Small businesses have many challenges to face when it comes to promoting and advertising their products and services. When it comes to deciding where to spend their marketing budget (if such a thing exists) how do small business owners know what is likely to give them the best return on investment?.
Before looking at how a Digital Marketing Agency can help small businesses, it's important to understand the many alternative ways for businesses to spend their money:
1. Newspaper advertising
Newspapers have been a primary source of business advertising for as long as newspapers have existed. Newspapers are an example of the mass distribution method of advertising, attempting to send a single message out to the largest audience possible. However newspapers (and print media in general) are in decline, and dwindling readership presents a less attractive option for advertisers. In recent years this has become an irreversible, downward spiral. Publications are going out of print at a record rate.
2. TV and Radio
Hitting the airwaves has long been a way for small local businesses to get their message out to the local population. But it can cost a lot to produce an advert and get it out on TV or radio, and again it belongs the mass broadcast method of advertising. The new kid on the block that is fast replacing TV is YouTube - it get record numbers of video uploads and represents an engaging, interactive way for advertisers to push their message. Advertising on television (and radio to a lesser extent) can be really effective at getting a message out to a large audience, but generally spekaing the costs are high and SMEs just can't justify the investment level.
3. Directories and Yellow Pages
The famous yellow book had undergone massive decline - just look at the size and weight of your latest edition. The Yellow Pages is an unusual proposition - the ROI cannot be measured and in the days of Google, SEO and PPC, why would you pay money to have you company listed on a page alongside every one of your major competitors?!. Most company owners or SMEs now see how ineffective Yellow Pages is as a primary marketing option. The chances of any customer picking your phone number is so slim since they have so many on the page to choose from.
Can digital marketing be a better choice then?
Most businesses and SMEs turn to the web and a Digital Marketing Agency these days. The transparent way of measuring ROI from an internet strategy is so attractive in these days of cost cutting and budget constraints. There's also untold benefits in terms fo growing a brand or improving customer engagement and retention. The world of Digital Marketing covers so many different facets, whether it's Social Media, Website Development or PPC.
So the challenge of finding the best Digital Marketing Agency is one that every small business owner or SME marketing director should embrace, and quickly.