Any small to medium business needs to have a constant dynamic in its existence. This is simply the way the market works. If you are not thriving, you are stagnating, and in this day and age, when your business stagnates, it falls behind others that are moving forward. However, every improvement has an impact on your limited budget. This is why we came up with a few improvements you can make in your digital marketing strategy without it costing an arm and a leg.
Do your homework
One of the first actions you can take is researching your competition. Every business owner knows who their fiercest competitors are. Now, inbound marketing agencies want you to take this activity very seriously. Develop a strategy for thorough research. Have a designated notebook or a Google sheet and think of categories you consider important. Write down all the categories and the top 10 businesses you intend to analyze. After that, put yourself in a position of an objective bystander and start the research. Try to be as neutral as possible when rating the categories across all 10 businesses. When choosing the categories and figuring out the rating system, do your best to be impartial and try to set aside some of the most valuable points. Be a visionary and think about the main points that make a good SMB today, these will be the points you should put your focus on. The benefits of this activity are huge. Not only that the results will give you consciousness about where you stand with your company, but it will pave a development path for you to follow. You will know your exact next steps towards progress. Most importantly, this improvement is absolutely free, and yet beneficial in many ways.
Boost your image and video quality
Images get outdated insanely fast nowadays. The pace of technology advancement is stronger than ever and anyone who cannot keep up is bound to pay the price. The same goes for any SMB offering products. If your product images are older than just a few years, you are probably due for a replacement of all media on your website. This advancement can cost more or less depending on your skills as a photographer and photo editor. For instance, some people dabble in photography in their free time and are able to do some solid image processing, too. On the other hand, if you do not possess the talents or have anyone close that does, you should hire a professional to take the photos and do some quality 3D renderings. Unfortunately, some photos cannot be taken again due to people not being around anymore or some conditions changing beyond repair. If you have some images that fall under this category, ask the professionals to remaster it in order to fit in among the others. Keep in mind that the change should happen not only on your website, but social media, too. Social networks are tricky when it comes to replacing content, which is why you would probably just switch to higher image quality in the future, leaving your historical data intact.
Be social media savvy
Social media is your window to the world. It may sound tacky or simply like old news, but you would be wrong to think that. There are a number of ways social media can be used and one can always learn something new when it comes to this subject. Being fluent in social media can benefit you financially and the potential for that benefit is huge. If you know the power of analytics some social networks offer, you could use it to get the data you need to advance your business model. On the other hand, delving into the social studies related to these networks, one can understand the human psyche better and learn when to post and what type of content. There is a lot of science there, despite the fact that it does not seem so at first. This does cost some money as you would either have to learn on your own with the help of books and live or online courses, but it is an investment that is guaranteed to pay you back a bunch. The only tricky part is knowing how to differentiate quality learning opportunities and ones that are not as useful.
Use clear CTAs
Calls to action are an important tool to attract customers and you should use the best of them. If you haven’t so far, now is the time to start. If, on the other hand, you have, then perhaps you could consider doing something a bit differently. Think about how clear your CTAs are and if there is room for improvement in that area. Consider using pop-ups and footers on your website that would invite visitors to subscribe with a clear message. Feel free to exaggerate a bit on your home page and put more than one CTA there. It is important that people notice CTAs and respond to them. Adding a CTA to your email marketing that would redirect users to your website is also something you should take into consideration. There is no place for feeling pathetic, this is just the way things work. People live fast and most of us don’t have time to research everything in detail. It is simple, see a CTA and click on it if it seems attractive enough. You never know when your next big customer will click, it can happen any minute.
These are some of the things one can do for a reasonable amount of money. Naturally, everything can be made to be expensive with a lot of professionals and training, agencies, businesses, and life coaches. The tips that were laid out earlier can be followed without spending a fortune. However, when done right, these strategies can bring you amazing progress. Either way, we urge you to try and see for yourself. It definitely can’t hurt your business; it can only make it better.
Incorporating the SOSTAC model can significantly enhance the effectiveness of these strategies. SOSTAC stands for Situation Analysis, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, and Control. By applying this structured framework, you can efficiently plan and execute your initiatives. Start with a thorough Situation Analysis to understand your current position, set clear and actionable Objectives, develop a coherent Strategy, and define practical Tactics. Implement your plan through Action and monitor progress with Control measures. This approach helps ensure that your efforts are well-coordinated and maximized, leading to impactful improvements without the need for excessive expenditures. Embracing the SOSTAC model alongside your strategies can lead to remarkable advancements for your business.