For small businesses, the time and money that can be allocated to their marketing efforts can often seem to be of such a small amount that making an impression in their industry can appear to be an impossible battle.
With such limitations, decisions have to be calculated and intentional. The plethora of options and paths available in web marketing can be staggering, especially with the number of social media platforms available to all.
Knowing which platform to target can be difficult for business owners on a budget, with shiny object syndrome another risk as inexperienced marketers often jump from one strategy to the next.
Internet marketing consulting agencies can guide you in the right direction, helping you to make the best use of your limited time and money. What follows are our own personal marketing tips for business owners on a budget.
Blogging
As any good internet marketing consulting agency will tell you, one of the most cost-effective means of creating content for a business is through blogging.
As you’re able to write and publish your own posts, there are no costs up front and you can fit the task around the more pressing concerns in your schedule.
Maintaining a blog builds credibility as in the eyes of the customer as it positions you as an authority in your industry with something to say, while also giving your company more exposure as your posts are found on Google or shared on social media. This greater visibility is in turn likely to generate leads, which provides a superb return on the time invested in crafting your blog post.
Blogging also enables you to save time on customer service by writing posts that answer commonly asked questions. When these posts are easily found on your website, people are more likely to use your services over those who couldn’t provide an instant answer to their question.
YouTube
For a bigger impact than simply blogging, internet marketing consulting agencies recommend YouTube videos as a way to summarize your blog content in a concise and easily digestible format.
Although video production used to be an expensive and laborious process with specialist equipment and even a crew necessary, the advancements in video capabilities on modern smartphones mean anyone can take a video and upload it to YouTube in a matter of minutes.
Of the many benefits of producing your own videos, allowing your audience to feel more connected to you is by far the biggest. Seeing your face and hearing your voice means people will trust you more, which means they are more likely to buy from you than your faceless competitor. As all internet marketing consulting experts know too, keeping your videos short, sharp and fun will maximize their chances of being shared.
Google+
While many social media platforms exist as isolated bubbles, Google+ is intertwined with many of Google’s other platforms, helping you to share your marketing efforts across a wider spectrum.
As an example, YouTube accounts can be set up to automatically post videos on Google+, which results in more exposure with no extra effort.
Google+ also allows one-way networking, meaning people do not need to accept friend requests before you can network with them. This lack of cumbersome permissions makes it quick and easy to connect with new clients and leads.
Internet marketing consulting agencies have also noted that Google+ posts are typically listed higher than posts from other social networks in Google’s own search engine results.
Though implementing an effective marketing campaign on a budget may seem daunting to those without the capital to hire an internet marketing consulting agency, these three tips will help you to see a larger return on your investment than you may previously have imagined possible.