Digital marketing has reached the point where businesses cannot exist without it. UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need a digital marketing strategy that will be able to help them reach their national target audience and, at the same time, achieve their big goals.
Through social media and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), small businesses have powerful and, at the same time, very cheap strategies and platforms that they can use to make their business grow.
Such tools are;
Social Media
Social media is a technology online that enables the exchange of ideas and expression of information through the medium of visuals and text, via communities and networks.
It offers small businesses a lot of ways to put their presence out there and grow their audiences. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are your go-to places where you can engage with prospects and leads, converting them into your customers too.
Begin by setting up business pages and profiles, then share content like images and videos, run contests and promotions, and join in on the discussions. Your customers want to know that you are reliable and real. This is why it is important to join in on the discussions.
Using geo-targeting to create posts that are unique to your audience’s locality will allow you to create a branded existence. This can show them how intentional you are about them as your customers.
The UK has over 44 million Facebook users, which means that it’s a powerful channel that can help to gain reach both widely and gradually.
Local SEO
When a customer is searching for local products/services like “café in Manchester” or “plumber near me”, you want your business to be the first that appears on the search engines.
Local SEO in this sense, equates to optimising your website for local search results. This also includes adding your complete name, address and phone number to your Google My Business listing.
Adding local keywords to the content on your website and earning high-quality backlinks from websites connected with you or other local directories is a good way of getting to the top of the local search results.
As you start getting more reviews and gaining more reputation on a local scale, you are also increasing your chances of putting your business in the spotlight nationally and in the industry you identify with.
Ensure you hire a local SEO agency to get positive results in this situation. You will benefit from their expertise and experience, allowing your business to get enhanced visibility on local search results.
Review Sites & Directories
Customers can see comments by other clients on systems like TripAdvisor and Trustpilot while looking for a local business to patronize. Paying attention to reviews and replying to customers who are happy with their purchases is another way to increase your business’s visibility and trust.
Also, adding business listings to the main directories will help people find you not only in the area but also on a national level.
Search engine aggregators, such as Yell.com, are already very popular and as such, your business will appear on a large number of similar websites.
Paid Ads
Paid search platforms like Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads are good if you want to do advertisements with a small budget.
These platforms have a lot of target options from which you can choose. You can reach users by specifying their location, interests, behaviours and more.
First, one should concentrate on the local campaign before expanding to the national level based on the gathered results.
Based on the keywords that potential customers will be searching for, you can entice them to buy products, services, or appointments.
Additionally, retargeting website visitors with digital ads is a valuable tool that can further encourage conversions. The pay-per-click and cost-per-impression models suggest that you will only pay when users engage.
Email Marketing
Owned channels like email have an advantage over them, particularly in the case of sales automation and retention. Start by gathering subscriber information and presenting a local incentive, such as discounts, through e-newsletters.
Organise your lists according to the different locations of your target audience to create content that is peculiar and relevant to all of them.
Share your blog and get reviews. Link this up to your social media campaigns using visual content that is engaging and relevant to your brand. The number of open and click-through rates is likely to rise,, which means your national reach and revenue will also grow.
Analytics & Optimization
It is important to start by knowing how to use free analytics tools like Google Analytics to see how your campaigns performed. Ensure you pay attention to growth indicators such as website traffic, leads, sales and ROIs.
Also, check for which content and platforms give the best results and have underperforming areas of your business adjusted.
Keeping up with all these processes might be a lot for a small business but doing them simultaneously (i.e. making sure every process has an equal amount of your attention and resources) will get your business to the national level in no time.
Conclusion
Through an approach that covers local communities’ nurturing and nationwide expansion according to the best digital techniques, small UK businesses will be able to produce real results and success in the digital era.
Consistency, high–quality content, and leveraging analytics for continuous optimization are the critical elements. In the current age where the world is becoming more and more connected, an integrated digital marketing strategy will help your local presence grow to the national level.
