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Rather than fight against technology, successful small businesses embrace it. Digital marketing allows small businesses to reach more customers online than they ever could in person. Here are a few reasons why your business should invest in online marketing.
Your next customer is online
More than 5.18 billion people used the internet in April 2023. With the average person spending more than two and a half hours a day on the internet, you have more chances to reach new customers online than offline. Yes, a dizzying array of ads and content is shown to consumers daily, but one of the first rules of customer acquisition is to meet people where they are. Today, people are on the internet, using it to communicate with friends and family, learn new information, and purchase products and services that can help them to improve their lives.
It's simply not possible to reach the same amount of people offline. As a small business, you don't necessarily need 4.66 billion customers, but having access to this amount of potential customers can only improve your success in finding people who are excited and passionate about what you have to offer.
Find customers with SEO and social
In-person, we build relationships with people over time, asking questions to learn more about them and their interests. As we gather more information, we can better understand if they would purchase or use a particular product or service.
The time needed to find ideal customers in the real world is expensive and time-consuming. As a small business, having the time or resources to conduct traditional marketing efforts is also hard. Many companies have entire departments devoted to this.
Digital platforms offer businesses an even more powerful tool — keywords. Through keyword searches on social platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, you can find entirely relevant words associated with your product or service. You can also localize these efforts by adding a specific location to the keyword. Search results will likely include other brands and people who've tagged or posted about products or services similar to yours. You can use this information to identify potential customers who can also help to serve as ambassadors for your business.
You can also use this information to create digital ads targeted to the appropriate audience and, as a result, help to lead conversion efforts.
Digital ads are cost-effective
People are spending more time online than ever before. Effective marketing requires a clear, actionable copy, paired with engaging visuals, shared with the right audience. While there are costs associated with digital ads, the cost is significantly lower than trying to reach people through traditional advertising, such as billboards or posters. While foot traffic determines the price of these advertising methods, the reality is that people are often buried in their phones when in these spaces. They often need to be more focused and might not be interested or open to receiving information about your new product or service.
By contrast, people are usually more likely to hear your message and take action online. Many social platforms also have built-in features such as "swipe-up" or "buy now," which allow for near real-time conversion. These digital tools also allow you to do careful targeting, allowing you to reach people based on location, interests, and recent online activity. Over time, you can also refine your marketing, only re-targeting people that have chosen to take action. With digital ads, you can reach people interested in your brand instead of trying to find these people in a sea of complex offline human behavior.
Moving forward
The digital transformation era is exciting, allowing small businesses with solid strategies to reach new customers. By taking your digital strategy seriously, you can find ideal customers worldwide.
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BBB of Southern Piedmont and Western N.C. contributed this article.