Did you know that in 2017, digital advertising surpassed all other forms of advertising across the UK, reaching an impressive 52% share of total advertisement spending?
Three years on, digital advertising now sits at the throne of almost all marketing strategies, because in an ever-changing digital world, traditional routes to market are starting to lose their touch. Today, consumers are demanding faster solutions and a more personalised approach as they bypass traditional window shop adverts and run-of-the-mill billboard signage. Now, they’re looking for company-to-consumer communication and effective marketing campaigns delivered directly to them, exactly where they’re at. At Ouma, we’re specialists in supporting businesses of all kinds, helping to unlock and unleash the potential of digital marketing. We create solid strategies and effective digital campaigns, specifically targeted to guarantee success. In a nutshell – we know what works; and we’ve decided to share our top 5 digital marketing tips for SME’s so you too, can up-level your next campaign.
Start with Social Media Marketing.
If you’re looking to make your business more digital friendly, our first suggestion is to start with social media marketing. This isn’t a novel idea by any means, but it is one of the most effective ways to communicate with consumers. Across the UK alone, there are over 45 million social media users and figures like these suggest that regardless of your business sector, your target audience will almost certainly be active on at least one social platform.
If you already have your foot over the threshold of digital marketing, you may be wondering;
“why choose social media over other digital platforms such as Google?” The answer is simple – while both Google Ads (formally known as Adwords) and Facebook Ads are cornerstones of PPC advertising, one provides a much better CPC (cost per click) and if your marketing budget can only stretch so far to accommodate paid ads, social advertising is likely to be your most viable option, as it will effectively ensure you get more bang for your buck! It’s worth considering that the CPC varies across different social platforms and costs for paid social can also depend on your business sector. Ask your marketing agency to analyse and compare all socials to find the best platform for your future marketing campaigns.
Emails are still relevant, so use them!
Despite the introduction and advances of social platforms, email remains a top contender for marketeers. Emailing marketing is one of the best ways to get new leads, increase site traffic and gain new clients. More than this, solid email communication can be an effective way to retain existing clients and consumers. We know you don’t have time to write thousands of emails a month, but with the help from some clever software platforms such as MailChimp and SendInBlue, email campaigns are easier than ever, to deliver. MailChimp promotes easy usability features and is the most popular choice for automated emails. It offers an extensive template library and a great A/B testing function where you can pit campaigns against each other. This is an invaluable tool for marketeers, as it will allow you to see which campaigns worked well with your target audience and which just slightly missed the mark.
Proving up to four times cheaper however, SendInBlue is a great alternative software for those businesses with thousands of email subscribers on their list. You’ll need to be a little more hands-on when it comes to designing your emails if you opt for this, as SendInBlue only has a limited number of templates to choose from. However, it does have the ability to send transactional emails, unlike popular favourite, MailChimp, and is still relatively easy to use. Professional marketing agencies will have all the know-how on email platforms such as these, plus many more and are experts in delivering personalised marketing campaigns. Additionally, they’ll also be able to ensure your emails are completely GDPR compliant and in line with the latest legalisations - just ask them how!
Your website is your personal digital space.
In fact, your company website should be the centrepiece in your digital marketing strategy. A lack of online presence is one of the main reasons SME’s and start-ups fail. No matter how large or small your business is, a professionally built website can help position you steps ahead of your competition. A great way to enhance brand consistency and credibility, a well-designed website can also significantly improve the overall customer experience. Websites laden with interactive and responsive features provide a whole host of opportunities, including but not limited to ecommerce stores, blog pages and integrated social media feeds. Proving that exceptional website design is critical to marketing success, Google reports that 40% of mobile consumers turned to a competitor’s website after an unsatisfactory mobile web experience, and 57% wouldn’t recommend a business with a bad mobile website. When considering which marketing agency to opt for, perhaps choose one that also offers a website development service.
Consumers want content, and it needs to be good.
Content creation should be a fundamental part of every company’s marketing campaign. People love stories and more than ever, consumers are looking for businesses that create frequent, exciting and insightful content across their many online platforms. Modern-day consumers often convert interest into sales with businesses they feel they can personally trust, and effective content creation such as well written blog posts, articles and social posts can all position you as a professional expert amongst your business sector, whilst building trust and credibility from your target audience at the same time. Regular content delivery can enhance brand recognition, invoke consumer engagement and boost SEO ratings, positioning your brand and business with better search engine results and increasing both website views and social media traffic. Of course, this strategy requires knowledge and some level of expertise, so it’s worth asking your marketing agency if they have a dedicated copywriter, who can deliver on promises of both quantity and quality when it matters most.
Get results with ‘Google My Business’.
If you’re fairly new to digital marketing, Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps. It allows you to add your business name, location and opening hours so that customers can always find the relevant information about your business. This free service also allows the provision for consumers to post their own reviews to which you can personally respond to and provides plenty of ways for consumers to reach out to you, including calling and messaging buttons.
Another great advantage to utilising ‘Google My Business’ is the positive impact it will have on your SEO ratings. Google highly regards businesses that are active on their free business listing platform and taking the time to incorporate it into your marketing plan should see a good return of interest from your target audience.
It’s a wrap!
So, there you have it – 5 digital marketing tips for SME’s, that will not only boost brand credibility but boost conversions and sales, too! If you’d like to find out more about digital advertising strategies and discover the benefits of a tailored and structured marketing campaign, give the team a call on 01792 792654 or email us directly at hello@oumagroup.co.uk. We’ve helped so many SME’s navigate the digital marketing landscape and as an all-round marketing agency, we know what generates great results - so come chat to us today and start the journey with Ouma. We look forward to hearing from you!
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