A fully developed digital marketing strategy is a given for any national or multinational business. Smaller firms, however, often make the mistake of thinking they can get by without one.  This is a mistake because almost any business that actively markets itself online, large or small, can benefit from a well thought out and sufficiently detailed marketing plan. And here’s why.

 

The Benefits of a Digital Marketing Strategy

The benefits to be derived from a well-defined and clearly articulated digital marketing strategy are certainly not exclusive to large multinational brands. In fact, the advantages are fairly universal and perfectly suited to smaller businesses.

A digital marketing strategy provides a carefully-crafted and easy-to-update handbook on how to maximise the results of your digital marketing efforts. It boosts internal resource efficiency and decreases the overlap and potential wasted effort when multiple people are involved.

Far from being something that small businesses can’t or don’t need to bother with, it is a critical and valuable tool that can help you get the most out of your marketing and compete, sometimes on an equal playing field, with your much bigger rivals.

 

Tailoring a Digital Marketing Plan

One thing every business should know is their unique selling point. For most people, defining this is one of the first things they do when setting up a business – and with good reason. To illustrate how this relates to a marketing plan, let’s look at the digital strategy of one big company, Argos. The well-loved retailer is a national chain that has been working hard to hold out against the rise of multinational competitors such as Amazon and eBay in recent years. Although not quite a David & Goliath tale, Argos has had to work tremendously hard to defend its territory, something it has managed to achieve by being innovative, listening to its customers and working hard to  deliver on its customer promise. Its click and collect service has proved a resounding success, and it has recently launched a same-day delivery service as well.

These specific offerings may be things that are out of reach of most businesses, but the lesson – pushing the things that make your business unique in order to stand out from larger competitors – is definitely something smaller enterprises should consider.

 

Optimise your Online Marketing Tactics

Smaller businesses will of course tend to have marketing strategies that are smaller in scope than their larger counterparts. It’s usually best, therefore, to focus on the quality of your marketing tactics, rather than the quantity.

Focus on a core selection of marketing channels that deliver the best results and ideally work well together, and then put some effort into optimizing each one. For instance, experiment with different times for your social media posts to see what gets the best level of engagement from your audience.

Trim or tweak paid adverts that give lacklustre results, and experiment to find out what will attract clicks and conversions. A small, affordable body of highly-tuned marketing tactics can really help you find space in the market among the big names.

Strategies for Growth 

Your Digital Laboratory of Success

Don’t be afraid to experiment with all of your digital marketing efforts. You’ll never really know what will work for you until you try it.

To grow your business you must undertake some form of marketing effort every single day of the week. Yes, every day, consistently. And I’m not talking about some nutty professor’s scatter gun method of trying everything once. No. Plan your work, and work your plan. Be watchful and critical. Be flexible and fast to respond to changing trends. And most of all, be patient. Success won’t come overnight, but it will come.

 
Nina Epellé
Nina Epellé
Founder and Principal Consultant, Digital Gold HQ

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