Digital Marketing Trends Small Businesses Can Take Advantage of Today

Source: @merakist

Digital marketing has become very popular because it is cheaper than most other marketing strategies, and it affords businesses a lot of flexibility. For small businesses that do not have similar budgets to larger businesses, digital marketing can provide the edge they need. Staying up to date with the latest trends, whether in digital marketing or with product trends, is essential for the success of all businesses. Below, we will look at some of the digital marketing trends your business should follow.

Using Artificial Intelligence

Businesses collect a lot of data. However, small businesses do not usually have the capacity to make the most out of this data. Artificial intelligence combined with machine learning can help businesses extract insights from their data. These insights can be on product trends, market insights, market forecasts, supply chain predictions, customer behavior, and much more. All of these insights can then be used in business-making processes that benefit the business.

Businesses can also use the data analysis results to implement various strategies and measure them to see if they are working. Artificial intelligence is also helping businesses craft better, more targeted messaging to help their messaging, marketing and ads resonate with their audiences better. 

Live Videos for Engagement

Live videos have emerged as a very important digital marketing tool for lots of businesses. Popular brands are already taking full advantage of them, and we are seeing smaller businesses like restaurants and bakeries taking advantage of them for engagement, too. 

Live videos allow businesses to engage with their audiences at a deeper level. This depth of interactivity also helps customers relate to the business and form a bond with it. Businesses that frequently go live also feel more authentic and trustworthy. Once customers can relate to businesses at this level and get to trust them, they are a lot more likely to become repeat customers.

Highly-targeted Campaigns

While advertising strategies like PPC and social media marketing are very effective, many businesses are seeing better results and a better return on investment by running highly-targeted advertising campaigns. They are choosing to reach their customers where they are found and where they are likely to be influenced by the ads and information put across.

After doing your research, you may find out that your customers congregate around certain Facebook pages or a specific social media platform. For some businesses, their ideal customers may be avid podcast listeners. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead requires strategic insights. With the right tools like RankTracker, businesses can optimize their online presence, track keyword performance, and ascend the SEO rankings effortlessly. The use of comprehensive digital marketing solutions ensures your brand stands out, whilst also driving traffic and conversions through the right business channels, whether this be for the benefit of a local business or one more international.
 
For a more international-focused business, running textual and video ads on social media platforms will make more sense than trying to build a mailing list, for example. For a more locally-focused business, better results might be garnered by centering an advertising campaign around audio ads. Platforms like Decibel have made it easy to not only create the audio ads you need for your advertising campaign but also to buy the ad space you need on various audio and podcast platforms. Their hyperlocal targeting feature allows you to run geographically-targeted ads so that only people near your business or in a specific geographic location hear your ad. Their deep analytics also give you all the data you need to know how your campaigns are doing.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a trend that has not died down in almost 10 years now and this is because it works. Social media marketing is very easy to get started with and is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies.

To get started, a business has to only register a business profile on their chosen social media platforms. Once this is done, businesses can start creating a fanbase by posting relevant content on their accounts. Businesses can also try to feel more human by posting other interesting content that is tangentially related to their core messaging. This brings people closer and ensures they do not turn away because it means businesses are not selling to their audiences all the time.

Once you have your social media platforms going and have built a sizable audience, automation is the next step. Automation helps you let the social media marketing part of your digital marketing strategy work on its own. You can schedule posts, have canned responses for frequently asked questions, repost older content and so much more.

Businesses can also use the various tools provided by social media platforms to better understand their customer and audience demographic. These insights can be used to streamline content and messaging on the platforms. They can also be used to create personas that can then be used to target customers once a business decides to run social media ads. 

Lastly, businesses can use hashtags to increase their content’s reach. Displaying products, services, and content under relevant hashtags can do wonders for your brand.

Geofencing

Geofencing involves targeting customers according to their geographic location. Instead of using targeted ads, businesses instead use pop-ups and notifications to reach potential customers in their target location. The apps people have installed on their phones can use Wi-Fi or GPS to locate where people are and display the pop-up or notification once they enter a specific area.

Geofencing works so well because almost everyone owns a phone now and notifications are hard to ignore. Geofencing is an intelligent way to create brand awareness, especially when it targets people around your business location.

Telling Stories on Social Media

Most people love a good story and this is why the biggest brands are using stories on social media platforms and other platforms. The live videos discussed above can be a great story-telling tool and so can podcasts, live sessions, disappearing stories, and blog posts.

Social media platforms remain the best way to share a story because they spread such content far and wide. Once the content spreads, it captures the attention of your potential customers and audiences further increasing your reach and brand recognition.

Businesses should keep up with digital marketing trends, especially on social media. Businesses can try the strategies discussed above to see what works and what does not. Following the latest trends and using new tools can help you target your audience better and make it easier to grow your online presence and overall business.