Top 5 Benefits of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses (+ Our Best Digital Marketing Tips)

Did you know that the average person spends 151 minutes daily on social media? Have you heard about the projection that digital marketing will reach $786.2 billion by 2026? It's safe to say that your online efforts won't be in vain.

But if you're still not too sure, I've compiled five benefits of digital marketing for small businesses for you to consider:

1. It's cheaper than traditional marketing

Digital marketing can cost you absolutely nothing. How is this possible? Well, think about the following hypothetical scenario:

John decided to quit his job as a marketing manager and launch his own business offering digital marketing services to clients. As someone who works in marketing, he understands the need to create various digital marketing strategies; he decides on this 5-step plan:

1. He decided that for social media marketing, he would create TikTok videos addressing common pain points his target audience has related to marketing in small businesses.
2. He also decided to create a LinkedIn business profile, where he shares industry insights. He plans to use it to connect with potential employees and contractors.
3. Next, he created a Facebook profile. Because he understands that Facebook is commonly used to find businesses, he ensures he includes crucial information about the business. He also decided to share promotional images generated for free with Canva on the platform. These images showcase the latest deals his business has.
4. Finally, he decided to create his Google Business profile and ensured that he integrated the right keywords that he knows customers will use. He uses the free version of AnswerThePublic to find the right keywords and phrases..
5. As a digital marketer, he knows the importance of being active on social media. Because of this, he makes sure to comment on videos he finds on TikTok, giving his two cents as a digital marketer. This way, he adds value for others while indirectly advertising his business.

For now, he decides this is sufficient. With each customer, he asks them to play like his Facebook page and leave a review. None of this cost him anything, and he is glad about the cost savings he has made. Later, he may decide to invest in paid advertising on YouTube, Facebook, Google Ads, and other platforms.

See how digital marketing can cost you nothing but some effort? It's that easy!

2. It has excellent reach potential

Reach global markets.

Digital and content marketing has incredible potential for reach. The only downside is that there is a lot of competition. Remember, you compete with more than just your local town or city. The digital space is vast and not limited by region.

So, while the potential is high, it's vital that you consider a few things:

1. Always work backward with marketing. That means don't just rush into things and create content immediately. Consider:
2.  your potential customers.
3. their demographics and other distinguishing factors.
4. their pain points.
5. how they conduct their daily lives.
6. Consider what you want out of your marketing campaigns. Are you trying to get a high conversion rate for a product, build a following, or a mixture of both? How can you get a higher ROI on paid campaigns? Think about the best way to achieve your intended goals.
7. Set clear metrics. Are you seeing conversions from your social media posts? Is your following growing? What's your engagement like? Decide what metrics are essential to you, adjust your expectations for industry standards by looking at competitors, and set realistic short-, mid-, and long-term objectives.
8. Use marketing tactics. A solid digital marketing strategy involves the following:

a. creating engaging hooks in copy and videos.

b. making text concise and readable.

c. ensuring visuals aren't cluttered with text and hard to read.

d. employing color psychology.

e. creating marketing materials that appeal to trends.

3. There's targeted advertising

You can do targeted advertising using online marketing.

While paid advertising lets you make digital marketing campaigns using Google Ads, where you set regions to target and target keywords (and apply negative keywords to avoid), you can also do a form of targeted advertising for free.

How? You may wonder.

Well, through the use of keywords. You see, by using selected region-specific keywords in your social media copy and video description and title, you can maximize your chance of reaching the right audience.

You can do the same with hashtags. Ensure you reach the right people by adding relevant hashtags at the end of your copy. TikTok, for instance, lets you search hashtags and then find related hashtags. It also shows you their search volume.

Try to integrate medium to low search volume hashtags (comparatively speaking) that are longer and more specific. High-volume hashtags will have more competition.

The same thinking can be applied to your website's search engine optimization (SEO). Keyword research is critical!

4. You can get measurable results

Unlike handing out flyers, putting up billboards, or developing television ads — digital marketing efforts are easier to track and measure. Most social media platforms, for instance, give you insights into click-through rates, engagement, and reach.

You can easily tweak or change your strategy using these insights.

5. You have more opportunities for experimentation

Unlike when you create a billboard, digital marketing allows much room for experimentation. Is something not working? Scrap it. Do you feel like your ads aren't reaching your target audience? Take them down and try something else.

It's as simple as that. 

Using the insights provided by Google Ads and social media platforms, you can amend your strategy until you feel you have an effective digital marketing strategy.

You could also enhance CRM (customer relationship management) using social media. Experiment and see if it helps you get and keep customers! 

Small business digital marketing: don't fall behind

74% of customers use social media to decide whether to buy something. Don't lose out on an extensive amount of potential clients. And if you're feeling unsure about your capabilities to create digital content, don't be.

There are countless resources out there to help. From YouTube videos and blogs to online courses, there are plenty of ways to learn digital marketing skills and grow your business online. Best of luck!