Digital Marketing on a Budget

Digital marketing is one of the primary methods for advertising, and it can be done on even the smallest budget by including social media marketing as part of your overall digital marketing campaign. Social media marketing enables you to advance your business by increasing brand awareness, brand loyalty, and sales.

If you are a small business owner, you’ll be aware that advertising plays a substantial role in attracting the right audience and ensuring that the ideal consumers are drawn to your brand. Without the right publicity, your business could remain unknown to consumers who can potentially support your brand and elevate its presence.

The most impactful way to appeal to consumers these days is to reach out to them via social media. The various social media platforms have become some of the most effective ways to access the right people. Social media not only enables people to connect with others, but it also offers businesses a way to connect and communicate with clients. It is a method that yields significant results at a reduced cost. It can produce results that are similar to those achieved with expensive campaigns, as long as the right tools and practices are implemented.

How Has Social Media Evolved into a Major Advertising Platform?

Since 2001, according to an OpenSIUC report, social media has demonstrated its success in bringing people together. Sites such as Myspace.com, Bebo.com, and others were successful in connecting like-minded individuals. As the years progressed, additional sites were introduced, such as Friendster.com and eventually Facebook.com, which is now a leader in social media marketing. However, these sites were initially created merely for their networking purposes, enabling people to interact with each other.

As mobility and the use of mobile phones evolved, Instagram, Snapchat, and other sites that permitted users to connect, share, take photos or videos, and upload directly from their phones were born. The level of commitment and attachment demonstrated by mobile users encouraged creators to enhance their sites and improve how individuals remained connected. Sites such as Facebook and Instagram became integrated, enabling individuals to post on sites simultaneously.

The shift in how people used their phones, along with integration and web analytics tools such as Google Analytics, increased the significance of social media for companies of all sizes. Businesses soon realized that digital marketing was evolving and that social media was having an impact on consumers. They also identified the opportunity for these platforms to collaborate with marketers, and, over time, advertising on these sites became extensive.

How is Social Media Beneficial for Small Businesses?

Using social media has many advantages, especially for small businesses, as it helps boost online presence. Statistics have indicated that in relation to the world’s population, social media users, especially those who are highly engaged, contribute to 42% of the world’s population, meaning there are about 3.2 billion users active on these platforms. These significant numbers demonstrate how businesses can virtually connect with an astronomical number of social media users from all over the world.

Establishes Relevancy

Social media users check their accounts frequently. According to statistics dating back to 2017, the daily use of social media was 135 minutes per day, an increase of 9 minutes compared to the previous year. This level of social media use creates the perfect opportunity for brands to make a name for themselves on these platforms. It enables them to be active, communicating with consumers constantly and establishing brand awareness and relevancy.

Humanizes the Brand

In addition to relevancy, social media provides an opportunity for businesses to humanize their brand. Whether it is by using social media influencers, posts, engagement, or communication, you are showing followers that there are real individuals behind your company. This also highlights that real people are using your products. Last but not least, social media helps reduce that impression that businesses are distant entities and cannot be reached. Social media personalizes your connection and offers consumers a way to relate to and communicate with your brand.

Increases Brand Awareness

As brands engage with consumers online, they are creating interest around their business. Communicating with consumers and posting images or videos that connect with them or stir some form of emotion is critical in increasing brand awareness. Statistics indicate that 60% of Instagram users become aware of new products via this platform. Hence, using social media to interact and establish meaningful relationships helps you to connect initially with prospects and continue to connect with followers.

Creates Leads and Encourages Sales

Business advertisers are aware of the impact social media can have on a brand. It is an effective marketing solution that is essential in a creating an elevated level of customer engagement. Finding leads and capitalizing on them is a huge part of social media. Through interaction, interested social media users regularly become transactional customers, delighted customers, loyal customers, and subsequently fans. Consequently, social media has been highly effective at catapulting businesses to the next level.

Which Strategies Can Be Used and at What Cost?

One of the most amazing things about digital marketing, overall, is the limited cost involved in engaging. For those on small budgets, it is a valuable way to get your company’s name out in the market. Social media pages are often fundamental in sparking a consumer’s interest in a brand. So you need to implement strategies that attract consumers and draw them to your brand and its products and services, through various forms of digital marketing. 

Post Influential and Remarkable Content

Publishing amazing content on social media is an obvious yet essential task. If your business lacks content that stirs interest, or it discourages consumers from wanting to share your brand with others, then you have a big problem. Bad content reduces the impact of your social media campaign.

Discovering studies that relate to your brand can be a beneficial tactic. The studies can be about positive trends in your industry or even internal research on the benefits of your product or service. By using these studies and enhancing them with graphics, images, or even videos, you can strengthen your brand’s authority and reliability.

Host a Contest

Hosting an online contest on social media or even through email can also create excitement and improve awareness of your brand. Consumers love free products, and, with this in mind, rewarding them with your products builds awareness and positivity.

As consumers post about the contest on their social media page and tag their friends, it creates a connection between you, the consumer, and their friends. It spreads the word and encourages people to head to your page and learn more about the contest and also your products. Should they also decide to join the contest, it creates a ripple effect resulting in more brand engagement.

Rewarding the winner with your products makes them feel important, creating a positive experience with your brand. It encourages them to spread the word and continue supporting your business, igniting continued interest and potentially brand loyalty.

Partner with Influencers or Other Businesses

Social media is all about networking, so by partnering with other businesses and social media influencers, you can expand your audience quickly. It permits you to reach out to their audiences in addition to your own. So, finding a business or social media influencer that is related to your company, regarding niche or lifestyle, sparks further connections resulting in more exposure and engagement. Statistics indicate that for every $1 spent on influencers, businesses earn $6.50. In addition, 88% of consumers trust online reviews and recommendations and are more likely to make a purchase.

Email Marketing is Still Relevant and Successful

Don’t forget that email marketing is still a very worthwhile strategy, and it requires minimal financial resources! Although social media is very effective, for many individuals, email marketing is still critical for most businesses. Using a series of emails to connect with consumers can prove to be very valuable. Bear in mind that demonstrating exclusivity in emails by providing private sales or offers has its advantages, as it makes recipients feel valued by your company.

Similarly, personalizing emails by identifying recipients by their name or identifying past buying patterns can improve their responses. Statistics indicate that an email’s open rate is increased by 29% when it is personalized, and these custom emails boast a 41% increased chance of being clicked. Therefore, personalizing emails is an excellent way to boost the performance of a budget-friendly email marketing campaign.

Other forms of competitive and cost-effective marketing strategies include optimizing your post by incorporating the right hashtags, creating a reward, referral, or loyalty program, and dedicating your time to networking effectively. Implementing these tactics and others strategically can limit expenses while increasing awareness. 

How Can Small Businesses Use Social Media and Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is a dominant form of advertising. However, to be successful on social media or digital marketing as a whole, you must have a plan in place. Without a complete understanding of how these platforms can help you, you won’t reap their benefits. Before logging in to any social media platform or embarking on a digital marketing campaign, consider having a strategy in place or reach out to an advertising company that has expertise in digital marketing.

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