Digital Marketing… You might have heard this term almost a million times now! Though unicorns are leveraging significant benefits from this new-age marketing, do you know the advantages of digital marketing for small businesses in India?
Small business owners understand that digital marketing is no longer an alternative to print marketing. It is a necessity to get more return on their marketing efforts. Whether you are running an eCommerce store or a brick-and-mortar shop, a small business cannot succeed in the long term without a well-thought-out marketing strategy. Digital marketing for small business owners allows startups and low-level enterprises to a level of exposure that only multi-billion corporations could achieve in the past.
Is it still unclear? Jump straight to the point; digital marketing enables brands to reach their targeted audience faster, meet potential customers, and educate them about the products and services. In short, digital marketing makes branding & selling easier. But do you think digital marketing is one-size-fits-all? That’s where you choose the wrong track. Let us help you find the path to success.
In this post, we will talk about;
- Digital Marketing: Introduction
- Why Digital Marketing Is Important For Small Businesses In India
- Five Digital Marketing Channels To Leverage For Your Small Business
While your potential buyers are 95% more likely to be found on the internet, your business should be all-time ready to pitch your product & services to them. And Digital Marketing, as the name suggests, can make it possible.
Introduction To Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing, a.k.a. Online Marketing, is a new-age marketing technique that connects your business to the potential or existing customers using internet-enabled devices.
In short, digital marketing is a way to promote your brand, products or services, using digital channels.
The prime reason why 78% of small business owners in India turned to digital marketing is its vast demographic approach. A small business cannot accomplish or even reach near the number with traditional marketing tactics.
Small business owners can start with Email Marketing, PPC Advertising, Google My Business Listing, Classified Submission, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Optimization, and other internet-based marketing solutions.
Why Digital Marketing Is Important For Small Businesses In India
Every small business owner dreams of having a consistent source of leads that convert to sales. The good news is that digital marketing can turn this dream into reality. A well-designed and executed digital marketing strategy can give a lead pipeline that brings new leads and customers around the year.
Small businesses in India are enjoying a meteoric environment, thanks to the ever-emerging and evolving digital technologies. This will change very soon with the forthcoming digital trends such as marketing automation, voice search, AI-based content marketing, chatbots, and omnichannel marketing approach.
There are over 75 million small business enterprises in India, and the figure is projected to reach 105 million in the next five years. A recent report by RetailDive suggests that 87% of shoppers start a product search online. If they have to buy something offline, the search itself starts online.
Here are some significant advantages of digital marketing for small businesses in India.
- Digital marketing helps small businesses reach potential buyers, communicate, promote products and make sales online.
- Digital marketing gives a competitive edge by providing the channels required to attract the relevant audience that is more likely to convert.
- With digital marketing, small businesses can build a solid clientele, resulting in consistent leads and sales in the future. It comes with a long-term strategy, though.
These are some proven benefits of digital marketing for small businesses in India. Let’s explore some popular digital marketing channels for small businesses in India and how you can leverage them to grow your reach and accomplish your goals.
Quick Glance!
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Google Ads (PPC Advertising)
- Social Media Optimization (SMO)
- Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Since you are searching for digital marketing for small businesses in India, we assume you already have a website. If we are right, here is how to grow with digital marketing.
Five Digital Marketing Channels To Leverage For Your Small Business
These are not success mantras, but a chronology of reaching from a small business to a million-dollar company with just a small aid of Digital Marketing.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the method of optimizing your website to get more visitors and business from the search engine. However, SEO doesn’t have a sole focus on SERP ranking. It involves a dozen of things, including:
- Website Optimization
- Competitor Analysis
- Keyword Strategy
- Content marketing
- Link building
- Image sharing
Since SERP is the main gateway to reach your potential customers, Search Engine Optimization can help you with;
- Website optimization (Website code, structure, loading speed, and mobile-friendliness, Google My Business Listing)
- Competitor Analysis (Identifying traffic sources of your competitor, strategy, targeting audience)
- Keyword Strategy (Quality keywords with high volume and low competition, long-tail keywords)
- Content Marketing (Article submission, Blog Posting, Guest Post, Press Releases and more)
- Link Building (Getting link high DA websites that will improve your authority on the search engine)
- Image Sharing (It is solely purposed for link building process)
As a small business owner, your first goal would be to have a steady business. So, you can combine Google Ads with your SEO strategy.
Google Ads (PPC Advertising)
Pay-per-click is an essential part of successful digital marketing for small businesses in India. Let’s understand this most straightforwardly. Google Ads simply means purchasing website traffic & leads rather than earning them organically.
It is one of the most effective digital marketing techniques for small businesses in India. While your focus is to gain stability in the initial days of your business, PPC can aid your efforts by bringing genuine leads at a low cost. All you have to do is spend ⅓ or ½ of your marketing budget on PPC. It will be fruitful.
Social Media Optimization (SMO)
This is the third most crucial phase in digital marketing for small businesses in India. While you’re enjoying a satisfactory business performance in revenue and growth, it’s time to expand the reach.
Social Media Optimization is an essential aspect of Digital Marketing that leverages social media channels to engage your existing and potential customers. Investing in SMO services will benefit you in the latter days of your business.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
You can expect a steady business with moderate revenue in the last phase (9-10 months) of your business. What’s next? Are you happy with the same or want to earn more? While Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Optimization constantly benefit your business, you can shift your focus from Google Ads (PPC) to Social Media Marketing. It will increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand authority and increase the conversation rate.
The Last Line!
While the online marketplace is projected to reach 563.4 billion dollars by 2025, digital marketing has become necessary for all businesses. Even if you have a physical store, it will help you significantly. With Digital Marketing, small businesses in India can attract a vast majority of the audience and build a strong brand image. However, the growth in digital marketing greatly depends on your strategy. So, make sure you partner with a professional digital marketing agency with year-of-experience, especially in your industry.