Digital Marketing for Beginners
If you’re just starting out with the whole digital marketing space, then you’re on the right page. We understand this whole thing can be super overwhelming, especially if you don’t have any digital marketing background. You know you should do something with digital marketing. But where do you begin? First of all you need to know that you need a website and a social media channel — not just one or the other. Here are our top tips for small business starting out in the digital marketing space.
Educate yourself
There are plenty of courses online and offline that you can do to educate yourself on digital marketing and social media management. Big companies like Google announce regular free sessions online that you can go to. There are also apps like Udemy that offer super affordable classes that you can do during your own time so it’s not that stressful. It is worth checking out reviews and feedbacks about the various courses that are out there before deciding on what you want to do yourself. Be aware that there are many unreliable ones out there too so it is best to do some research beforehand. There are also heaps of myths out there about digital marketing so make sure you know what the truth is about it.
Arm yourself with the right tools
Digital marketing for small businesses can be either easy or difficult – depending on how much you know about it. It’s hard to know where to begin given how fast things are changing today. Facebook comes up with a different algorithm each week, how do you catch up? Having the right tools will make things easier for you. If you want to read up on our favourite tools, click the link to find out. They are super easy to use and most of them are free so win win!
Start with small ideas
Words like SEO, analytics and lead generation can be overwhelming, so our suggestion is to have a starting point. Maybe start by building your email list. Your database is as important now as it was before. Use hyperlocal marketing instead of spreading yourself and your budget too thinly. Set up one social media platform for now to get your feet wet instead of diving into the deep end quickly. Know what’s happening in your local area and participate. When you do, take heaps of photos and put it up on your social media channels.
Do Facebook first
There are many reasons why your small business needs to be on Facebook. For one, as of the third quarter of 2017, Facebook had 2.07 billion monthly active users. But you’re only a small business, you don’t need that many people, surely. That’s true, you don’t have to reach all of them. Still, there are many benefits to having a Facebook presence. If you’re going to do just one social media profile, it is best for it to be Facebook. Your small business needs a community around you because these days, it is so much more than just selling your product/service. You can build your community using Facebook. Make sure you that you are also following other Facebook pages. Not only will you be updated with industry news, it is also one way to check out the competition. We get heaps of questions from our clients about using Facebook for their small business. In this post, we answered their questions so go check it out.
Pick the right social media tools
Are you one of the many small business owners confused as to which social media platform suits you best? You are not alone. You don’t need to go crazy and pick every single one available out there. One or two platforms are enough for your small business. Pick carefully so you don’t waste any of your precious time. Instagram is good for pretty videos and pictures. This platform is changing all the time so make sure you keep up. Twitter can be hectic and a minefield of negative comments. Make sure you have the right skills to deal with this platform — and the right person for the job. Also make sure you know which tools to use for each platform to make your life easier.
Be prepared
Planning is key, just like with everything else in your business. So when you start your digital marketing journey, plan ahead. This includes planning your social media content. Don’t get caught grappling for content and posts each day. One way to do this is to plan ahead of time and create a content calendar. Come up with themes and topics for certain days. For instance, maybe do an inspiration post one day a week by posting quotes in a beautiful layout. Or post short useful information that you think your audience will like. You can do a weekly plan or even a monthly one.
Outsource
If things are really too difficult for you to deal with on a daily basis, that’s okay, too. You can always outsource these things. We’ve written about how to find a digital marketing agency for you. Know that not all agencies are too expensive. Not too many digital marketing agencies for small business are dodgy either. But you need to find out what to look for so you get your money’s worth. Don’t make the common mistakes that small businesses make. Ask for help!
