Having an online presence for your business is as important as ever AND it doesn’t have to take a wildly-huge marketing budget or require a pro to do it. If you’re a small business just getting started and need something quick – something that’ll get you going – this is it. I want to share with you my small business digital marketing strategy, a set of five steps you can follow to create a full-rounded online presence for your small business.
1. Business Website
First things first. Having a business website is the first step a successful online presence. This is where people will go when they find you on Google or click on one of your Facebook ads. The best way to quickly build a professional website is using WordPress. Why WordPress? Not only is it the best but it is free, super customizable, mobile-optimized right out of the box, and the best for SEO.
Here’s how to do it: Get a hosting provider that offers quick WordPress installs (We recommend SiteGround for website hosting), install WordPress, install a template, and bam! You have a website. If you’re not a “tech-wiz” or all this sounds like rocket science, you can use drag-and-drop website builders such as Weebly or Wix.
2. Social Media Pages
The next step in your small business digital marketing plan is having a presence on social media networks. Social media is where people go on to share what they are doing, what they like, and where they went. It’s an incredible tool for staying connected and also for your business. With over a billion – with a B – active users on social media every month, social media has become an incredible asset for growing your business. Keeping your social media updated daily will ensure that people trust you and keep coming back to you. Remember, “content is king.”
Here’s how to do it: Create Facebook and Instagram pages for your business. When creating your Facebook and Instagram, make sure you create them as business pages. With business pages, you’ll be able to see statistics and create ads. Next, start posting content daily. It can be photos of your customers, food, or anything that you can photograph. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy or “professional.” Just snap a picture with your iPhone, throw on a filter or edit using Canva and post it.
3. Google Maps & Google Listing
Have you seen those listings on the side of Google or on the map when you Google something? For example, when you Google “restaurants near me” this is what you see. This is important to your business so you’ll come out on Google search results and also on maps results so your customers can easily find you and contact you. This also helps with building your local SEO which is also part of your small business marketing strategy.
If your business isn’t already on Google or is not verified, here’s how to do it:
- Go to Google My Business
- Select or add your business
- Verify your business
4. Facebook Ads
You’ve probably heard everywhere that you should be running Facebook ads. Although it is helpful, it is not necessary. Running Facebook ads does require some money but the good thing is that you can get started with as little as $30 a month or $1 a day. Running Facebook ads will help you reach thousands of people super quick. Like 1000x faster.
Here’s how to get started with creating effective Facebook ads: Create a post, add a photo to it and for the text, create an offer that’s worthy and make it crystal clear. Don’t just put “In business for 30 years.” Frankly, no one cares and your ad won’t be as effective as could be. Instead, write something like “The first 30 people to comment ‘HANGRYY’ get $5 off!”
After creating the post, click on the little “Boost” button. Select your location and set a 3-5 mile radius and select the appropriate ages for your business that are most likely to buy.
Note: If you’re more advanced or you’re looking to spend a bigger budget on ads, we highly recommend you use the Facebook Ads Manager to run ad campaigns or hire a local marketing agency. Here’s why.
5. Influencer Marketing
You’ve probably heard the term before but don’t know exactly what influencer marketing is all about. Just imagine getting a celebrity to endorse your product or service. That’s basically what influencer marketing is and if you’re a local business, you can greatly benefit from using local celebrities to promote your business.
Here’s how you can get started: Find someone locally who has plenty of followers (preferably 20k or more) on social media and who you think will represent your business well. Contact them through the DM’s (direct messages) and offer them a set pay or a percentage of the sales for promoting your business on their social media pages.
Final thoughts…
Follow these 5-steps as part of your small business digital marketing plan and I 100% guarantee you that you will have success.
If you’re looking to grow further or just don’t have the time to do this yourself, consider hiring a local marketing or advertising agency to take care of marketing while you focus what you’re best at, running your business. (: