Where to Market Your Small Business in a Digital Age

On a large-scale, some companies are still doing the same old things when it comes to marketing. And that’s because change is often a slow process for organizations. The problem that I see here is that many businesses aren’t investing in the right marketing strategies. So the real question is where to market your business?

Throughout history, certain aspects of marketing have adjusted as consumer behavior changed. The Internet gave the world a means to be connected and social media is reshaping our worldviews in many ways.

Search engines have become the consumer choice for accessing and finding information (or products). Plus the Internet’s experiencing exponential growth in adoption.

But it’ll be hubris for us to think that since the Internet is being used in the above-mentioned ways, that all marketing should be focused on this medium. No, not at all. I feel that digital marketing is important and necessary today but traditional advertising still works. You just have to use it effectively.

Take TV for instance, unless you’re hitting TONS of people at once with your advertisement, it’s not very effective. Advertising on one television show won’t cut it unless it’s something like Game of Thrones where lots of people will be watching your commercial at the same time. Similar can be said for any traditional broadcast medium too.

You want people to see the same ads so that it becomes something they can talk about. That’s why a single Super Bowl ad is more valuable than other alternatives. In fact, on Fox alone, the Super Bowl (2017) brought in an average audience of 111.3 million viewers!

Digital marketing, however, presents different challenges for marketers. For one thing, everyone online is in their own little bubble of beliefs or paradigms and culture. So unlike traditional advertising methods like broadcast media, you need to target age groups and demographics of people.

So online, not only do you have to know where to market but who you’re marketing to too! Here’s a list of marketing strategies that you can consider. My favorites are #3 and 4.

1. Broadcast Media

This is still a valuable medium for advertising but as mentioned previously, you need to hit a mass audience at once. But you also want to repeat or replay your ad a few times to really improve your results. This may not be applicable to a Super Bowl commercial but in general, repetition is key here.

Tips For a Successful Broadcast Media Campaign

• Ask your existing customers which radio and television stations they watch most. Then assess if those channels are good for attracting your ideal customers.
• Choose a broadcasting outlet with the audience demographic that you’re targeting.
• Try to repeat your ad because repetition will keep your brand top of mind and increase the likelihood that they’ll pick you when ready to buy.
• Push for the station to pick up the ad production cost if possible.
• You can’t properly measure results with this kind of advertising, so focus on brand or product awareness objectives.
• Don’t focus on this medium alone… actually, NEVER! It should be in conjunction with online or print advertising.

2. Print Media

Yes, I know, I know… To some of us, print media is dead. But it’s not dead because organizations are still using it and there’s still ROI in using this medium. Although, it’s extremely low… like lower than 1 percent.

So spend on this medium wisely because it doesn’t work as well as it used to.

Today if you need anything at all, most of the time, you could easily find it online. Google is on every smartphone and 4 in 5 consumers use search engines to find local information.

So it’s not like we rely on hard copy menus or brochures anymore (ask yellow pages). These things are all accessible online but consumers still need to know that your company is out there.

So while a billboard ad (support media) might be an effective brand awareness medium, mailing out flyers could send your ad copy to the bin!

3. Product Placement

This isn’t a new strategy as some may like you to believe and reports suggest that it’s effective. Product placement is when a company pays to be featured in movies and television programs. But it’s not advertising like you may think with broadcast media, although it can be classified as such.

Here’re some examples of this kind of advertising in action, compiled by WatchMojo. You can watch that video here: Top 10 Best Product Placements 

4. Search Marketing

This includes search engine optimization (SEO), PPC and other marketing activities using search as a medium. It’s a subsect of Internet marketing as a whole.

I feel that this is the most cost-effective medium right now for small businesses. Especially, when you’re working on a tight budget, and the numbers suggest the same. Yes, we offer search marketing at Tech Help Canada but I promise I’m not being biassed.

Look, according to research firm eMarketer, Facebook & Google are expected to take half of all advertising revenue worldwide. And more than 60 percent in the United States! In 2016, companies spent 65 billion dollars on SEO and that number is expected to climb to 68 by the end of 2017.

My point is that obviously, these companies paying for marketing on those platforms are getting their desired ROIs, otherwise, they wouldn’t waste their budget.

So which medium will you use for your business? Let me know.

>> RELATED: [infographic] 9 Content Marketing Statistics That Prove It Works

Gabriel Nwatarali

I’m a freelance copywriter and SEO specialist. I aim to empower individuals and businesses with impactful marketing solutions and insights. In my downtime, I recharge by embracing the beauty of nature or cherishing moments with my loved ones. If you found value in this post, please consider sharing it.