The digital marketing landscape in Canada and Calgary is evolving and changing very quickly, so it’s critical for Canadian home-based businesses and small and medium-sized businesses to embrace change and evolve their business. Over the years, emerging technologies have led to rapid shifts in the way we sell and shop for all kinds of products and services. Keeping up to date with all recent digital marketing trends may seem overwhelming, but Esquared Consulting has got a cheat sheet to help you stay on top of your digital marketing game in 2019.
It’s no secret that technology is changing the way we sell products and services, but digital marketing needs to be at the core of the marketing plan of every small business (or home-based business)
As the digital marketing landscape evolves, it’s those businesses that can keep up with the latest digital marketing trends that will reap the benefits. Being mindful of the following concepts could help bolster your business in 2019.
1. Content Marketing – improve your content
From the story on your “About us” page to your latest social media campaign, content is extremely important as it shapes the personality of your company.
Thoughtful content and communications strategy can help spread awareness and educate customers and potential customers at every stage of the sales funnel. Good quality content helps your company – no matter its size – build and maintain a strong reputation and brand. The right content has the power to turn prospects into customers and customers into evangelists. It will ultimately build trust and lead to higher close rates in the long run.
When it comes to your social media presence, try to stay active with regular daily or weekly/bi-weekly posts to show that you care about connecting and building relationships with your customers.
Finally, focus on creating quality content. Understand who your target audience is and craft a message that resonates with them.
2. Voice search and local SEO
Another marketing trend for Canadian small businesses to take note of is the enabling of voice search. This is where you can take your SEO strategy to the next level. With voice search comes more conversational queries, which means there are longer tail keywords that your business should be considering and targeting.
Local SEO updates are crucial for voice search. It’s important that your business ranks in the top spot for a voice search query like, “where is the closest Thai restaurant?”
This means that it’s critical to have a “Google My Business” profile, and you should ensure your information is up to date, with the correct address, contact information, and opening hours listed.
3. Social media platforms – social media posts, social media marketing
It’s important to understand where consumers are researching or purchasing your products or services. Social media is an essential tool for any business. It is a chance to target specific buyers based on their research and/or purchasing habits. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube allow companies of all sizes to be creatively innovative with their digital marketing campaigns, often on a small/limited budget too. As mentioned earlier, try posting quality content regularly (daily, and if not daily then at least a few days per week or at the very least weekly) to show that you care about connecting and building relationships with your customers.
4. Manage reviews and ratings on social media
Having a presence in Google or social media is not enough. If you ask your clients to engage with your company then you should be prepared to engage with them at every opportunity. This means that you should be actively reviewing and responding to any and all reviews and ratings your company may receive in Google, Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media platform. Thank your users for a good review, but also make sure to respond respectfully to negative reviews making every effort to turn an unhappy client into a returning client.
5. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
Many small business and home-based business owners in an effort to save money hire inexperienced developers to put together their websites in a budget. As a result, the mobile functionality of their websites is not thought out as well as it should be (or even worse in many cases, it’s not thought out at all). When it comes to mobile, customers are becoming less tolerant of websites that do not take the mobile journey and experience into account. To provide the necessary information and customer experience, mobile needs to be accounted for (or even prioritized) in the digital journey.
