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As the Internet becomes the prime selling channel, digital marketing no longer remains uncharted territory for small businesses. In fact, it is as essential a growth strategy for them as it is for enterprises. Not only does it ensure online visibility for them, but also gives them the competitive advantage they need to survive and thrive in the business landscape. Embracing a digital presence, therefore, is not connected with the size of an enterprise anymore.
However, small businesses require good thinking when it comes to creating a digital marketing strategy because they want the best results with a limited budget. Besides deciding the right marketing mix, they also need to keep pace with the latest trends to keep pace with the market competition. So if you are planning to take your small business on the growth journey with a results-oriented digital marketing plan, here are the trends that you should absolutely follow:
Storytelling is the secret to success
Storytelling remains the core of selling, both online and offline. Even though digital marketing is all about technology, you still need authentic storytelling. Buyers crave genuine human interactions with brands as these breed trust and credibility. They want to know the brand’s story and understand its offerings well enough before they buy from them. Therefore, having a website that spins a story is crucial. Similarly, sharing stories on social media channels enables you to connect with your audience and establish a rapport with them for building sustainable relationships.
Quality not quantity matters with content
The Internet is flooded with content and catching the attention of your audience is as hard as looking for a needle in a haystack. The secret to continually bringing potential customers to your small business website lies in creating less but better content. Rather than constantly churning out keyword-stuffed posts, focus on crafting high-quality content pieces that are informative and serve true value to your audience. Quality content keeps your audience engaged and sends trust signals to Google as well, ensuring good traffic and high search rankings for your website. Being a cost effective strategy, this one really works for small businesses.
Omnichannel marketing is the need of the hour
If you ask What Is Digital Marketing today, omnichannel marketing is the right answer. When it comes to building a robust digital presence, you simply have to be present everywhere. The potential customers are most likely to use multiple channels to research about your business and understand your offering. They would hunt for your website, check the business listing, verify your social media presence and even read the reviews of your business online. A consolidated strategy, thus, is the answer to ensure that you are visible across all these channels and convey a consistent branding message across them.
Voice search optimization is the key
Statistics show that voice searches already take one-third share of all Google searches and the figure is likely to go up to one-half by the end of this decade. The reason is that people prefer the convenience that hands-free browsing offers as compared to typing text. Small businesses, therefore, cannot overlook this trend at any cost. They need to optimize for conversational keywords and phrases as this is the way that users are likely to search online. Another smart idea is to create an FAQs page on the website to cover all the questions and answers that users may do searches on using the voice technology.
Chatbots are the game-changers
Another trend that you must not ignore as a small business is having chatbots integrated within your digital strategy. These are the conversational AI software programs that provide a human-like interface to customers and engage them in different ways. From providing around-the-clock support to answering queries and assisting searches, there is much that chatbots can do even better than their human support counterparts. They eliminate dependence on people and empower your business for delivering top-notch customer experiences.
Video marketing makes a winning tactic
Undoubtedly, people are more willing to believe what they see, which is the reason that video marketing is fast emerging as a winning trend for businesses. It is estimated that a major portion of consumer Internet traffic will come from video channels such as YouTube within the coming few years. So you must integrate video marketing within your business’ digital marketing strategy. Create videos that are informative and useful, such as tutorials and how-to videos. Video testimonials of real customers go a long way in adding credibility and enhancing the reputation of your brand. You can also benefit from influencer marketing by asking a niche leader to give a video review of your product or service. Following these key digital marketing trends can take your small business far ahead on its growth journey. If you are not doing any of these already, now is the right time to embrace them as a part of your digital strategy!
Amazing post! I have read the best quality work have high levels of digital intelligence. I would screen for this. Google search tests for digital intelligence and use as a screening tool. From my own experience, knowing what you want as opposed to filling a position is helpful. Be patient and you will find the right ways. Act hastily, and you could bring the whole thing down with errors. Thanks for sharing this!