A lot of moving pieces are required for a small startups to succeed. One of the most integral is undoubtedly marketing. Your business could feature the finest products and services, offer these at the best prices around, and still struggle to get your venture off the ground due to a lack of promotion.
Marketing is essential. That much is clear. However, if you’re a newcomer to the world of digital marketing, you first need to know which tactics are best for your cause.
Ultimately, there’s an assortment of marketing solutions available. Some are more effective than others, while others are more cost-effective and user-friendly. This is why it can be tricky to settle on the right strategies for your new business.
That’s where this guide will help. Below are seven digital marketing tactics all small startups should be using in 2022.
1. SEO
SEO, aka search engine optimization, should be the backbone of any company’s digital marketing strategy. Attracting visibility from Google and other search engines is an excellent way to boost your organic traffic numbers in the long term.
The bad news: there are numerous issues with SEO. It’s complex, requires in-depth and consistent effort, and is highly competitive.
Due to these points, and if you have the budget to do so, it makes sense to work with an SEO expert – at least from the start. They will be able to educate you about the basics, what tools to use, and how to put together an effective strategy that will see your website jump up the search rankings.
2. Local search marketing
An extension from SEO, local search marketing is exactly as the name suggests – it’s where your business markets towards local searches. This is imperative when your startup is targeting a local customer base.
Google is again your friend when it comes to local search marketing. With a Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, you can create a listing for your startup. This listing will detail your business name, address, operating hours, website URL, etc. Then when potential customers make relevant local searches, your business has a chance of appearing in the results, including on Google Maps.
Like with SEO, there are various tactics to improve the odds of your business being favored by Google. This includes acquiring positive reviews and adding relevant photos of your company.
3. Email marketing
Even if you haven’t performed an email marketing campaign, you will have a general idea about how it works. It’s also one of the most tried-and-tested marketing options around, and it should be a focal point of your promotional efforts.
Why? It’s among the most effective tools for generating additional leads, especially by grabbing the attention of old customers to interest them in any new products or services. Of course, you need to build up a healthy list of contacts before you can truly maximize the potential of email marketing. The good news is there are various tactics to grow your email list successfully.
Email marketing is beneficial not only due to its effectiveness but also due to its affordability and possibilities. Regarding the latter, there are numerous ways to incorporate compelling content and other media for creative, impactful emails.
4. SMS marketing
Email marketing is great. It’s one of the finest tactics for any business to add to its repertoire. Yet did you know that SMS marketing generates an incredible open rate that’s four times more than email?
That’s right. In the current digital age, SMS marketing is one of the best and most proven methods.
Also known as text marketing, this technique isn’t much different from the aforementioned email marketing. Yet rather than messages ending up in the email inbox of your prospects and customers, they land in their text inbox. Considering the open rate for SMS messages can reach up to 98%, that’s good news for your promotional campaign.
For further information, Sprout Social has an in-depth guide about SMS marketing and how to create an effective strategy.
5. Social media marketing
It’s no surprise that social media is one of the most popular forms of marketing around. Whether you’re using Twitter, TikTok, or any of the other many social platforms available, it’s possible to build a healthy following, target content to your audience, and build a name in your industry.
Best of all, it can be done without needing to invest much money – ideal when you’re a startup with limited resources.
There are a few important aspects to consider when using social media before committing to anything. You have to account for your audience, for instance. Is your target market primarily using Instagram? Facebook? This information should be the basis behind which platforms you use.
Furthermore, as much as you may like to have six, seven+ accounts, you have to be realistic. If you stretch your resources too thin – which is a notable issue for startups – you won’t be able to produce enough content for each platform.
6. Video Marketing
As part of your social media efforts, it makes sense to combine this with video content. Visuals always work best when trying to catch the attention of those scrolling through their social feeds. Plus, video marketing doesn’t have to be based solely on social media – this content can be repurposed in other ways.
For example, you could post the original video first onto YouTube. You could then split this video into parts and post these on your Twitter and Facebook pages.
7. Influencer marketing
One of the best ways to get immediate eyes on your brand is through influencer marketing. By benefiting from a large audience cultivated by an influencer, your products and services can instantly be seen by thousands of people. There’s no need to wait for your SEO efforts to kick in or to build a social media following.
With influencer marketing, selecting an influential person that is relevant to your chosen industry is important. Also, remember the bigger the audience, the bigger the fee in general – so be prepared to pay if you’re opting for a big fish in the influencer world.
