business image and identity. And when it comes to branding, your website is the first place to start.
Why? You’ll promote your business and boost your business image through your website. For instance, you can highlight that your home contractors have the license to operate for your construction business. The same is true for your delivery service business, where you can emphasize that your employees have insurance for high-risk drivers. Ultimately, you’ll be amazed at how your website update can kick your brand up a notch!
2. For online visibility and website traffic through SEO and PPC
Having a business website is imperative in this digital era. It is where you’ll market your brand and promote your products or services. However, it’s not enough that you have a business website. As much as possible, you want your target consumers to find your website in a highly saturated web. That’s where SEO and PPC come into the picture.
Know that both online marketing strategies can increase your online visibility and website traffic. First, SEO entails optimizing your website, producing relevant content, and creating links. It can put your website on top of search engine results pages (SERP). On the other hand, PPC is a form of paid search. You can create business ads and display them on SERP. However, you must pay for every click, which can translate into a boost in your website traffic.
3. For effective promotion through content and email marketing
There are a handful of reasons for implementing digital marketing campaigns. But they all boil down to one thing—promoting your products or services. You don’t just wait for your target consumers to discover your business offers. You must take proactive steps to market them. That’s where content and email marketing become extremely helpful.
As content is king in the digital world, consider producing valuable and relevant pieces of content. You can start a blog and consistently publish promotional articles, images, and video clips. On the other hand, carry out research and due diligence for your email marketing. From there, you can send both your regular and old customers some promotional emails.
4. For customer engagement and lead generation through social media marketing
Every entrepreneur or business owner should consider employing social media marketing. Why? We can no longer deny the power of social media for business in this time and age. Not only does it encourage customer engagement, but it can also translate into lead generation and sales conversion.
Let’s take for, instance, Facebook advertising. You can create Facebook ads and target these ads to your prospects. You can also post and share content pieces, thus leading to customer interaction. The same is true for posting product photos on Instagram and sharing videos on YouTube.
5. For customer acquisition and sales conversion through all forms of online marketing
There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing your digital marketing campaigns paying off. Know that they have one end goal in mind— converting sales or acquiring customers.
Imagine implementing SEO and PPC strategies and leading potential customers to your website. Because of proper branding and valuable content, these customers end up showing interest in your business, thus generating leads. Through consistent promotion via email and social media, these prospects have decided to buy your products or hire your services. Ultimately, digital marketing can lead to customer acquisition and sales conversion.
At this point, you now know what it pays to employ digital marketing strategies for your small business during this pandemic. Consider the valuable benefits discussed above, from branding to customer engagement to customer acquisition and sales conversion.
That said, you can either implement them yourself or work with professional experts. However, study your market, assess the needs of your target consumer, and re-evaluate your business objectives. From there, see what online platforms and strategies work best for your business. In the end, digital marketing can kick your business up a notch.
