3 SME Business Digital Marketing Trends On The Rise

Digital marketing is constantly evolving. It is a fast-paced and exciting area that requires regular iteration to stay on top of the latest tools, trends, and techniques.

Social media, for example, is a relatively new component of digital marketing that companies have had to incorporate into their marketing activities. Even within social media itself, the rapid growth of platforms such as Snapchat means social media marketing strategies have had to be redefined.

It is not just social media that keeps changing. Google’s algorithm updates mean SEO strategies must be updated accordingly while pay-per-click strategies must keep pace with changing consumer habits like increased mobile device usage and ever-changing SERP displays.

When it comes to digital marketing nobody said it was going to be easy. SMBs especially need to use their resources wisely. However, when done correctly, digital marketing can help SMBs generate a really high return on investment. To help you develop a winning digital marketing strategy we have identified 3 SMB digital marketing trends on the rise.

Focusing On Mobile

SMBs are focusing on mobile more than ever before.

The fact that 80% of local mobile searches end in a purchase shows the importance of getting your mobile strategy down. Furthermore, nearly 60% of Google search queries are now conducted on mobile.

The percentage of mobile searches will only grow larger, so an investment in mobile will put your SMB in a good position going forward. There are a number of straightforward steps SMBs can take here to get their mobile strategy in place.

The first step is simply to ensure that your website is mobile-optimized. Using mobile responsive themes on WordPress is one of the easiest ways to get your site mobile-ready here. You might need to hire a developer to help you with some more technical elements, but the cost is low in comparison to the potential benefits on offer.

Other best practices here include crafting mobile-friendly content. One example would be copied with shorter headlines and sentences that is easier to read on a smaller screen. If the budget allows, you might also consider tactics like creating a mobile app or using qr codes.

Think Local

Local search is becoming increasingly important to SMBs. Changes in the way Google displays local search results in recent years mean there is a major opportunity to generate more business by optimizing your local search strategy.

There are a number of tactics SMBs can employ here to rank for local searches. One simple technique here is editing your header tags and metadata to include the name of your locality. You should also make sure your business is included in all online directories.

If you do not have your business listed in directories like Yelp, Merchant Circle, and Google My Business, you are going to miss out on consumers who use these services to conduct their local searches.

You should also ensure that your business information is consistent and accurate across each directory.

More Focus On ROI

A recent study by Digital Examiner found that 45% of SMBs are not measuring the ROI on their digital spending. This ROI failure comes at a time when 70% of SMBs are increasing their digital marketing budgets. However, I anticipate that over the next year we will see SMBs become more focused on their digital ROI.

It simply does not make any sense that SMBs will continue to increase their digital marketing budgets without taking the time to measure ROI and identify which campaigns are working and which are not.

To start measuring the ROI on your digital marketing investment, there are a number of mechanisms you should look to implement. For starters, you should set up goals in Google Analytics to track your organic website conversions. Depending on how your SMB is structured a goal may be an ebook download, a form sign up, or an online purchase.

You will also need to add some tracking code to your site. Depending on which CMS you use, there might be different ways of setting this up, but there are a number of detailed guides available online to get you up and running in a matter of hours.

For PPC campaigns you will also need to paste some tracking code into your thank you pages. Again, this is relatively straightforward and does not need to be a huge time investment. Whether you are conducting your PPC campaigns on AdWords, Twitter, Linkedin, or Facebook, there are many helpful guides available that will help you get up and running in no time.