As a digital marketing agency in Salt Lake City, Webtek has the opportunity to work with companies of all sizes. We have assisted major corporations and small businesses alike with their digital marketing and SEO needs. One thing we’ve learned over the years is that effective digital marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. It can be done on a limited budget.
It is not unusual for us to begin working with a new client only to discover concerns about spending too much. We get it. Financial resources are precious. But did you know that 47% of U.S. businesses spend less than $10k annually on digital marketing? In addition, just under half of all small business owners do all their marketing by themselves.
A business owner having to manage his own marketing is not ideal. Yet sometimes it is a necessity. But if a small business has at least some money in the budget for marketing, an accomplished digital marketing agency can likely maximize that company’s financial resources.
Start With the Basics
So how does a small business go about implementing a digital marketing strategy on a limited budget? The key is to start with the basics. There are plenty of advanced – and expensive, too – digital marketing strategies that can be reserved for future campaigns. Early on, it is important to focus on basic and more affordable strategies to get the ball rolling. They include things like:
- Creating high quality content.
- Conducting basic keyword research.
- Taking advantage of social media channels.
- Utilizing email as a marketing tool.
Starting with the basics is easily illustrated with social media. Billions of people around the world actively engage with platforms like Facebook, X, and TikTok. This means there is a good chance that a small business’s customers are social media active.
Engaging on social media in a conversational way is an inexpensive strategy for amplifying a brand. Once the conversation has been started, a small business can put some money into advertising. Social media ads tend to do very well.
Make Strategic Decisions
Effective digital marketing on a budget starts with the basics. How basic strategies are employed is driven by strategic decisions. In simple English, this means not merely throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Making strategic decisions is about thinking things through, looking at data, and thinking about short- and long-term goals.
One of the most important aspects of strategic decision making is knowing the audience. It is crucial that a small business understands who its ideal customer is. Digital marketing can and should be tailored to that customer.
Strategic decision making also means choosing marketing channels wisely. Social media has already been discussed. It is one of the better channels right now. But believe it or not, so is a small business’s website. In all things internet, content is still king. There is no better place for a small business to feature quality content than its own website.
Start Slow and Grow From There
The underlying theme in all of this is to start slow and grow from there. A small business may not have a lot of money to spend on digital marketing. That’s fine. Concentrating on low-cost options and slowly building is no different from how a small business owner approaches everything. You have to start somewhere.
Webtek Digital Marketing is a digital marketing agency in Salt Lake City, with a sister office in Austin, TX. If you own a small business and are looking to get into digital marketing with a limited budget, we would be happy to help. Reach out and let’s talk.
