There's room for everyone online! However, it's difficult for micro and small businesses to stand out when competition and investment from large organizations are fierce.
Today we're writing about best practices and solutions to help small businesses grow in the digital market.
If I’m not going to sell online, does it make sense to have a digital presence?
Let’s start with the basics: to succeed online, you have to be online! “Being online” doesn’t necessarily mean selling products on the Internet; it’s about having a presence on websites, blogs, social networks, forums, and other digital communication channels.
For example, a clothing store can establish a digital presence by using the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action) to attract new customers or promote discounts, without actually selling its clothing through an online store.
So, the answer is "YES, it makes perfect sense"!
Micro and Small Business Solutions
Working on communications for startups, micro, and small businesses is an exciting challenge! These businesses usually need easy and practical solutions so they can use them independently and, above all, with low investment.
Here are our suggestions to help small businesses grow, both digitally and physically:
1. Blog
More than just being trendy, this is a low-investment option, both in terms of time and money. A blog captures attention, helps build strong, long-term relationships, and establishes you as an expert in your field.
What’s more, if you already have a website, integrating a blog allows you to keep the information constantly up to date and, therefore, increases your chances of being featured organically, that is, without paying for advertising. After all, nobody updates the “About Us” or “Services” sections of their website every month, do they?
Where to create a blog for free:
2. Email Marketing
Email marketing is an excellent way to attract customers (whether to your online store, website, or physical store) by communicating news, special discounts, offering tips, presenting solutions…
Mailchimp is our favorite platform because it’s free (up to a certain number of emails/sends) and because it’s very easy to use.
Don’t forget to ensure you comply with the latest General Data Protection Regulation; keep the email short and engaging; and don’t overdo it with the number of emails you send.
3. Social Media
We can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a social media presence, but… There is a “but”! More than just being present on social media is necessary:
– Decide which platforms you’ll use (if your business is a bakery, it wouldn’t make sense to be on LinkedIn, right?)
– Have answers to the following questions: What to post (what text, what video/image)? When and how often to post?
– and, furthermore, will I have time to respond to messages and comments? To update the network with content weekly?
If the challenge lies in creating visual elements (the design), check out our blog post on Halloween content with practical tips for creating eye-catching images.
4. Google My Business
In short, this is your virtual business card: it displays your company, contact information, and location. It’s a free tool from Google that lets you manage your direct relationship with customers, including responding to user comments and posting events, discounts, or news.
This platform offers dozens of ways to grow your business, but we’ll save that for a future post…
See you next time!
