The Importance of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

Digital marketing has seen tremendous growth as a marketing career path, with no signs of slowing down. Embracing digital marketing doesn’t mean you must abandon all traditional marketing efforts. Instead, leverage digital marketing to go deeper on traditional campaigns. Digital media such as videos, photos, and audio can provide context, depth, or clarity around advertising claims you’ve already made.

​Small businesses should consider the global marketplace of prospects online and benefit from converging their traditional and digital marketing. No small business, no matter how new, should overlook digital channels as a way to generate leads and convert interest into customers.
 
Some ways digital marketing improves the “traditional” methods of keeping loyal customers are:

• Using digital testimonials from happy customers instead of the old “word of mouth”. These testimonials should be posted on your website and used in social media campaigns as well.
• Automated but personalized thank you and follow up email campaigns instead of the physical letters or pamphlets. You can reach larger audiences for a lot less money and send an email in the right moment to the right people.
• Engaging customers on social media once they leave your store or buy your product online, to keep your product on their minds and have them come back next time.
• Remarketing and retargeting to have them try out “this other product” that compliments what they already bought.

 
At a minimum, online marketing allows customers to find the information they need even after you’ve closed up shop for the night. It gives them the option to email questions at any time, rather than forcing them to call during business hours; it puts your interactions on their schedule and not the other way around.
 
Done well, digital marketing is the ultimate way to build authority and brand awareness in the largest market on Earth: the Internet. Brands can engage directly with their target audience through social media to learn exactly what consumers are looking for, and forge authentic relationships that create trust and brand loyalty.