Small businesses need digital marketing because it’s a cost-effective way to reach more people. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on advertising to see results. And, you can target your audience more precisely than with traditional marketing methods. You can compete with larger businesses by just investing a little time and money in digital marketing.
But how can you get started with digital marketing if you have no experience?
What Different Types of Digital Marketing Should You Learn, And Which Ones Work Best For Small Businesses?
Digital marketing covers a lot of ground. There are many different types of digital marketing, and each has its own advantages. As a small business owner, you need to decide which digital marketing activities will work best for you.
Here’s an overview of the main types of digital marketing:
- Affiliate/Influencer marketing
- Content Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Mobile Advertising
- Pay Per Click (PPC)
- Radio Advertising
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
- Television Advertising
- Viral Marketing
Here are the basic and key digital marketing skills you should know about digital marketing:
Creating a website
Claim your domain and legitimise your business on the internet with a custom URL. Make sure your website has intuitive navigation and an aesthetically pleasing design, and most importantly, that it works. Shopify is a great place to start if you are an eCommerce company.
Basic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Optimise the content of your website to make it search-engine friendly, using the latest SEO marketing tools like Surfer SEO and Ahrefs.
Low-Cost Digital Marketing to Get Started On
Low-cost digital marketing that beginners can easily implement themselves:
Social Media Marketing
Set up social media profiles to connect with your audience 24/7. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Linked In and more.
Content Marketing
Publish blog posts, articles, eBooks, and podcasts to establish yourself as an expert in your field.
Email Marketing
Build an email list to reach your customers and subscribers directly and keep them updated with the latest news, new products, and discount codes. Use platforms like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to automate your email marketing.
Moving on to Higher-Budget Digital Marketing
If you can afford to spend more on an online marketing campaign, here are some higher-budget ways to promote your digital marketing strategy using more advanced digital marketing techniques.
Google Ads
Run ads on Google, targeting your desired focus keywords.
Facebook Ads
Create low-cost or high-cost ads to appear on your potential users’ Facebook feeds. This is where you can target extremely detailed & specific customer profiles like hobbies, age groups, location and more.
Advanced SEO (Back End)
Get a thorough website audit to determine and rectify all back-end problems.
Influencer Marketing
Partner with a celebrity or renowned figure in your niche to establish your authority in the industry.
Digital Marketing Courses & Resources To Help You Learn Digital Marketing For Your Own Small Business
There are many online digital marketing training courses to help you become well-versed in digital marketing with no experience. Youtube and TikTok are great places to start looking for free lessons on digital marketing that you can do in your spare time. Google and Linked In are also great places if you are looking for courses with a digital marketing certification.
There are also great tips on our Instagram account for our agency here. We post bite-sized tips and tricks for digital marketing every week.
PICNIC Accelerator
If you’re looking for in-detail, step-by-step run-throughs in an online digital marketing course, PICNIC Accelerator is a great place to start but you can also stay on to progress onto an advanced digital marketing course.
Our in-house digital marketing experts provide all the basic digital marketing skills and concepts so you can start to market your small business online. From helping you build an attention-grabbing Shopify site to analysing data, we teach you everything about the digital marketing world.
Here’s what we cover:
- How to set up a Shopify account
- How to set up Facebook ads
- How to set up Facebook tracking pixels
- Digital marketing projects for you to practice with
- Basic digital marketing strategies, concepts and mindset.
- Lots of resources and links
- And more key digital skills you’ll need to start a business or take your small business to the next level.
And best of all, it’s self-paced – you can learn at your own convenience, and according to your own schedule.
We also schedule a monthly strategy call so you can discuss the overall growth of your business and track key metrics. Support is always available if you have questions or run into problems along the way.
Get started with PICNIC Accelerator today and see your business take off!
