How Digital Marketing Can Help SMEs Improve Business
WRITTEN BY
Rakesh Raval
Creative Director
Digital Marketing – Almost every business enterprise today is chasing this term, and for good reason. Digital Marketing provides the shortest route to get on the global map. It literally just requires a click of a few buttons and voila! THE WORLD CAN SEE YOU!
In this blog, we shall talk about Digital Marketing and its benefits for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) through a series of questions.
First the most important and the most basic question – What is Digital Marketing?
Simply put, it is any form of marketing products or services using electronic devices. For example, advertising your work through social media, mobile applications, email, web applications, websites, or any digital channel is DIGITAL MARKETING.
The next question that comes to the mind is –Why is Digital Marketing important?
To better answer this, let’s look at a few numbers. Over 560 million Indians have access to the internet today. India is the second largest online market in the world, ranked only behind China. Let’s further widen our nets. Almost 4.66 billion people worldwide were active internet users as of October 2020. This means that you can potentially reach out to 4.66 billion people with a click of a button; and you might as well be doing that perched on your toilet seat!
As the connectivity improves, digital marketing will further seep into us. Humans, at least those with access to internet, are unknowingly dancing to the tunes of digital marketing. Search engines drive around 93% of all website traffic. So, if you have a spectacular SEO (Search Engine Optimization) under your wings, there is nothing that can stop millions of people from visiting your work online.
The scope of digital marketing has widened like a spider’s web. Primarily, there are 6 types of digital marketing and all can be interconnected in various combinations to design a strategy that will best answer your business’ needs.
Content Marketing
Creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
Example: Remember Surf Excel’s ‘Daag Achche Hai’? That’s because they nailed at content marketing.
Social Media Marketing
Using social media to connect with the audience to build your brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic.
Example: Memes, Tweets, social media campaigns, etc. Memes, Tweets, social media campaigns, etc.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Paid advertising that allows marketing teams to essentially purchase traffic to their website.
Example: Facebook ads
Email Marketing
Sending customized newsletters or offers via email to stay connected with prospects and customers.
Affiliate Marketing
Working with outside individuals or companies under the agreement that they promote your product in exchange for a commission from each sale.
Example: Amazon pays up to 12% in advertising fees to its affiliates!
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimizing online content so that a search engine shows it as a top result for searches of a certain keyword.
Example: Search Zero Designs on Google and you shall see the magic of the perfect SEO!
Now that the terms and facts have been cleared, let’s bring the focus on YOU – How can SMEs benefit from Digital Marketing?
There are innumerable ways digital marketing can benefit a Small and Medium Enterprise. Here’s 5 of the most important:
1. Equal opportunity to every business:
Digital marketing is not and never will be under anyone’s monopoly. It is not a strategy only restricted to big corporations or multinational companies. Small businesses can leverage their business and even stand in perfect competition with the established businesses.
2. Cost-effective:
Digital marketing does not require a huge investment to get results. Small businesses can find digital channels that work and do not require much cost to be spent.
3. Brings conversions:
The conversions with digital marketing are higher when compared to other forms of marketing. Added perk is that you can easily track the conversions and further alter your marketing strategy as required at the time.
4. Increases revenue:
More conversions, means more revenue. Studies have shown that companies that use social media generate 78% more business compared to the companies who do not use social media marketing.
5. Targeting the target audience:
One of the prime reasons why digital marketing is so successful is that it allows you to communicate with a specific segment – your target audience. Gender, age, passion, habits – you can filter as much as you want.
Now, let’s turn towards US – Why do you need a digital marketing agency for the job?
The task of digital marketing looks very easy from the outside – a few Facebook paid ads, an attractive website, and a few emailers. What else would you need, right? Not quite so.
Today, digital marketing has become a very complex and intricate cross-channel world with innumerable possibilities and potential. If you are able to discover strategies that make an impact through engagement marketing and best suit your business, you are in for some pretty good business days.
Figure this – 48% of consumers start their inquiries on search engines, while 33% look to brand websites and 26% search within mobile applications. Do you have the time and expertise to manage SEOs, build an attractive website, or an easily-interactive mobile app?
Well, that’s what we are here for. Our team includes trained and skilled experts on building a brand, designing strategies and creating an online identity of your business. From logo design to social media campaigns, to emailers – we have it all covered.
So, if you have any queries or requirements, feel free to visit us virtually via the ‘Get in Touch’ page and set the ball rolling!
DID YOU KNOW:
82% of people use their phones to make an online search before they make the decision to purchase from a store.
50% of consumers are inclined towards a particular brand if the name appears more than once during their search.
