The Importance of a Well-Balanced Digital Marketing Plan

It has gotten to the point that nearly every SMB is using some form of digital marketing to promote their business.  They may be using Google AdWords, running an SEO campaign for their website, or promoting the business on Facebook and other forms of social media.  With the landscape of digital marketing rapidly changing, and the importance of digital marketing growing, it is critical that SMBs are not just using one form of digital marketing, but have a well-balanced digital marketing presence and strategy.  Here are some reasons why you should have a well-balanced strategy:

1.       Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Digital marketing trends and results seem to be changing on a daily basis.  A perfect example of this for SMBs is the local map pack on Google.  Just last month Google made a change that reduced the number of business showing in the local map results from 7 (in most searches) to 3 in every local search.  If you were a local business showing up in the 4-7 range you were completely wiped off the map results!  If you were solely relying on that placement for online business you were now out of luck.  Those businesses that also were running paid ads, had organic placement for their website, and maybe even had their social media or directory pages showing up in the search results were able to hedge their losses from not appearing in the map pack.

2.       Different Consumers Research Businesses in Different Ways

Yes, there are certain situations or types of businesses that are short decision making processes – if your basement is flooding because of a busted pipe you are going to find a plumber as fast as possible.  Other types of businesses have longer research processes.  If I were to search for a company to remodel my bathroom, look for a place to board my dog when I go on vacation, or look for a new doctor I am going to look at multiple sources when making a decision.  This might start with a Google search and click to the website from an AdWords campaign.  If I like what I see on the website I might click over to some review sites like Yelp to see what other consumers are saying about the business.  Next, I’ll look the business up on Facebook to see if they are interacting with their audience or if they are running any current promotions.  If I find that the business doesn’t have any positive reviews, or that they haven’t posted on Facebook since 2012, it’s on to the next candidate.

3.       Mobile is Changing the Way People Search

Google confirmed in May of this year that mobile searches on Google surpassed desktop searches for the first time ever.  The industry saw this coming for a few years now, but it marks a major milestone in search.  If your website or ads are only optimized for desktops, you are only meeting the needs of less than half the people that are searching for you!

4.       Don’t Leave Yourself Vulnerable to Competition

You can bet that if you aren’t taking advantage of a particular digital marketing strategy you have a competitor that is.  A business with a balanced digital marketing strategy just has more chances to reach their customers.  Even if the competition in your area isn’t taking advantage of certain aspects of digital marketing don’t look at that as an excuse to not have to do it yourself, look at it as an opportunity!  In digital marketing when you are the first entry into the space you can give yourself a huge advantage over the competition that comes in later.

If your business needs help developing a well-balanced digital marketing strategy reach out to one of our expert Digital Marketing Consultants to devise a plan that will put your business at the forefront of the digital marketing landscape.  Call 800-454-9103 or visit us at ferociousmediaweb.com today!