Everybody’s doing it but a lot of people don’t really understand how it works or why it’s important. Digital marketing – which can include website search optimization (SEO), social media marketing and advertising, email marketing, Google AdWords and more – has been a preferred way to spread the word about goods and services for a long while, yet many struggle with its implementation and measurement. Most of these things are ‘free’ or ‘cheap’ in that you don’t have to have a paid subscription to, say, make social media posts; or utilize the base level of many email marketing providers. Yet they still require time and then it’s no longer ‘free’ – time is money. And in order to really be effective, doing the work of creating, implementing, measuring and analyzing requires expertise and staying abreast of best practices, which change all the time. So, more time. If you’re committed to doing it the right way, digital marketing can be a game changer for your business. But don’t let the concept of ‘free’ or ‘cheap’ seduce you – if you’re spending time and resources on efforts that aren’t working, then it’s a waste. Worse, it may even make you believe these marketing avenues are a joke. The good news is that digital marketing for small and mid-sized businesses can be done very well without breaking the bank. You just need the right experts. |