How to Get Big Exposure on a Small Business Budget
By Anica Oaks
Odds are, if you’re launching a startup company in the year 2016, you’re occupying the hottest new sector of the economy: technology and computer services. As such, the strategy for marketing your startup also needs to be cutting-edge and up-to-date. In the era of e-commerce and one-click checkout, traditional marketing methods have fallen by the wayside. Television and print ads are no longer the best choice for a small business looking to increase their footprint.
Go Digital
The past decade has seen a huge explosion the growth of online advertising, and the different ways that businesses can connect with targeted audiences. This ability to access specific niches of the market through tailored advertising and content is one of the primary advantages of advertising online. Firms have a wide variety of options available when looking to spend some money on online advertising. Entire industries have evolved around these web ads, and there are specialized firms that offer different methods to boost web traffic and drive sales online.
The Search Bar
To many of those alive today, the notion of opening a phonebook sounds as old-fashioned as dialing a rotary telephone or watching black and white television. The new place for information is the search bar in your web browser, not a dusty old phonebook. Potential customers find businesses by using search engines, most notably Google. The vast scope of the internet means that a search like “web design firm” can generate millions of results. In such a crowded marketplace, it can be hard for a small firm to get a foothold. There are firms that offer Search Engine Optimization work for small firms to advertise themselves better in the search engine rankings. By employing one of these firms, small businesses can increase their web traffic and generate more sales through better online exposure. This isn’t the only strategy that small firms can employ to get the word out about their business.
The Blog
The blog has come to hold a place of importance for several reasons related to online advertising. First, having quality content is the best way to drive traffic to a website. The content will help both in search engine optimization efforts and also when developing an audience that is interested and interactive with the firm. Generating quality content and sharing it with the world is a tested strategy that can also be leveraged in marketing efforts. Firms can take this content and share it on their social media to gain an even larger following.
Social Media and Small Business
Social media is another sector of the internet that has experienced meteoritic growth. As such, businesses have been working hard to find a foothold in this new landscape. All large firms and brands have dedicated teams running their social media feed, from the brand Facebook page to the customer service representatives answering questions over Twitter. Modern consumers expect to be able to interact with brands, and calling a customer service number is not what they have in mind. A white-label social media team can enable much more effective and efficient social media marketing. This will improve your company’s interaction with both current and future customers via social media.
No One Platform
There are many potential options that a firm can use when looking to expand their digital advertising efforts. These different approaches work best when used in tandem. An experienced firm can help boost rankings in search engine optimization campaigns, but a solid collection of native content and blog posts is what will convert those eyeballs into customers. These customers expect to interact with the firm in social media, so the firm will also need to dedicate resources to this outlet.
Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.
