Overwhelmed by digital marketing?

Easy and cost-effective ways to make a presence online

AWeber, a global email marketing software provider, released a survey today on small business owners and marketers. This study indicated that 94 percent of small business owners and marketers declared online marketing to be very important for the growth of their business. But, despite such a high number, only 12 percent claimed to be online marketing pros, whereas 29 percent said they felt overwhelmed by online marketing.

Still, even though these small business and marketers surveyed feel as if they are amateurs in the online marketing world, they said they are eager to increase their knowledge and capability of capturing clientele through various means, including email marketing efforts, blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.

Those surveyed also indicated, by 91 percent, that their owner or CEO was primarily responsible for the company’s marketing, social or otherwise. And when some were asked how they planned to increase their online visibility, the most interesting top answer (by 22 percent) was Vine, a 6-second video maker. Instagram followed by 20 percent, and Pinterest by 17 percent.

However, most surveyed agreed that social media is still not the top-tier way to introduce new clientele to their product or service - they ranked email marketing or word-of-mouth the best marketing strategies.

Since 29 percent of these small business and marketers claimed to feel overwhelmed by online marketing, it’s a safe bet that the number remains about the same for most all small business around the world. Instead of feeling unable to take on the challenge of educating themselves on all things social media, here’s a few easy and cost-effective ways to make a presence online.

Write for a local publication (online or off)

This takes a bit more time and effort on the to-do list, but promoting a business through local channels helps in a multi-layered way. Not only do companies receive advertising, but they create ties with the publication and the community. Focus on how the business can help those in the area instead of just reiterating excellent customer service.

Put your business on a website focused on reviews

There’s been controversy surrounding review-based websites around the ideas that business reviews are biased or paid off for five stars, but the fact remains that customers still want a general idea of a company’s service. Produce good work and respond professionally to criticism, and this could be one of the easiest digital marketing campaigns.

Claim your listing on Google and Bing Places

All this means is adding business information to Google and Bing listings, as well as including information such as contact info, company hours, and website. Though Bing may not have the same marketing wallop as Google, having your company’s information in two of the foremost search engines for minimal effort is certainly a plus.

Setting up a mobile-friendly website

This may seem like a no-brainer in terms of digital marketing, but with mobile technology on the rise, it’s a good idea to get ahead of the game and ensure that those trying to get information on their phones or tablets aren’t fed up within the first five minutes on a company’s website. And while businesses may need to hire outside help and find time to fix its usability, the benefits reaped will far outweigh spent money and time.

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140115005938/en/AWeber-Survey-Online-Marketing-Tactics-Widely-Widely#.UtbzMNJDuSp