What Digital Strategy is Best for Your Business?

Whenever you market your business, you should view it as an investment. If you are spending more money than you make on a platform, you need to make changes to the strategy or it’s time to scale back or pull the plug on the spend for that platform.

The internet is often a cost-effective way to target and reach the right people for your business. That does not mean that every digital strategy is right for your business. Some companies generate their best leads from social media while others find them through search engines like Google. Whether a business is looking for new or repeat business, the internet provides ways to connect with current and potential customers to support the growth of the company. This article discusses general strategy outlines and ideas to improve your return on investment.

How Did They Hear About You?

Understanding what platform sends you the most business is key to determining where to focus your time, energy, and money. If you are currently marketing, hopefully, you are tracking where your customers hear about your business. If you find that most people say “I found you on Google,” consider ways to improve your position and advertising reach on Google as part of your digital strategy.

Research the Platform

We often recommend Google Ads and social media advertising as the best options for sole proprietors, partnerships, and small businesses because they typically produce the best ROI in those settings.

There are many factors to consider before marketing on a platform. For example, many lead generation websites will sell the same lead to multiple companies. Not only can they charge upwards of $30-50 per lead, but your business is also now in a bidding war with others. If your company has a strong sales team, this strategy can be very lucrative for you as these are often people ready to make a purchase. If you can close enough of the leads, you will find that the platform generates enough business to justify the expense.

Research the platform’s advertising policies and lead practices before committing. Your digital marketing strategy should support your business goals. If you want to increase brand awareness, consider a platform like Facebook which has over 2 billion monthly active users. If you are looking for more website traffic, Google is a great option with over 3.5 billion searches per day.

Consider the Following When Determining Your Digital Strategy:

Who is your audience?
What are your company goals?
What is your sales process?

Consider your audience when determining which digital platforms to use. If you are targeting Baby Boomers, you will want to consider advertising on a platform like AARP. If you are targeting Millennials, consider platforms like Snapchat or Twitter.

The sales process is important to understand when determining your digital strategy. If you are selling a product that is low cost and has a short sales cycle, Facebook Ads may be a good option for you. If you are selling a high-cost product with a longer sales cycle, LinkedIn may be a better option.

Prioritize your platforms based on your business goals and objectives. You may find that you only have the bandwidth to focus on one or two digital platforms. That’s okay! It is better to do one or two things well than to try to do everything and not see results.

Consult with a Professional

Prior to starting Zen in 2013, our staff worked for small to mid-sized companies. We understand the challenges local business owners face between managing daily operations and growing their business. Our approach is unique in that we get to know your business, objectives, to understand how to best serve your company in a digital age to streamline your sales.