Digital marketing is an important area of focus – often the primary area of focus – for small businesses. However, while the landscape quickly evolves, the challenges do too.
Wondering how to overcome the digital marketing challenges you will likely face this year? Here are three common challenges and ways you can overcome them.
Defining success
It’s shocking, but 46 percent of small business owners don’t know whether or not their digital marketing strategies are working. Essentially, half of small businesses are investing in marketing strategies that might not be working.
How can you solve this? There are two things you can do. The first it to determine your business goals, and the second is to recognize the key performance indicators that support the goals. It’s best to take your time on the front end, setting your goals and key performance indicators prior to getting in the daily grind of managing your campaigns. This is when you can truly define success.
Operating on a modest budget
Many business leaders in 2018 will attempt to float by without putting more of their budget to digital marketing. Maybe you’re facing this challenge because you’re part of the 46 percent of business owners who struggle to measure effects of digital marketing, or maybe you’re simply trying to spend with care. Either way, there are always solutions to every obstacle, and working with a modest budget is no different.
Whether you need to take out a business line of credit or use credit cards for capital, remember that it’s worth it to invest money in your business. You just have to be smart about it!
Also remember that digital marketing will benefit your business the most when you concentrate on providing value to your customers. Those who get online to search for your business, or one like it, want to solve their problems. One of the best digital marketing tips for businesses is to create strategic, helpful content that allows the customer to solve their problems. This helps you show up in search engines while earning their trust as a credible professional. Meanwhile, they’ll learn more about your brand.
Carving out enough time
Ask small business owners what their biggest challenge is and most will say finding the time to market. It’s a struggle to find enough hours in the day – and the resources – to devote to marketing. When business owners do finally try to focus on their marketing efforts, they are spread so thin that marketing still doesn’t get adequate attention.
The time issue isn’t an easy problem to solve – there are a lot of things entrepreneurs have to manage. What you can do is find somebody who understands your business and its goals so you can spend time focusing on the things that only you can do, like marketing your small business. Letting someone help you may be the best decision you make when it comes to the longevity and prosperity of your small business.
There will always be unpredictable situations that arise since you can’t predict the future, but one certainty is that your business will come face to face with challenges that you must work through. By being ready for these obstacles that will undoubtedly present themselves, you can – and will – take your business to the next level.
