If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that there are a lot of different ways you can market your small business. And there’s a lot of people with opinions on the best ways to do it too. But with so many techniques and platforms out there, it’s easy to get lost, overwhelmed, or just plain stuck. Whether you’ve been at this a while and are in a marketing rut, or you’re brand new and wondering what the actual f*ck to do online, these digital marketing tips for small business owners are a great place to start.

Here’s what we are going to cover:

• Why you need to know your audience as a small business owner
• The role of search in your marketing
• How to use social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to grow your business
• Why you need to track what’s working
• Tips for marketing to the non-linear buyer journey we are seeing in the online space right now

Common Marketing Techniques (That Actually Still Work!)

1. Know Your Audience 

First up: figure out who you're talking to. If you're not sure, it's time to create some customer personas. These are like profiles of your ideal customers: what they care about, where they spend their time online, and what problems they're trying to solve. Most small business owners skip this step (or keep everything they know “in their head”) but in the crowded online space of 2024, it’s becoming even more important to know your customers better than the competition.

Need some guidance? Take a look at our guide on creating customer personas. Plus, if you're aiming to reach younger audiences, we've got an article with specific tips for marketing to Gen Z (because they are actively undoing everything we know about marketing).

2. Start with Search

Next on our list of digital marketing tips for small businesses is to start with search. Your website is your digital home base, so it's important to make it as effective as humanly possible. Check-in with your current website: Is it optimized for SEO? Visually appealing? Easy to navigate so cold traffic can find what they’re looking for? 

If you've been skating by without a website so far, we have a guide on how to build a website yourself to get you started. Once your site is up, follow our best practices for writing website copy. That way, you can write clear, compelling content that communicates your message effectively. Trust us—this is worth your time to get right.

Plus, don't forget about SEO. If you're not familiar with SEO concepts, don’t let the fancy name fool you. Our SEO guide for small business owners breaks down everything you need to know. Plus, for those looking to go further, we also have tips on how to optimize a website for better search performance.

3. Be Consistent On Social Media 

Whether we like the algorithms or not, social media is amazing for reaching your audience! Pick the platforms where your customers are hanging out and just start posting (with a plan, of course). Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, or TikTok, each platform has its own unique strengths and best practices that are worth familiarizing yourself with.

Need some convincing? Here's why social media marketing is important for small businesses. 

Plus, while we're at it, let's talk about staying organized with a robust social media marketing plan. It can be hard to keep track of all the pieces of content at play, especially as you add more platforms to the mix. Check out our tips to manage your marketing calendar if you feel like you can’t see straight with your growing to do list right now.

4. Grow Your Email List and Invest in Email Marketing 

We can’t talk about digital marketing tips without talking about email marketing. Not only is growing your email list a smart idea (insert cliche about how it’s the only marketing platform you own), but you can also use it to share your latest products, promotions, and news without any middlemen or dancing videos required.

If you’re worried about the tech, don’t let that stop you. We highly recommend Flodesk (use that affiliate link to score 50% off) because of how easy their templates are to use. Plus, they’re pretty too (so they’ll make you look good).

5. Paid Advertising Gets You Paid Faster (When Done Well)

Organic traffic is great, but it can be painfully slow during the early days (add that to the list of things nobody told you about entrepreneurship). If you want sales (and more importantly, data) quickly, paid advertising might be worth considering. Whether you're interested in social media ads or getting started with Google Ads, a little investment can go a long way. And in case you’re wondering, yes, you can totally run your own ads (this podcast is proof!).

If you do have money to spend, don’t forget that paid advertising doesn’t always mean running ads either. You can also use that money to pay for advertising in online (and print) publications. Here’s some more public relations tips for small businesses if you think more press is something you might want to try this year.

Just remember, there's a difference between paid media (advertising you pay for) and earned media (the organic love you get from customer sharing and reviews). Both play important roles in a holistic marketing approach.

6. Track What’s Working 

We can’t talk about digital marketing tips without reminding you to track what’s actually working. If you’re putting any amount of time or money in your marketing, you need to make sure you actually know what’s working. If you’re not sure where to start, take a peek at our guide on key performance indicators small business owners use to make decisions. It'll give you clear insights into your marketing strategy, showing you exactly what's working (and what needs a tweak).

7. Remember That Customers Need Multiple Touchpoints 

In today's saturated markets, customers need to see your brand all over the place before they swipe their card. That's why you can't put all your eggs in one marketing basket. And it's definitely why we’re giving you seven digital marketing tips today. It’s not as easy as just posting on social media anymore. You need to spread your message across multiple channels. Social media, emails, your website, and anywhere else your audience hangs out. The more places you show up, the more familiar and trustworthy you become (which makes people more likely to buy).

Bonus tip: use a marketing calendar to keep track of all the different channels you plan on showing up on! It’s literally the only way to stay sane as the amount of things on your marketing to-do list grows. When you use Enji, you can set up campaigns, keep tabs on KPIs, and stay on top of your marketing calendar and to-do list all in one place.

Final Tips for Marketing Your Business (You've Got This!)

When it comes to digital marketing as a small business, you don’t have unlimited hours in a day so sticking to strategies that work is key. Sign up for a free trial on Enji, take our 20 question quiz, and we'll create a solid marketing plan for you in under 10 minutes. That way, you can put these digital marketing tips to action and get out of the overthinking analysis-paralysis that keeps you moving your marketing tasks to tomorrow’s list (again).