With face to face business still limited in shops, showrooms and sales offices, it’s more important than ever that your customers and potential customers can find you online.

Whether your industry is booming or has taken a blow, digital marketing could be the tool to help you navigate the post-COVID-19 world. But, what are the benefits?

It’s affordable

The economic uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic may be encouraging you to cut costs. In contrast to the expensive print and mailing costs of traditional advertising like flyers and brochures, digital marketing offers an affordable way to market your business to potential customers who are interested in what you have to offer.

For example, Facebook ads allow you to reach the right audience without spending a fortune. Similarly, email marketing platforms like Mailchimp offer low-cost options to help you grow your small business by communicating effectively with your customers.

It’s targeted

Getting seen by the right people is key to growing your customer base and making your budget go further. Online marketing allows you to be more discerning about who you market to.

This can be achieved through SEO – to reach consumers who are searching online for products and services like yours – or through pay-per-click, display and social advertising, which can be used to target customers by demographic or location.

Targeting the right audience offers a better chance of conversion, which might be anything from making an online purchase, to sending an enquiry. A better conversion rate means better value for money, and squeezing more out of that marketing budget.

It’s scalable

Recent events mean the short-term future may be uncertain for your business, and digital marketing offers the flexibility to invest what you can, when you can.

For example, pay-per-click advertising (PPC) allows you to set a specific budget that works for your company, without any unexpected costs. If you find your budget changing, digital marketing lets you spend what you have available and scale up or down as necessary.

It’s measurable

It’s important to know that the marketing strategy you invest in is helping your business to grow. One of the significant advantages of digital marketing over traditional advertising is how easy it is to measure the effectiveness of a campaign.

Every social media post, marketing email or page on your website provides clear data which you can use to make more informed advertising choices, invest in what really works, and make your budget go further.

Tools like Google Analytics provide insight into who is visiting your website, how they use it and where they found it, which can help you to optimise your website to ensure it’s in the best possible shape.

It’s engaging

Meeting clients in person or networking at industry events are no longer reliable options for engaging with existing and potential customers; this makes having a strong online presence more important than ever.

Online marketing enables you to build your brand, conduct market research, and collect endorsements and reviews, in addition to making sales. Through the effective use of social media, you can build a community around your brand and engage with customers wherever they are. You can network and build relationships online without the need for face-to-face meetings.

People are becoming more savvy about where and how they spend their money. Investing in your company’s brand and building online relationships will give your business a firm foundation for the future.

It’s not 9 to 5

As work habits change and remote working remains commonplace, regular business hours no longer apply. A strong digital marketing strategy allows you to reach customers and potential customers at any time, wherever they are located.

From making online sales at the weekend to connecting with clients over social media in the evening, your marketing strategy should reflect this more flexible approach to business hours.

If your business could benefit from digital marketing, get in touch with Unity Online today to see how we can help.