We’re seeing a shift in the way SMEs are marketing themselves. Traditional marketing efforts like billboards and print are being replaced by digital marketing resources such as content marketing, SEO, Social and PPC. That’s because consumers now rely on their phones, tablets and computers to find products and services. In fact, not only to find them but to discover them, to research and compare their reviews, prices and features. With so many different channels at their fingertips, business owners can reach their audience in so many ways. This has become an effective way to market both measurably and affordably. That’s basically the gist of it, but let’s take a look at the specific ways digital marketing helps small to medium business owners like you.

1. Digital Marketing Gets You Noticed Online

Everyone is online. That includes your customers and competitors. That means if your existing or potential customers can’t find you online, they’ll go to your competitors. It’s that plain and simple. In today’s digital environment, that’s how business works. People go online, look at reviews, compare products and services, and decide which one is the best fit for them. According to a recent study, nearly 30% of small businesses don’t have a website. Without a website, people often assume a business isn’t legitimate or serious about its product or service. They’ve come to expect an online presence, especially younger generations that grew up with the internet—they don’t know any different. If they can’t find you with a quick Google search, you don’t exist in their minds. The same goes for a social media presence in some cases.

2. Digital Marketing Gives You a 24/7 Salesperson

Websites don’t go to sleep. They’re always there waiting to make a sale. Particularly for small to medium-sized businesses, this is like adding a salesperson without the cost associated with doing so. Except the website doesn’t have to go out and look for customers—the customers find you. Plus, they can find you wherever they are whenever they want. Having a website is the most cost-effective way of finding new customers because all you have to do is build and maintain it. Speaking of cost-effectiveness…

3. Digital Marketing Helps You Grow Sales Affordably

Most SMEs don’t have the budget to

compete with large enterprises through traditional marketing channels. But with digital marketing, you can compete with the big guys. Back when the only way to grab people’s attention was through television ads, billboards, and magazines, only large enterprises had a chance. With the emergence of search engines, social media, and online advertising, everyone has the ability to reach people wherever they are. When someone searches for a product or service through a search engine, its algorithms and affordable ads point people in the right direction. As long as digital marketing efforts effectively target the right market and is well-executed, it’s a cost-effective option. If you’re strategic about your digital marketing campaign, you won’t have to spend much to get the same traffic as those with bigger budgets.

4. Digital Marketing Helps Breathe New Life into Your Business

The thought of rebranding for any small or medium business can be daunting. But in this modern, ever-changing business landscape, change is a must. It’s so easy to become outdated. Businesses need to adjust, adapt, and pivot at any given notice. But with digital marketing, it’s easy to breathe new life into your brand. For instance, maybe you want to change the name of your brand to reflect your higher-end products. With a well-designed digital marketing campaign, you can appeal to newer customers while reminding your existing customers that they can expect the same great products. Whatever your reason for rebranding, digital marketing is an affordable solution.

5. Digital Marketing Allows You to Measure Performance

With a digital marketing campaign, you don’t have to sit back and wait to see if your efforts were effective or not. You can see how your efforts are going in real-time. From the moment you launch a campaign, you’re able to track how well it’s performing. Tools like Google Analytics give you access to timely data. This allows you to make adjustments and change your strategy accordingly. Being able to respond and adapt quickly saves you both time and money. You can also track metrics that have to do with conversations regarding your brand and engagement levels. Compared to print ads and other traditional marketing efforts that take months to see results, digital marketing gives you results within hours. You can see how many people visited your site, how many engaged with your social media account, and who clicked on your ads.

6. Digital Marketing Increases Conversion Rates

People no longer have to learn everything about your product or service by talking to someone in-store. Your website provides them with everything they need to know. In just a few clicks, they can see how your product or service solves their problem, what people are saying about it, and how much it costs. Simplifying the buying process helps them make an informed decision quickly. By monitoring people’s activities, you can get a better idea of what converts. Did they click on your ad? Which pages did they look at when they visited your site? Did they download the eBook? When did they make a purchase? How long were they navigating your site? Were they confused by the layout? Did they add a product to their cart but not checkout? These are all things you can monitor to turn leads into customers.

Are you an SME that’s interested in the ways digital marketing can help your business? The team at Ads Up has mastered the art of online advertising and can help you get the right visitors and prospects to your website!