Marketing to SMEs? Know your customer
Digital marketing has transformed marketing strategy and practice at a rapid pace, and continues to do so.
If you don’t live in the digital marketing world every day, it can all seem a bit baffling; and with things changing so quickly there can be a real sense that digital marketing is a black art, and that in trying to keep up we’re all just running to stand still.
Some things you need to remember about digital marketing
It’s just marketing using different tools. There’s a huge fear factor attached to digital marketing, and there doesn’t need to be. Marketing is, and always will be, a people business, whatever the tools you use to do it – the basic premise hasn’t changed.
It isn’t a replacement for traditional marketing tools. But it gives extra possibilities! Digital tools bring an exciting new dimension to the marketing mix, with new challenges and opportunities – but many traditional tools also have their place, especially in certain B2B markets.
It isn’t free. Social media, for example, may notionally be free; but if you spend your time on it, there’s an ‘opportunity cost’. And if you outsource any of your digital marketing work, there’s an actual cost too.
The main digital marketing tools
Website. Your website should be the centre of your online world. Your aim is to get people to your website, then use various methods to encourage them to get in touch. You can measure your website effectiveness with a tool such as Google Analytics. (The little ‘beacons’ in the images are your key performance indicator metrics.)
Search Engine Marketing. This includes search engine optimisation (getting your website found in the organic search listings); and pay-per-click (or PPC) advertising (paying to get your advert on the first page of the Google results; and sometimes on other websites too). Each of these is a field in its own right, with lots of factors affecting success.
Content Marketing. This means posting useful information on the web which draws people to your website when they are searching for an answer. The better your content, the better you’ll rank in the search results. Content market can include blog posts, videos, white papers, e-books, or infographics, to name just a few. You can also explore getting your articles published on other websites and blog sites, to reach more people.
Social Media Marketing. This involves using the power of online communities to your advantage. The main tools for B2B social media marketing are LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. You can post onto your own social media page; and also advertise, including ‘remarketing’ to people who previously visited your website.
Email Marketing. When you’ve gathered someone’s email address (legally under GDPR data law), you can email them a regular newsletter to stay in touch and share your news. You can use the content from your website as the basis of the newsletter.
How can SharpEdge Marketing help you get started?
Digital marketing planning. Like any good marketing, the best approach is to be integrated, which means choosing the marketing tools which will best serve you and applying them with consistency and timing. Although digital can be fast and responsive, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan! We can help you, by creating the right blend of digital marketing tools. We can start with the digital marketing health check to work out what you need to do.
Digital marketing training. If you’re intending to do it yourself, you will need to learn some skills. Whether you just want an overview of your digital marketing choices, or in-depth training on a particular social media tool, we can help. We’ll give you tailored training, so you have time to look at the things truly relevant to your business, ask lots of questions and build your confidence.
Digital marketing agency services
If you don’t have the time or inclination to handle your own digital marketing activities, we’ll do it for you. We offer:
• Social media management
• Email marketing
• Content writing (for blogs and websites)
• Search engine optimisation
• Google Ads management
Read more about our digital marketing services and get in touch.
How SharpEdge Marketing can help you:
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