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The appeal of growing a small business online is ever-present due to the relative convenience and value it offers. However, when it comes to running digital advertising campaigns, there are multiple variables that determine the success rate, and they can often be intimidating for those with little or no experience.
Most small-scale online business owners are reluctant to spend the time implementing such initiatives themselves, either due to a very tight schedule or a sense of uncertainty as to what the details would entail. However, it is also too important to ignore today because of its great potential to generate revenue for the business, large or small. Online sales currently account for about a quarter of the retail industry market.
Many times, with a growing business, it’s often difficult to focus on channeling energy into building reach and audience engagement. Since the scope of advertising work is so specialized, you also have to worry about hiring additional labor to make up for any skill shortages. Freelancers are quite common in this case, but interviewing and selecting quality candidates from the dozens that apply can be very overwhelming.
Budget constraints are another valid concern if you are just starting out and in the nascent stages of business growth. If you don’t choose a freelancer for your services, you could eventually invest in a premium ad agency for specific 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 astounding rate, which requires every business to pay attention and take appropriate action. 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 for your own business model. Here are some options highlighted below as next steps:
Develop and implement digital advertising yourself
Driving sales and maximizing your marketing efforts is easy to do, if you’re not overshadowed by other aspects of running a small business, like paperwork. You can take responsibility for developing and implementing digital advertising campaigns without using a third-party provider. Start by getting a clear understanding of who your customer base is. This should be done not just with numbers by eye, but with actual surveys submitted online or face-to-face interviews, seeking feedback from new and existing customers. At times, you may find that your idea of the audience may be very different than what is reflected in the data collected.
The best part of being a one-person program and managing advertising functions yourself is the opportunity to learn on the job and discover new skills. Take an online certificate course and build your foundation in these concepts to familiarize yourself with the process. You’ll also reduce budget spend when you don’t have to make additional hires for marketing and advertising.
On the other hand, you should keep in mind that this will consume a lot of your time in the first few days, especially as you get used to the added responsibility. There may be additional risks in the learning phase with your ad budget, should you run a digital campaign that doesn’t resonate well with your target audience. 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 may need to shell out a generous budget in this regard, the results are usually immediately visible and well worth it.
There are several benefits to hiring an experienced ad agency when it comes to digital advertising on behalf of your business. For one thing, you’ll have more free time to spend on other responsibilities as a business owner, whether it’s order fulfillment, staffing, and other infrastructure requirements. Compared to a beginner setting up campaigns online, an ad agency will have an intuitive idea of what works, leading to higher ROI.
However, if you need pay-per-click and paid search advertising campaigns, you will need to plan your budget requirements in advance and also inform the agency accordingly. Searching for an agency that is the right one is paramount here and it can take some time. These organizations have little or no knowledge of individual business operations and need a detailed description of aspects such as the intended customer base, the range of products and services offered, etc. Coping with the pace at which an outside agency works can often be challenging. For a small business, financial stress can be more of a long-term liability, especially if the business is in a particularly crowded industry.
Use specialized online services
With an increasing demand for effective online marketing strategies, many specialized services are emerging that are inexpensive and provide you with a wide range of services in a personalized manner. Typically, such services use the integration of traditional marketing tactics along with digital innovations, for both B2B and B2C solutions.
For example, you can explore options like 180fusion, which has helped countless small businesses build their brand through digital advertising. This company was listed at #176 on ‘Inc. List of 500 fastest growing private companies’. They focus on creating personalized plans for each client and engage in improving search engine visibility while diversifying your small business’ online presence, with the most innovative mobile, email and social media 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, content and email marketing, advertising and social media management, along with web design for all your digital advertising needs.