The internet has evolved into a one-stop shop for the majority of American consumers. Small businesses that are not using digital marketing need to understand the importance of it because digital marketing can help your business thrive in today’s extremely competitive market.
For many people digital marketing may seem confusing (Yeah, that includes ME) or intimidating, especially when it comes to using the right approach. Like I always say, “What you don’t know, you can learn or you can just steal it from the internet.”
But seriously, you don’t have to know what you are doing when it comes to digital marketing. You can view some YouTube videos on the subject and read some blogs to get started. The good thing is gaining some insight is not rocket science. Producing the right kind of content is an important part of effective small business digital marketing but success is all about content as content can make or your break a digital marketing campaign.
So where do you start? How do you gain an audience for your message?
If you have advertised before, you must have some contacts that can help. Anyone in marketing today knows, or should know, how to get started in the digital mediums. Probably the easiest place to start is Facebook Advertising. It works and it’s cheap in comparison to other types of traditional marketing.
Another basic place to start is with your website. When is the last time you updated it? Do you have testimonials on your site? Is it easy to navigate?
Have each staff member review the website and ask a couple of patients to review it and give you their opinions. Then, take those opinions to heart and make the necessary changes. Your website is probably the first place someone goes to gain an impression of you and your business before they make an appointment. Make sure it’s a good one.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important.
Run a Google search of hearing aids in your geographical area and see where your business falls on the list. It should be Number One and if not, a close second. If you have trouble finding your business on the list, spend some money to improve your SEO.
Online reviews are extremely important to the success of a business!
Think about where you gain your opinions of places to shop or where to go on vacation. Online reviews usually play a part in those decisions. According to Kevin St Clergy, owner of MedPB.com, one of the most important efforts in gaining a following on social media is to accumulate positive online reviews. St Clergy contends that online reviews are an extraordinarily powerful marketing tool for local businesses. We have used St Clergy’s services and have been very successful in generating positive online reviews and via his program the reviews are automatically posted on all of our social media sites. You can contact St Clergy at kevin@medpb.com. Some office management software also include online reviews. Do some research and get started with these reviews today. They will make a difference!
Digital Marketing is Where It’s At!
The reality is that building a following via digital marketing takes time. I constantly ask my digital media guru how we can get more hits and he replies, “Give it time, Gyl.” No matter how good the content and the strategy, you won’t hit the top of the search results overnight. So the message is Don’t Give Up Too Soon.
The potential for generating new business with the use of digital marketing is limitless. If you are really at a loss, I will be sharing great information regarding how to create your own videos and how to share them effectively in my Hands On Workshops at my DrGyl Meeting on Oct 17 and 18.