Hello, Entrepreneur! Navigating the world of digital marketing might seem like navigating through an unfamiliar city. But worry not! We’re here to give you a handy roadmap that will guide you on your journey to online success.
Understanding Digital Marketing
In simple terms, digital marketing is the practice of promoting your products or services via digital channels like websites, social media platforms, emails, and mobile apps. It’s the art and science of reaching your customers in the vast digital world.
Why Is Digital Marketing Essential for Small Businesses?
Nowadays, having a robust online presence is crucial. According to a study by Datareportal in 2021, Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 56 minutes online every day, the highest duration globally! Thus, digital marketing has become an essential tool for businesses, especially in the Philippines, and here’s why:
- Expanded Reach: Your small business in Bacolod can attract customers from Cebu, Manila, or even overseas.
- Cost-effectiveness: Digital marketing, unlike traditional marketing methods, can be tailored to any budget, making it affordable for businesses of all sizes.
- Real-time Tracking: With digital marketing, you can measure the success of your campaign in real time, helping you adjust strategies promptly.
DIGITAL MARKETING STEPS TO BUILD YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
STEP 1: Invest on a Professional Website
Your website is the virtual storefront or office or shop of your business. It’s your online HQ that markets for you, sells for you, represents you, and provides service for you. It’s more than an online brochure. So take your time to plan, design, and launch your website properly.
For example, if you own a ‘panaderia’, your website will showcase your freshly baked premium pandesal and ensaymada, provide information about your bakery, and offer a way for customers to place their orders.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and includes a clear call-to-action.
STEP 2: Harness the Power of SEO
With increased visibility comes increased traffic. More visitors mean more potential customers and more opportunities for conversions and sales.
Imagine this: A customer is craving adobo and searches for “best adobo in Quezon City” on Google. If you own a cafe or resto in Quezon City serving delicious adobo, you’d want your business to appear on the first page of search results.
That’s where SEO comes into play. Start by using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or AnswerThePublic to discover relevant keywords for your business. SEO will also bring people to your website and now you have a chance to display your authority and expertise in your niche or industry.
So go use the tools above, check what customers search for, provide value by answering those questions and see your conversions go through the roof.
Remember the keyword here is “value”. Google, Bing, and other search engines will rank you higher when you are relevant to the search terms and provide value to your audience and customers.
STEP 3: Engage Through Social Media
According to a 2021 report by Datareportal, about 89% of Filipinos are active social media users.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok are great for showcasing your products and services, announcing new offers, building your expertise, and engaging with your customers.
Leverage social media to promote your business and get your brand out to more customers.
STEP 4: Allocate Resources for Online Advertising
Online ads on platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can be highly effective.
It’s best to run your ads against campaigns that have a good and proper offer! This applies to both search engine advertising (google and bing ads) and most importantly to social media advertising (facebook, instagram, linkedin etc).
STEP 5: Embrace Email Marketing
STEP 6: Track, Analyze, Improve.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. It’s as simple as that. Learning to track and analyze your campaigns and efforts will pay off exponentially. Knowing what works, and what does not, knowing what needs fixing, or what needs to scale will greatly improve your marketing efforts.
Always track your results using tools like Google Analytics for your website. These provide insights about your website traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, helping you make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts.
Use the built-in analytics tools of each of the social media platforms that you are in. You can also subscribe to Saas social media tools like hubspot or sprout social or semrush, so that you can have an overall view on how you are doing in all platforms that you link. Let the numbers guide you in your organic posting, and in your advertising.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Embarking on your digital marketing journey may seem challenging, but the potential benefits are significant.
Remember, it’s all about connecting with your customers and providing value. With consistency and patience, your small business can achieve big success in the digital arena. So, are you ready to take your business to the next level?
NEED HELP WITH YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING?
Hello, Entrepreneur! Navigating the world of digital marketing might seem like navigating through an unfamiliar city. But worry not! We’re here to give you a handy roadmap that will guide you on your journey to online success.
Understanding Digital Marketing
In simple terms, digital marketing is the practice of promoting your products or services via digital channels like websites, social media platforms, emails, and mobile apps. It’s the art and science of reaching your customers in the vast digital world.
Why Is Digital Marketing Essential for Small Businesses?
Nowadays, having a robust online presence is crucial. According to a study by Datareportal in 2021, Filipinos spend an average of 10 hours and 56 minutes online every day, the highest duration globally! Thus, digital marketing has become an essential tool for businesses, especially in the Philippines, and here’s why:
- Expanded Reach: Your small business in Bacolod can attract customers from Cebu, Manila, or even overseas.
- Cost-effectiveness: Digital marketing, unlike traditional marketing methods, can be tailored to any budget, making it affordable for businesses of all sizes.
- Real-time Tracking: With digital marketing, you can measure the success of your campaign in real time, helping you adjust strategies promptly.
DIGITAL MARKETING STEPS TO BUILD YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
STEP 1: Invest on a Professional Website
Your website is the virtual storefront or office or shop of your business. It’s your online HQ that markets for you, sells for you, represents you, and provides service for you. It’s more than an online brochure. So take your time to plan, design, and launch your website properly.
For example, if you own a ‘panaderia’, your website will showcase your freshly baked premium pandesal and ensaymada, provide information about your bakery, and offer a way for customers to place their orders.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and includes a clear call-to-action.
STEP 2: Harness the Power of SEO
With increased visibility comes increased traffic. More visitors mean more potential customers and more opportunities for conversions and sales.
Imagine this: A customer is craving adobo and searches for “best adobo in Quezon City” on Google. If you own a cafe or resto in Quezon City serving delicious adobo, you’d want your business to appear on the first page of search results.
That’s where SEO comes into play. Start by using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or AnswerThePublic to discover relevant keywords for your business. SEO will also bring people to your website and now you have a chance to display your authority and expertise in your niche or industry.
So go use the tools above, check what customers search for, provide value by answering those questions and see your conversions go through the roof.
Remember the keyword here is “value”. Google, Bing, and other search engines will rank you higher when you are relevant to the search terms and provide value to your audience and customers.
STEP 3: Engage Through Social Media
According to a 2021 report by Datareportal, about 89% of Filipinos are active social media users.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and TikTok are great for showcasing your products and services, announcing new offers, building your expertise, and engaging with your customers.
Leverage social media to promote your business and get your brand out to more customers.
STEP 4: Allocate Resources for Online Advertising
Online ads on platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can be highly effective.
It’s best to run your ads against campaigns that have a good and proper offer! This applies to both search engine advertising (google and bing ads) and most importantly to social media advertising (facebook, instagram, linkedin etc).
STEP 5: Embrace Email Marketing
STEP 6: Track, Analyze, Improve.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. It’s as simple as that. Learning to track and analyze your campaigns and efforts will pay off exponentially. Knowing what works, and what does not, knowing what needs fixing, or what needs to scale will greatly improve your marketing efforts.
Always track your results using tools like Google Analytics for your website. These provide insights about your website traffic, user behavior, and the effectiveness of your marketing strategies, helping you make informed decisions about where to focus your efforts.
Use the built-in analytics tools of each of the social media platforms that you are in. You can also subscribe to Saas social media tools like hubspot or sprout social or semrush, so that you can have an overall view on how you are doing in all platforms that you link. Let the numbers guide you in your organic posting, and in your advertising.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Embarking on your digital marketing journey may seem challenging, but the potential benefits are significant.
Remember, it’s all about connecting with your customers and providing value. With consistency and patience, your small business can achieve big success in the digital arena. So, are you ready to take your business to the next level?
