When small North Carolina businesses get started, they typically focus on how to land their first clients. Often they will rely on traditional forms of advertising, such as coupon mailers, billboards, out-of-home, or print ads. While many small businesses think that because they provide a superior product or service, it is only a matter of time before prospective clients will find their way to them.
While this strategy may bring in a small amount of revenue, there is a better and easier way. Small businesses should think about leveraging the power of the internet to reach prospects online and reap the benefits of combining traditional and digital marketing. No small business, no matter how new, should disregard digital channels as a source of leads and the conversion of interest into clients.
Still not convinced? Think about this over 94% of business-to-business (B2B) buyers do research online, whereas your business-to-consumer (B2C) buyers research online 97% of the time before making a decision.
Unfortunately, if you rely only on traditional methods, you miss out on a significant portion of your potential clientele.
What Is Digital Marketing?
Before I get into the reasons and tips for using digital marketing for your small business, let’s first define what digital marketing is.
Digital Marketing refers to a business’s marketing activities through electronic devices or the internet. This type of marketing uses various digital strategies by businesses to connect with their clients. Simply put, digital marketing refers to marketing carried out via the internet.
There are various methods under the spectrum of digital marketing, some of which are as follows:
- Web Design
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Content Marketing or Inbound Marketing
- Online Reviews & Reputation Management
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
- Email Marketing
What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?
Here are a few of the benefits of digital marketing:
Lower Cost
With digital marketing, your investment will typically be much lower than traditional marketing. If you do your digital marketing correctly, the ROI can be huge.
Larger Reach
Operating an online business costs less and expands your reach beyond your immediate vicinity, allowing you to reach people who may be looking for your services before they move or to help a family or friend in the area.
Measurable Results
With digital marketing, your efforts are far more trackable than traditional marketing. Using Google Analytics and tracking software, you can pinpoint a new client’s first interaction with your digital marketing efforts.
Keep Up With the Competition
Consumers expect all brands, products, services, and small businesses to have an online presence, not you may not even be considered for their hard-earned dollars.
Personalization
One of the reasons digital marketing works so effectively for North Carolina small businesses is that by showing content that is more personalized to what they are searching for, you have a better chance of converting that visitor into a prospect and, eventually, a client.
7 Reasons Your North Carolina Small Business Needs Digital Marketing
Digital marketing has become increasingly important for small businesses as it provides a powerful tool to build lasting customer relationships and stay ahead of the competition. Here are the top seven reasons your NC small business needs to consider digital marketing.
1. Digital Marketing Helps NC Small Businesses Build Lasting Relationships
According to Commerce Institute, nearly half a million new businesses are started monthly in the US; therefore, retaining and engaging clients has become a challenge for small business owners. Therefore “losing” clients is much easier today than it might have been in the late 90s or early 00s. But, if you know your target clientele well and your services are even better, digital marketing is a fantastic tool to keep them coming back to you and drive your competition away.
Unlike many one-and-done transactions, digital marketing goes well beyond the initial job or transaction and aims to turn satisfied clients into loyal advocates for your brand.
Some ways digital marketing improves the “traditional” methods of keeping loyal customers are:
- Instead of the more traditional “word of mouth” referral method, digital marketing uses online testimonials and reviews from satisfied clients.
Pro Tip: These testimonials should be included on your website as well as in social media efforts. - Instead of physical letters or brochures, use automated, personalized thank you and follow-up email marketing. You may reach a broader audience for much less money and email the right people at the right time.
- Engaging prospects and clients on social media after you leave their homes or business will help to entice them to call you next time.
2. You’ll Learn More About Your Clients’ Needs so You Can Profitably Fulfill Them
Another challenge for many North Carolina small businesses has been attracting, capturing, and converting leads into clients. To successfully do that, a small business like yours needs to identify your target client and create and utilize a buyer persona to focus your digital marketing efforts on showing them that you can fulfill their needs.
Savvy small businesses don’t make assumptions. They use some of the top marketing tools to learn what their target clients search for and need.
3. Digital Marketing Offers a Multichannel Approach to Boost Conversions
Your potential clients could be anywhere online. Think about this:
- Nearly 4 out of every 10 people in the world use social media today. (Source: Emersys)
- On average, the typical working-age internet user spends more than two and a half hours per day using social platforms. This would also be like watching The Godfather every day. (Source: DataReportal)
- 7 out of 10 marketers believe their social media marketing efforts work somewhat for their business. (Source: Buffer )
- 9 out of 10 video marketers reported that video gives them a positive ROI. (Source: Wyzowl)
- The market leaders are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn. (Source: Statista)
Google and Facebook Ads, email marketing, social media marketing, and SEO are just a few digital marketing channels North Carolina small businesses can utilize to reach their target audience and drive conversions. Each channel may require a unique approach, but with a well-defined strategy, it’s simple to tailor messages and effectively reach different segments of your target audience.
4. With Digital Marketing, Small Service Area Businesses Can Compete With Larger Businesses and Actually Win
Ann Smarty, one of the biggest names in digital marketing, said this in her article for Digital Marketer:
The great thing about digital marketing is that ingenuity and creativity can always win over big marketing budgets.
In other words, small service area businesses in North Carolina don’t need a large budget or a vast collection of expensive tools to succeed with digital marketing. The most crucial factor is the knowledge and experience of the business owners or the agency they use to help them. Understanding your target audience and the products or services offered are vital to successful digital marketing.
5. Digital Marketing Is More Affordable Than Traditional Marketing
Many small businesses can’t afford a radio, TV, or billboard ad campaign in larger urban markets. But many can afford digital marketing techniques to reach and engage with their ideal clientele.
How affordable is digital marketing compared to traditional marketing methods?
According to a Sparktoro survey, monthly prices can range from less than $500 to $10,000. But as a general rule of thumb, most small businesses should expect to pay between $400 and $1,000 for the basics and $800 or more for more advanced and in-depth marketing.
6. Digital Marketing Offers Measurable ROI
For small service area businesses in North Carolina, digital marketing offers a more targeted approach than traditional marketing techniques, with the added benefit of accurately measuring the success and impact of campaigns. This allows small businesses to start with a smaller investment in digital marketing and see results before committing more resources.
7. Your Competition Is Already Using Digital Marketing to Spur Ahead
In a 2019 survey by Keap of nearly 2,000 small businesses in the US, half stated they intended to use digital marketing strategies to gain more clients and increase their business. What does this mean for you? Simply put, most of your competitors are as well or have done so already.
Also, if you want to understand better what digital marketing tactics your competition uses, start by reviewing their website and social media presence, check if they have a regularly updated blog, publish updates on Facebook, or share images on Instagram, and see if they are running any ads on Facebook.
You can also perform a Google search for their brand name and see if they are mentioned on other sites or if they have any links. Utilize tools like Ahrefs site explorer to see which sites are linking to your competitors, SimilarWeb to see their traffic sources, and SpyFu for paid search ads.
Be sure to document all your findings, including the number of social media followers and keywords they target. It will be helpful for any future digital marketing campaigns you undertake, including SEO, paid search, social media ads, content creation, and email outreach.
Final Thoughts: Open Your Small Businesses Door to the Digital World
As a small service business in North Carolina, keeping up with the constantly evolving digital landscape is crucial for growth and success. By embracing digital marketing, you can stay ahead of the curve and effectively reach and engage with your target audience. From staying informed about the latest industry updates to utilizing the latest tools and strategies, investing in digital marketing will allow you to maximize your potential and reach new heights. Don’t let your competition get ahead. Stay focused on your goals and make the most of digital marketing.
