When it comes to digital marketing, there are tactics that small and medium-sized busiensses (SMBs) should explore managing themselves and other tactics that would probably be better for a vendor or partner to manage. Mike Wilson from Goodzer provided a look at what SMBs should do, what they shouldn’t and what they should watch out for:
Do…
- Understand goals, customer acquisition, retaining customers, etc.
- Measure and test effectiveness
- Know your customer and create messages that reach them
- Manage your content and data and make sure it is correct online
- Be willing to change what isn’t working
Do not…
- Create your own website if you don’t fully understand design and SEO practices. There are experts out there with tons of experience with this.
- Be your own agency. There is so many different media outlets and types that managing all of this is impossible to do when you are also running your day-to-day business.
- Manage your listing content at the source because given the number of publishers it is extremely difficult to manage every site your information is online.
- Forget about mobile. Make sure website is responsive and ads are geared towards mobile.
- Spread your budget too thin
Watch out for…
- Claims that getting to the top of the search engine results page should be taken with skepticism. Instead focus on your organization’s content.
- Online advertising that isn’t pay-for-performance.
- Performance pricing that is too good to be true.
- Promises of social likes or app downloads
- No matter what the medium is, when someone is selling you something, be careful what the seller claims. Ask questions.
