The lure of growing a small online business is ever-present due to the relative convenience and value it offers. However, when it comes to executing digital advertising campaigns, there are multiple variables that determine the success rate and can often be intimidating to those with little to no experience.
Most small scale online business owners are averse to spending the time to implement such initiatives themselves, either due to a very busy schedule or a sense of uncertainty with what the specifics would entail. However, it is also too important to ignore in this day and age due to its vast potential for generating revenues for the business, whether small or large. Online sales currently account for approximately a quarter of the retail industry market alone.
Many times, with an expanding business venture, it is often hard to focus on channelling energies towards encouraging outreach and audience engagement. Since the scope of the advertising work is so specialized, one also has to worry about hiring additional manpower to compensate for any shortage in capacity. Freelancers are quite common in this case, yet interviewing and screening quality candidates out of the dozens that apply can be very overwhelming.
Budgetary constraints are another valid concern if you are just starting out and are in the nascent stages of business growth. If you do not choose a freelancer for his or her services, you might eventually invest in a premium advertising agency for targeted digital campaigns with Google AdWords or Bing – again, the costs here are sometimes exorbitant.
All in all, digital advertising campaigns continue to thrive and grow at an astonishing rate, requiring all businesses to pay attention and undertake the appropriate measures in this regard. There are several alternatives that exist for interested online business owners, in order to minimize the problem of tackling digital advertising campaigns.
The key is to weigh the pros and cons in the individual context, and choose what is most suitable to one’s own business model. Here are a few options highlighted below as next steps:
Develop and implement digital advertising by oneself
Driving sales and maximising your marketing efforts is easily done, if not overshadowed by other aspects of managing a small business, such as administrative work. You can take it upon yourself to develop and implement digital advertising campaigns without using an external vendor. Start by gaining a clear understanding of who your customer base is. This should be done not just by eye-balling numbers but with actual surveys sent online or face-to-face interviews, seeking feedback from both existing and new clients. Sometimes, you may see that your idea of the audience might be very different from what is reflected in the data collected.
The best part about being a one-person show and handling advertising functions by oneself is the opportunity to learn on the job, and discover new skills. Take a certificate course online and build your foundation in these concepts to become familiar with the process. You will also cut back on budget spending when you do not have to make extra hires for marketing and advertising.
On the flip side, you should keep in mind that this will take up a big chunk of your time in the early days, especially as you habituate yourself to the added responsibility. There may be added risks in the learning phase with the advertising budget, in the event that you execute a digital campaign that does not resonate well with target audiences. A low return on investment (ROI) is not uncommon.
Hire a professional advertising agency
Advertising agencies are the most common way to expand digital engagement, and build a strong profile online. While you might have to shell out a generous budget in this regard, the results are usually visible immediately and worth it.
There are several benefits to hiring an experienced advertising agency when it comes to digital advertising, on behalf of your business. For one, you will have more free time to allot to other responsibilities as a business owner, whether it is order fulfilment, staffing and other infrastructural requirements. Compared to a beginner setting up online campaigns, an advertising agency will have an intuitive sense of what works, leading to a higher ROI.
However, if you require pay-per-click and paid search advertising campaigns, you will need to plan the budget requirements ahead and also brief the agency accordingly. Searching for an agency that is the right fit is paramount here, and can take some time. Such organizations have little to no knowledge of individual business operations, and need a detailed overview of aspects like intended customer base, range of products and services offered, etc. Getting to grips with the pace at which an external agency works may often prove to be a challenge. For a small company, the financial strain may prove to be more of a liability in the long run, especially if the business is in a particularly crowded sector.
Use specialized services online
With an ever-increasing demand for effective online marketing strategies, many specialized services are cropping up that are budget-friendly, and provide you with a wide range of services in a personalized manner. Typically, such services utilize integrating traditional marketing tactics along with digital innovations, for B2B and B2C solutions.
For instance, you can explore options like 180fusion, which has helped countless small businesses build their brand via digital advertising. This company was featured at #176 on the ‘Inc. 500 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies’. They focus on creating custom plans for every client, and engage in enhancing search engine visibility while diversifying the online presence of your small business, with the most innovative social media, email and mobile marketing strategies. Another reliable specialized agency is LYFE marketing, which offers a mix of advertising on different promotional networks for small businesses, including Google AdWords, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. They offer search engine optimization, email and content marketing, social media advertising and management, along with web design for all your digital advertising needs.