Small business owners are aware that local business digital marketing is not merely secondary to traditional media when it comes to marketing and advertising. It has proven itself to be a lucrative means to earn money. This is why 95 percent of small businesses have plans of spending more on digital marketing in the future. Before beefing up the marketing efforts and increasing the marketing budget, it’s necessary for the company to know the basic tenets of digital marketing. Digital marketing varies from online marketing. It refers to any marketing technique that uses digital means to be able to reach prospective customers. Some of the online methods included are social media marketing, email marketing, search engine marketing, display advertising, and mobile messaging both SMS and MMS and lastly app development and implementation.
1) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is the process of increasing the site traffic with the use of organic search results on search engines. There are many elements involved in SEO such as keywords, social media presence, website references from outside references, and a whole lot more. Clutch revealed that 44 percent of businesses have been investing in SEO; this makes SEO highly competitive but adopting it also makes you ahead of the competition.
2) Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most popular digital marketing methods used by local businesses. Almost half of the people from all demographics use their mobile devices when they check their emails. This only means that most of the emails open on mobile devices. That’s why you have to consider mobile devices first when creating email messages. The message has to be short and straight to the point with a clear call to action. Make sure that it is in a single column format and that there’s a lot of white space to accommodate the buttons.
3) Marketing Automation
Marketing automation software enables many repetitive marketing activities to be automated. An example of this is sending automated responses or to begin a drip campaign when a customer fills out an opt-in form. This also makes it possible to schedule the sending of social media posts and newsletters.
4) Social Media Marketing
This is the topmost digital marketing initiative used by businesses. Clutch said that about 83 percent of companies use this local business digital marketing method. Statista revealed that about 77 percent of Americans make use of social media. That’s why you have to make sure that the social media channels are updated and that you have a presence wherever your target market is hanging out.
5) Business Site
It does not matter if you are active on social media. This won’t be able to replace the company’s site. This serves as the company’s home online where it is totally in control of the information offered. It does not have to be perfect, but it has to be mobile-friendly.
6) Content Marketing
This means creating content such as e-books, reports, white papers, videos, and infographics that can be shared easily online. The goal is to enable the target audience to read the content and take the necessary action. This is why it is important to include a call to action in any form of content shared online.
7) Online Ratings and Reviews
You may think that online ratings and reviews are not part of digital marketing. They are a major factor considered by potential clients when forming an opinion about your business. About 86 percent of consumers read online reviews of local businesses. Around 91 percent of consumers aged 18 to 34 trust online reviews and recommendations. That’s why it is to the company’s advantage to optimize their listings on review sites. Make sure that it is always updated. Monitor the reviews and act on negative reviews immediately.
8) Per-Per-Click Ads or PPC Ads
These digital ads appear on the search engines when users do a search using the keywords that are used in the ads. From the name itself, you only pay once the ad is clicked. The most popular of these is Google Ads but ads on Facebook and other social channels are also known as PPC.
9) Local Search Engine Optimization
Google said that there are more searches done using mobile devices than desktops. Most of these searches are done while users are mobile and looking for local businesses. That’s why Google favors those sites that are optimized for local search using location keywords. It is also wise to make sure that your business is found in local search directories. Don’t forget to include your contact details.
10) Messaging
Real estate companies can also send SMS and MMS using messaging apps like Viber, WeChat, WhatsApp, Messenger, and others to market the listings. These applications make use of location-based data to trigger messages that will come out during instances when they are necessary such as when a customer appears in front of the store.
If you want to market your new property listing, start doing local business digital marketing now!