Digital marketing is often an afterthought for many small businesses. They make the mistake of thinking digital marketing is simply about adapting traditional marketing for digital platforms. But a well-thought-out online presence that leverages technology for capturing and cultivating consumers is essential for getting quick wins while growing your business. Here are some digital marketing musts for successfully establishing your brand online:

1. Focus your website: A business website can accomplish many things - it can tell stories, communicate brand messages, sell products and services… the list is virtually endless. But the most effective websites focus on a primary goal—to compellingly communicate who they are so that the user knows exactly what to do. This doesn’t mean you can’t do more. Meaning, you must have secondary and tertiary goals in mind. But focusing on your primary goal, and doing it well, is a must.


2. Capture web prospects: Once you’ve focused your most important asset on a primary goal, you’ll want to ensure it is optimized for lead generation. The low hanging fruit here is email capture. Collecting email addresses is an easy way to turn an anonymous user from website traffic into a prospect. From here, you can send promotional emails and targeted ads to cultivate your prospects, converting them to customers.


3. Create an email strategy: So, you’re capturing emails and growing a list of interested prospects and consumers. Good. Now what? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve submitted my email on sites only to never hear from them again! It seems many small businesses have good intentions for emails but never develop a plan to follow up. The point is, when someone gives you their email, you lose both credibility and opportunity by not having a strategy for responding through one of the easiest and most effective communication tools in business - email.


4. Lean into social: Leveraging social media is so much more than simply creating accounts. A lot of small businesses have a set it and forget it mentality. You need to lean into social, learning how to communicate through each platform and then come up with a posting strategy that is sustainable. When you create an expectation of the number and type of social updates, you need to make sure you can keep up with the content demands. Compelling content, consistent communication and clear calls to action are the keys to effective social media.


5. Budget for digital ads: Much of what has already been written is about making sure you have an optimized online foundation for growth. But organic growth takes time. You’re going to need to drive prospects to your website. And even a modest digital ad budget can help move the needle through various pay-to-play tactics like search, display and social media buying.

If you’re a small business who needs help building a digital marketing strategy, please contact us at BRIGHT+CO Marketing. Wherever you are in your company growth, we can provide solutions that will advance your business.