How to Implement an Online-First Marketing Strategy for Your Local Business

With 4.57 billion active Internet users and 4.2 billion mobile Internet users, it seems only natural to create a marketing strategy that meets consumers right where they are: online.

In 2020, consumers and business owners have learned the importance of digital marketing more than ever before. With online marketing strategies continuing to become the new normal, we find a lot of local businesses are struggling to enter the new realm of online-first marketing.

Our team is here to help you understand the importance of an online presence, key online marketing strategies and how to implement these strategies into your local business.

Why Should My Marketing Strategy Focus on Digital Opportunities?

When you are wondering where to eat or what stores are near you, what is the first thing you do? You Google it!

With a 900% increase in mobile searchers of “___ near me today/tonight” and a 200% increase in searches including the words “open, now, near me,” if your business isn’t online yet you are missing out on a multitude of potential customers.

David Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, says, “Companies must drive people into the purchasing process with great online content.” If you are unsure of how to form an online-first marketing strategy for your local business, our team of expert digital marketing strategists are here to help!

How do I Create an Online-First Marketing Plan?

Social Media Strategies

The first instinct a business owner has when trying to build their online presence is to create social media accounts, whether that be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc. You may think, “social media is easy, my children can do it!” However, what most business owners fail to do is put themselves in the consumer’s shoes.

Social media is like a cocktail party, says Scott. People go there to congregate and have conversations. No one enters a cocktail party with a stack of business cards and no intention of talking... and if you do, you are doing it wrong!

So how does this relate to social media? Consumers don’t go on social media to see advertisements. They want to interact with companies that are interesting and posting information that is helpful to their life, not pushing products on them. This doesn’t mean you can’t have promotional aspects in your posts, but it can’t be overbearing. In the state of the American Consumer report, Gallup states, “If companies want to acquire new customers, their best bet is to engage their existing customers and inspire them to advocate on their behalf.”

Search Engine Optimization Strategies

Often overlooked, but one of the most cost-efficient ways to increase your business’s online presence is through search engine optimization (SEO) and organic content. What does this mean? Organic content is the content curated to appear in the search engine results page because Google believes the content is relevant to the user’s search.

When searching for products and services related to your business, where do you rank on Google? If your company doesn’t appear on the first page, chances are customers aren’t going to know about you. Get a better understanding of local SEO and how your company can improve with our 5 part blog series. Whether you are curious about organic content, optimized web pages, or business reviews, we touch on the foundations that make up SEO and how they can improve your online presence. If you are interested in optimizing your website content to ensure potential customers can find you online, call our digital strategists today!

Pay-Per-Click Advertising Strategies

Are you on a budget and looking to introduce a new product to a broad audience? With the opportunity to target specific demographics, keywords and social channels all at a set budget that is friendly to your business, pay-per-click advertising strategies might be the best option for you. Implementing these campaigns may seem complicated to local business owners who are not familiar with how to start online advertising campaigns. Email [email protected] to learn more about how a pay-per-click advertising campaign can increase awareness and sales for your company. 

If you are interested in implementing online-first marketing strategies into your local business’s marketing plan, call the experts at Lift Division. We understand no business is the same. With experience working with a variety of clients and budgets, our team can help you to build the online-first marketing campaign that best fits your company!

Begin Building Your Digital Presence Today & Call 573-445-0658!

By Sarah Carnes