Top 10 Must-Have Digital Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

Digital Marketing presents both opportunities & obstacles for small businesses. With constrained budgets & resources, maximizing every penny becomes essential.

Maximizing Potential: Building a High-Performing Digital Marketing Team

Having a digital marketing team offers exciting opportunities to engage with diverse audiences and drive business success but as business owners, it’s important to understand the role of each member to set realistic and productive expectations for results.

A well-structured marketing team is essential for executing successful campaigns and achieving strategic goals.  Each one has to work in sync and must be willing to collaborate openly to maximize the opportunities.

1. Digital Marketing Manager – Responsible for overseeing the entire marketing team and ensuring that campaigns align with the business objectives.
2. Content Strategist – Develops content plans that engage and resonate with target audiences, ensuring consistency across all platforms.
3. SEO Specialist – Focuses on optimizing website content to improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic.
4. Social Media Manager – Manages social media accounts, creating and curating content that builds brand awareness and engagement.
5. PPC Specialist – Handles pay-per-click advertising campaigns, optimizing them for maximum ROI.
6. Email Marketing Manager – Designs and executes email marketing strategies to nurture leads and maintain customer relationships.
7. Analytics Specialist – Analyzes data to measure campaign performance and provide insights for future strategies.
8. Graphic Designer – Creates visual content that enhances the appeal and effectiveness of marketing materials.

Digital marketing is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to stay updated on industry trends and tools. Allow them to attend conferences, take online courses, and get certifications to enhance their skills in areas like SEO, Google Analytics, or social media marketing.

As part of your digital marketing team, good to keep this in mind: Being a member requires more than just fulfilling your job responsibilities. Here are some tips to help you thrive:

• Communicate Effectively

Clear communication is vital for collaboration. Be open to sharing your ideas, and actively listen to your staff’s perspectives. Regularly update your team on your progress and be receptive to feedback.

• Be Proactive and Take Initiative

Each one has to take ownership of their tasks and be proactive in seeking solutions to challenges. Show initiative by suggesting new ideas or improvements to existing processes. No blame game.

• Stay Adaptable and Open to Change

Digital marketing is dynamic, and strategies often need to be adjusted. Stay flexible and be willing to adapt to new tools, technologies, and methodologies.

• Collaborate and Build Relationships

Work collaboratively with each member, respecting their expertise and contributions. Building strong relationships fosters a positive team environment and enhances overall productivity.

• Keep Learning and Growing

Stay curious, attend webinars, read industry blogs, and participate in workshops to keep your skills sharp and at pace with your team. You don’t have to be an expert, but it is good to have an understanding of what’s going on.

Understanding the situation helps you better grasp the output and assign realistic tasks. It helps you contribute effectively to your team, even during challenges.

• Managing Workload and Deadlines

Digital marketing projects often involve tight deadlines. Prioritize your tasks, create a schedule, and use project management tools to stay organized and meet deadlines efficiently.

• Handling Conflicting Ideas

Diverse perspectives can lead to creative solutions, but they can also result in conflicts. Approach disagreements with an open mind, focusing on finding common ground and achieving the team’s goals.

• Staying Motivated

The fast-paced nature of digital marketing can be overwhelming. Set clear personal and professional goals to stay motivated and find ways to celebrate achievements, both big and small.

What’s your next step?

• Emphasis on Personalization

Consumers expect personalized experiences, and marketers are leveraging data to deliver tailored content and offers. Understanding consumer behavior and preferences will be key to successful marketing strategies.

• Integration of AI and Automation

Artificial intelligence and automation are transforming digital marketing by streamlining processes and providing valuable insights. Familiarizing yourself with AI tools and automation platforms will be advantageous.

• Focus on Sustainability and Ethics

Consumers are increasingly concerned with sustainability and ethical practices. Digital marketers must prioritize transparency and align their strategies with socially responsible values.

Becoming an active member of your team requires understanding the structure and ensuring that each member excels in their role. Embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with this dynamic field, and you’ll be well on your way to advancing your company through digital marketing.

Now is the Time to Navigate to Digital Marketing

The new year signals a perfect opportunity to fully dive into digital marketing. With the fresh start of 2025, businesses and individuals are more motivated to embrace change and innovation. This is an ideal time to evaluate your current marketing efforts, identify areas for improvement, and set new goals to enhance your online presence.

1. Define Your Goals

What do you want to achieve with your digital marketing efforts? Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving sales, having clear goals will guide your strategy and help measure success.

• Setting SMART Goals

To ensure your goals are effective, consider using the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This framework helps businesses create clear objectives that are both realistic and achievable, providing a solid foundation for a successful digital marketing strategy.

• Aligning Goals with Business Objectives

Your digital marketing goals should align with your overall business objectives. This alignment ensures that all marketing efforts contribute to the broader success of the company, creating a cohesive strategy that drives growth and profitability.

• Regularly Reviewing and Adjusting Goals

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing, so it’s important to regularly review and adjust your goals. This ensures that your strategy remains relevant and effective, allowing you to adapt to new trends and opportunities as they arise.

2. Understand Your Audience

Understanding your target audience is crucial for crafting a successful digital marketing strategy. Conduct market research to identify your audience’s needs, preferences, and online behavior. This information will help you create personalized content and campaigns that resonate with your audience.

• Conducting Market Research

Market research is the foundation of understanding your audience. By gathering data on customer demographics, preferences, and behaviors, businesses can create detailed customer profiles that guide their marketing efforts.

• Creating Customer Personas

Customer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers. They help businesses visualize and understand their target audience, enabling more effective and personalized marketing strategies that resonate with different segments.

• Utilizing Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a valuable resource for understanding your audience. By actively seeking and analyzing feedback, businesses can gain insights into customer needs and preferences, allowing them to tailor their marketing strategies to better meet those needs.

3. Optimize Your Website for SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical component of any digital marketing strategy. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your visibility and attract organic traffic. Focus on relevant keywords, high-quality content, and a user-friendly experience to boost your SEO efforts.

• Keyword Research and Implementation

Keyword research is the process of identifying the terms and phrases that potential customers use when searching for products or services. By incorporating these keywords into your website content, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.

• Enhancing User Experience (UX)

A user-friendly website is essential for SEO success. This includes optimizing site speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and creating a clear navigation structure. A positive user experience not only improves search rankings but also increases the likelihood of conversion.

• Content Optimization

High-quality content is crucial for SEO. By creating informative and engaging content that addresses your audience’s needs, you can establish your brand as an authority in your industry and improve your search engine rankings.

4. Leverage Content Marketing

Content marketing is a powerful tool for engaging your audience and building brand authority. Create valuable and informative content that addresses your audience’s pain points and provides solutions. This can include blog posts, videos, infographics, and more.

• Developing a Content Strategy

A well-defined content strategy is essential for successful content marketing. This involves planning, creating, and distributing content that aligns with your brand’s goals and resonates with your target audience, ensuring maximum engagement and impact.

• Diversifying Content Formats

Content marketing is not limited to blog posts. By diversifying content formats, such as videos, podcasts, and infographics, businesses can reach different segments of their audience and increase overall engagement.

• Promoting Content Effectively

Creating great content is just the beginning; promoting it effectively is equally important. Utilize social media, email marketing, and other channels to distribute your content and reach a wider audience, driving traffic and engagement.

5. Utilize Social Media

Social media platforms offer an excellent opportunity to connect with your audience and promote your brand. Develop a social media strategy that aligns with your goals and engages your audience. Share valuable content, interact with followers, and use paid advertising to expand your reach.

• Choosing the Right Platforms

Not all social media platforms are created equal. Choosing the right platforms for your business depends on your target audience and marketing goals. Focus on the platforms where your audience is most active to maximize engagement and reach.

• Creating Engaging Content

Engaging content is key to social media success. This involves creating visually appealing and interactive content that resonates with your audience, encouraging likes, shares, and comments.

• Explore Paid Advertising

Paid social media advertising can significantly expand your reach. By targeting specific demographics and interests, businesses can ensure their ads are seen by the right people, increasing the chances of conversion.

6. Implement Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. Build an email list and send personalized, relevant content to your subscribers. Use email marketing to nurture leads, promote products, and drive conversions.

• Building a Strong Email List

A strong email list is the foundation of successful email marketing. This involves collecting email addresses through various channels, such as website sign-ups and social media, and ensuring that your list is regularly updated and segmented for maximum relevance.

• Crafting Compelling Email Content

Compelling email content is crucial for engagement. This involves creating personalized and relevant messages that resonate with your audience, encouraging them to take action and engage with your brand.

• Analyzing Email Performance

Analyzing email performance is essential for continuous improvement. By tracking metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, businesses can identify areas for enhancement and optimize their email marketing strategies.

7. Measure and Analyze Results

Finally, it’s essential to measure the performance of your digital marketing efforts. Use analytics tools to track key metrics, such as website traffic, conversion rates, and engagement levels. Analyzing this data will help you identify areas for improvement and refine your strategy.

• Utilizing Analytics Tools

Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, provide valuable insights into your digital marketing performance. By tracking key metrics, businesses can gain a better understanding of their audience and optimize their strategies for maximum effectiveness.

• Setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for measuring success. By setting clear KPIs, businesses can track their progress towards achieving their goals and identify areas for improvement.

• Continuous Optimization

Ongoing optimization is key to digital marketing success. By regularly analyzing performance data and making data-driven decisions, businesses can enhance their strategies and maintain a competitive edge.

Successful digital marketing strategy focuses on reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time. By leveraging the power of digital marketing, businesses can increase their online presence, engage with their audience, and drive sales.

Give 2025 a More Positive Outlook

Start the new year with a more optimistic vibe to your business. Now is the best time to refresh our mindset and set a positive tone for the months ahead.

Why You Need a Robust Digital Marketing Strategy

By leveraging the power of digital marketing, businesses can significantly enhance their online presence and achieve remarkable growth. Strategies on this blog.

Making it Happen: Practical Tips to Make the Plan Work

Many of us have plans to open a business, introduce a new product, or offer a unique service. There’s a lot of anticipation at the start; many excitedly begin, but sadly, it often ends with just a verbal plan. How can we retain the enthusiasm and drive to proceed? Focusing on execution and transforming plans into reality has become the most challenging part.

Regardless of what stage you are at with your plan, make sure you catch up and join the ride by following these steps.

Initiate a discussion – reach out to friends and colleagues who might be interested or have experience related to your plan. Screen those who are willing to work with you and be a part of the development.

Brainstorm with the Team – Build your small team and devote time to gather everyone’s ideas.

Accept all possibilities – There is no right or wrong, no passing of judgment, just a free flow of ideas on how to build the business.

Listen actively – Share your thoughts and listen more to what others are saying; discern the essence of each one’s point of view. Ask questions and pay attention to answers.

Checklist of what’s attainable – List all the ideas and then have a realistic view of what’s possible and what’s not.

Review competitors – Find out if there are existing companies running a similar business. The intention is not to copy but to gauge success, see required improvements, and learn common industry practices.

Set the goals – Identify from the checklist what is really SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely).

Create a timeline – Follow a schedule so the project is not drifting in the dark. It may not be fair to expect drastic results in four months, or it may be too long to see conversions in one year given the efforts that came with it.

Recruit and assign the owners – Find the right people. Remember that someone has to take responsibility for each group of tasks and be accountable for the success or failure of every step. There is no reason for a blame game when everyone knows the exact mandate.

Create a written plan – Translate all the words into a written agreement so all the efforts are laid out with actionable steps.

Start implementing – Now is the time to execute the plan and make it work. Don’t stop at hiccups.

Monitor each step – See what activity contributes to the success of the plan and which one sets it back. The idea here is not to be disheartened by the weakness or even failure of a specific task but to realize what needs to improve.

Tweak what’s needed – Revise what’s not working and apply changes with the intention of enhancing the process.

Always remember why you started. Your goal is the beacon that guides you through challenges and drawbacks. Visualize your success and let it drive your actions every day. Break down your ultimate goal into smaller, manageable milestones to celebrate progress along the way.

Consistency is key. Follow your plan diligently, but also be flexible enough to adapt when necessary. Regularly review your progress and make adjustments to stay on track. Persistence and adaptability are essential for overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals.

Metrics That Matter to Your Online Marketing Campaigns

How do you gauge if you a have successful website or social media campaign? You are consistently doing a daily post and updating your website regularly but how do you measure success? How will you know if your online marketing strategy is on the right track? Pay attention to your consultant’s updates on task status, but don’t stop there. Ask questions, seek to fully understand, and delve into the crucial data.

Start with a goal and strategy in mind. What do you aim to achieve and how will you make it happen on a day-to-day basis? Lay down the metrics that will define your efforts.

Take a moment to identify your Key Performance Indicator (KPI) so you don’t get lost in limbo with your digital marketing efforts. KPI is a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a business is achieving its objectives. It is used to evaluate success at reaching targets.

Perhaps increase in the following areas for your social media stats:

• Number of fans/followers
• Number of impressions and reach
• Engagement rate/number of shares, reactions, and comments
• Click-Through Rate (CTR)
• Number of social media inquiries
• Number of clicks sent to the website (c/o Google Analytics)

Facebook has a “focused with your objective” paid advertising capability and good to run it with proper targeting (age bracket, locations, interest, demographics, etc.) to align with your set goals (brand awareness, event attendance, foot traffic, send message).

Take advantage of the “send message” feature when posting on Facebook, this has an opportunity to give you a lot of hits if properly implemented. If one of your goals is to get social media inquiries via messenger then boosting this post has a good possibility to deliver a result. Understand the insights it generates and improve from there.

While your website is a major gateway for conversations and conversions, its creation should align with your overall goals. Your website needs to generate quality leads through your contact forms and sales page.

Take a look at these factors:

• Monthly site visitors
• Average session duration
• Bounce rate – the percentage of visitors who navigate away after viewing single page.
• Traffic source – find out where you get the traffic (Google, social media, referrals, direct, etc.)
• Behavior – learn how visitors navigate through the site (what are the pages visited the most?)
• Number of relevant inquiries
• Number of people who subscribed to the form

You can monitor all these items and even add more reports to study depending on your set criteria via Google Analytics or gather auto-generated insight from your Content Management Software like Wix. Google Analytics is a free platform and generates site activities to help marketers improve their website.

This may sound like jargon at first, but you’ll definitely get used to it as you learn from your actual data and improve your strategy backed by insights. The initiative has the potential to enhance results.

If you have any questions about evaluating and improving your metrics, and you have the desire to learn along the way, feel free to send me an email.

What to Consider When Hiring an Online Marketing Consultant in the Philippines

According to Digital Reportal, there are now 5.45 billion* internet users in the world as of July 2024 and the number is rising rapidly every year. This means that brands can now reach more people via digital marketing. In the Philippines alone, there are 85.16 million** Filipinos using the net and 84.45 million** are social media users.

Companies should collaborate with their marketing teams to effectively leverage digital platforms. Creating a Facebook page is a good start, but it’s just the beginning of a long journey on the internet, alongside your website and other available tools.

But how to streamline the strategy? How to pin which of the many channels will work for your business? How to integrate this new opportunity into your overall campaign? And what are the specific steps needed to achieve the set goals (e.g. increase of online inquiries leading to higher sales)?

If you and your team are somewhat clueless about how to answer these questions, then it’s a clear signal that now is the time to consider working with a digital marketing consultant. Before hiring someone, consider these five factors:

Core Expertise – Online marketing is vast so make sure to check his core knowledge.  If you aim for your website to rank on the first page of Google, hire a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist rather than a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) expert. If you are hiring a social media content manager, try to review his writing and design skills, as this is vital for your content creation and community engagement. Can he deliver the set goals?

Conversion Background – Request him to share the actual results of his work and clarify when the campaign was implemented. Digital marketing campaigns from five years ago are different from today’s strategies, so it’s important to determine when the success occurred and what is his current milestones. Be alert for overpromises and a hyperbole of triumphs. Do your own research.

Trainings Attended – For the most part, the digital landscape is changing faster than we can learn it. What a consultant knew last year may be totally different from how it is today, so it is vital that he stays on top of these changes by constantly learning from relevant resources. Check out the conferences or seminars he has participated in, as this shows his willingness to remain at the top of her game.

Running Rate – As in all industries, fees vary depending on the person’s profile. Know your job requirements and try to be realistic when bargaining rates. If you drop the price too low, you might push away good consultants and end up with someone who is just available (and there will be a lot) but perhaps lacks a solid background. You get what you pay for, as they say.

Professional Attitude – Is he easy to work with? Trustworthy? Approachable? Will he be honest with the reporting and not taint data for his own benefit? Would he be patient and eager to walk you through the jargon? It won’t hurt to find out what his former clients and colleagues are saying about him. A proven consultant would organically earn positive feedback and authentic testimonials to validate his quality output.

The person you work with must bridge the gap between your current business state and the vast network of online marketing opportunities that can boost your company’s growth. They will set the digital pace and drive your success.

Source:

* Digital Around the World — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights

** Digital 2023: The Philippines — DataReportal – Global Digital Insights

REAP Your Social Media Campaign

Creating social media profiles for business comes with a multitude of motivations, yet it’s crucial that our goals are not siloed. A cohesive digital marketing strategy should be employed, one that encompasses and effectively integrates all our objectives.

Facebook fan page isn’t merely a sales platform, nor is it just a showcase of our company’s excellence or the day-to-day activities. As we craft our content strategy, let’s ensure it’s comprehensive—reflecting the REAP principles to engage and grow our audience effectively.

Relationship – Create a message that is human. Make real connections. Your community will feel your honesty by reading the posts you make or by the tone of your reply including how frequent you answer private messages and comments.

Engagement – Build engagement around posts that tickle the interest of your fans. Monitor your likes, shares, and comments, discern the pattern of what is engaging, and bank on it. What kind of materials do we need to post? Original videos and photos of people from the company have higher chances of engaging!

Awareness – Make your product or service known. Moreso, become the top-of-mind brand of your industry. On this part, it’s acceptable to sporadically highlight your product or subtly promote your accomplishments, provided that it is executed with moderation.

Captivate your audience with the remarkable aspects of your brand, draw them in BUT make sure the content is real and not make-believe.

Promotion – Engage your community and spark their interest in your offerings. Extend your reach beyond just fans to capture a wider audience and enhance your conversion goals—be it encouraging visits to your website, driving sales, initiating private messages, making calls, soliciting resumes, or increasing video views. While standard posts have their limits, investing in a targeted advertising campaign can significantly broaden your message’s impact and visibility.

Enjoy creating your content but balance that enthusiasm with a keen eye on the technical aspects. Keep a close watch on your analytics and remain open to adjusting your strategy based on what the data indicates. For inquiries on how to implement REAP in your business, just send a message.

Your Blog Writing Project Starts Now

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to start the writing process and once you rip that barrier with the support you need, the challenge is to remain consistent and how to keep the creative juice flowing. Don’t hesitate to begin the blog project now, and good things will follow.

Use your keywords on the title and first paragraph – Ask your SEO consultant for your brand keywords and build a write-up around it. Don’t overstuff your key phrases, no need to use all. If you have 15 key terms, just use one to three depending on the natural flow of your content.

Draft an article/blog content plan – Schedule posts can vary but make sure that you are committed to writing quality contents. Avoid writing now then two years after or never again… this scenario is for real. I’ve seen websites with this big blog schedule gap.

Give value – Write with purpose, and remember, it’s not always about your personal journey; it’s about what you’ve learned and how it can help your readers. Give tips with a clear target reader in mind, so you don’t fall out of tune with your messaging.

Write in bullets and have highlights – You may be giving a thought-provoking concept but try not to overwhelm your readers. Don’t bore and intimidate them. Make your idea chewable and easy to digest. Bear in mind that it is a blogging platform, and not a text book or your diary.

Catchy images – Images have to make sense to your overall content. It has to be a visual representation of your words. It is not supposed to confuse your readers and lead them to think away from the actual flow of your blog.

Leave a strong takeaway – Make them think or encourage them to reach out… this is a good way to build a relationship. Given the 300 to 500 words of your article, they should be able to articulate it for at least 75 words. Ideas that will stick to their head, push them to move, or make them think twice. Create a call-to-action that can really mobilize your readers.

A successful blog doesn’t happen in a snap. It’s a journey of sharing, learning, and connecting. Start your blog writing project today, and watch your ideas come to life!