Does the thought of digital marketing immediately overwhelm you?
You wouldn’t be the first small business owner to feel that way. From email marketing to building a website and running multiple social media channels, you might wonder how you’re going to do it all.
Thankfully, new tools, platforms, and strategies are emerging constantly, so there’s never been a better opportunity to connect with your current and potential customers. But if knowing that adds another layer of overwhelm, let’s ease your mind.
This article highlights the very best digital marketing solutions for small businesses and how you can use them to create a retail marketing strategy that drives customers to your business.
5 Best Digital Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses
If you don’t have an online presence, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential customers.
What’s the first thing most people do when they need something? They go to Google, or they check Instagram and TikTok. Maybe their favorite influencer inspires them to try a product. And how many emails do you get from brick-and-mortar stores whose lists you signed up for?
Many stores offer an omnichannel experience now, too.
But, investing in digital marketing solutions is a risk for many small business owners and managers. How do you know which solution will deliver the most value to your business and your customers? It’s a loaded question, right?
You might also think, "Sure, digital marketing sounds great, but I don't have a big budget like those giant corporations." Understandable. The good news is that there are plenty of cost-effective and user-friendly digital marketing solutions out there specifically designed for small businesses.
As an industry-leading retail point of sale (POS) system provider, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with small businesses like yours. During this time, we’ve heard from thousands of small businesses and managers.
This insider intelligence has helped us identify the most effective digital marketing solutions for small businesses.
1. Social Media Marketing
If you haven’t already invested in social media marketing for your small business, you are behind the curve.
It goes without saying that social media is one of the most effective methods for driving prospects to your business. You can create a strong presence and give people a chance to get to know your business on a personal level.
But you can’t just post randomly and hope for the best. Perhaps the most important thing to do on your social media accounts is respond to comments and messages. Engage with your customers — even when you get difficult responses and questions. It’s engagement that humanizes your brand. Statistics show that:
- Social media is the top communication channel to connect with your customers.
- 76 percent of consumers will buy with your business over competitors if they feel connected.
And with more and more prospects adopting a digital-first approach to shopping, many social media platforms make it simple and easy to sell your products right on the digital application.
For example, Instagram Shopping enables growing businesses and e-commerce brands to sell products on Instagram. It looks and feels like a standard Instagram page, but prospects can simply tap to purchase without having to leave the app. To get started, you’ll need to ensure that your business meets the following criteria:
- Your business is located within a supported market
- You sell a physical and/or eligible product
- Your business complies with the platform’s merchant agreement
- You have a business profile
And away you go!
2. Email Marketing
Is email marketing dead? Not quite. Just check out some of these statistics:
- 50 percent of people buy from marketing emails once per month.
- In 2019, only 38 percent of retail, e-commerce, and consumer goods and services companies were personalizing emails based on purchase history. Today, that number is 60 percent.
- 99 percent of email users open their inbox every day.
Email marketing is a tried-and-true method for increasing awareness and getting people to buy. A few types of email marketing promotions work particularly well for small businesses, including sales promotions, new inventory alerts, brand story emails, email newsletters, and welcome emails.
During the holidays, many business owners and managers take advantage of holiday email marketing to create a valuable external touchpoint with prospects and customers.
3. Website
Can a website really make your small business appear more professional?
This study indicates that 84 percent of consumers view businesses with a website as more credible than businesses without a website. To the uninitiated, starting a website might seem like a daunting task. And when you’re operating on a limited marketing budget, overspending on website development simply isn’t in the cards.
Fortunately, there are a variety of cost-effective solutions designed to help small business owners and managers create the website of their dreams. Several service providers offer free options, and some even offer a free website builder.
The E-Commerce Experience
It’s not enough to just have a website anymore. Customers want an omnichannel experience. Meaning they want to take control of their buyer journey. They might look at your website, browse your products, and then come to your store to try on an outfit before they buy it.
You need to ensure they have a seamless experience.
Say they find what they’re looking for and come to try it on — only to find out that it’s sold out at your physical location. Imagine the disappointment!
With a cloud-based POS system and automated inventory, you can make sure your stock levels are updated in real time, so you never miss a sale. You can also facilitate buy online, pickup in store or curbside transactions with ease.
Related Read: 9 Differences of E-Commerce vs. Retail: Can You Do Both?
If e-commerce is a big part of your business, your marketing efforts should drive people to your online store:
- Use email to provide online-only offers and discounts
- Provide a link to your e-commerce store on your social media bios
- Encourage and incentivize customers to leave reviews on your website
Your e-commerce website is your best online salesperson — make it count.
4. Video Marketing
This year, a record number of small businesses will invest in video marketing — and for good reason. 96 percent of consumers want to learn about a product or service through video. You read that right — 96 percent.
User-generated content (UGC) might be the best type of video marketing to invest in. Potential customers want to see other people using your products and getting the results they want.
For example, if you want to promote freshly baked goods in your grocery store, offer free samples to customers and film their reactions. Or, incentivize customers to film their own videos trying your newest donut. You could offer them free or discounted products the next time they’re in store.
Other types of videos you should consider making include a company story video, a product video, and a customer testimonial video.
When it comes to building a customer testimonial video, don’t complicate the process! Ask the customer if they would be willing to record a quick testimonial on their mobile phone. Once you have the recording, add some background music and insert your company’s logo — it’s that easy!
5. Print Marketing
Why did we include print marketing on our list of top digital marketing solutions? The answer is quite simple: Pair print with digital to create a powerful and results-driven marketing strategy that’s guaranteed to drive customers to your business!
For example, you might consider adding a QR code to the back of your business cards. This would direct prospects and customers to a product page on your website.
Many business owners and managers merge print and digital marketing to create high-value customer loyalty programs.
Many of the most popular small business POS systems are equipped with robust customer loyalty features that automatically track buying patterns and create relevant sales promotions.
Related Read: 104 Small Business Resources & Tools You Need in 2024
Other Digital Marketing Solutions To Consider
We’ve highlighted the main digital marketing solutions for small businesses, but there are more to consider if you want to take a modern and holistic approach to marketing your business:
- Influencer marketing: As Instagram and TikTok continue to expand their reach, influencers are connecting with consumers on a more personal level. An influencer in your industry could be a social media personality or blogger. Propose a partnership that includes getting them to sample and review your products, or even taking over your social media for a day!
- Google My Business: Google is still the number one search engine for consumers. If people have a need, they go to Google. If they’re searching for a local liquor, grocery, or boutique clothing store, they’ll use Google and Maps. Add contact information about your company to Google My Business, but also focus on getting ratings, opinions, and photos from users.
All of the strategies above are realistic and cost-effective solutions your small business can use to market your products and services.
POS Nation Powers Growing Small Businesses
We’ve covered a lot of ground exploring the ins and outs of digital marketing solutions for small businesses. Now, you just need to take action. And one tool you can rely on to help in your marketing efforts is a retail point of sale system.
Finding the right POS system for your business can be challenging. With so many solution providers available to small business owners and managers, it can be difficult to know which solution will deliver the most immediate results.
For many years, POS Nation has helped growing small businesses achieve amazing results. Whether you’re making your first POS system purchase or you're a seasoned veteran interested in switching POS providers, POS Nation will give you all the tools and resources needed to make an informed purchase.
What type of POS system does your business need? Use our simple build and price tool to identify the right system for your unique business.
