Bill Gates once quipped, “If your business is not on the Internet, your business will be out of business.” Today, that comment seems so obvious that it’s antiquated. It also holds true. As so much of commerce takes place online, and so many consumers search for services digitally, it is crucial that small businesses market themselves effectively online.
Along with serving as editor-at-large of this magazine, I am managing partner of a digital marketing agency. Therefore, I understand this firsthand. Here are some of the benefits of creating a solid online marketing campaign and the types of engagements you as a small business owner might want to explore.
AMPLIFY TRADITIONAL MARKETING
Digital marketing shouldn’t replace traditional marketing or networking, but rather serve to amplify those methods. Done well, digital marketing can accelerate your relationship building with clients by offering additional communication channels. Think of it as a conversation, not a broadcast. Digital channels are built for interaction, so the more you can engage your audience, the better. And when coordinated with traditional marketing, digital marketing can increase your sales conversion rate by allowing people more flexible—and immediate—options to book and buy.
EXPAND REACH
Traditional marketing methods like networking events, advertisements, displays, and even word-of-mouth recommendations, often limit photographers to local markets. Digital marketing, however, enables photographers to affordably reach potential clients well beyond these boundaries. A well-optimized website or a compelling social media presence can attract potential clients from across the globe. You may be a photographer in one city, but when someone in another city reads your blog or views your gallery, who knows where that could lead? They might recommend you to a friend or family member near you, or even reach out to you for a destination wedding or event.
Make sure you express this brand consistently across all your channels. Colors, imagery, logos, and messaging should be uniform, so your prospects know they are looking at materials from the same business, whether they’re on Instagram or your blog.
BRAND CONSISTENTLY
Clients aren’t just looking for a skilled photographer; they want someone whose artistic vision resonates with them. The communication of that vision is your brand. Digital marketing channels like social media and your website are part of your personal brand. Make sure you express this brand consistently across all your channels. Colors, imagery, logos, and messaging should be uniform, so your prospects know they are looking at materials from the same business, whether they’re on Instagram or your blog.
TARGET COST EFFECTIVELY
Digital advertising can be much more cost-effective for small businesses than traditional print ads, billboards, or radio and TV spots. Digital advertising platforms have robust audience-targeting capabilities. For example, do you want to advertise your services to recently engaged, high-income people in the Milwaukee metro area? You can do that. Want to get in front of people searching for a pet photographer in northern New Jersey who specializes in large dogs? You can do that too. The targeting options include a range of demographics, interests, and geographic areas, not to mention people who previously showed interest in a particular product or service. Marketing this way saves time as well as money.
SHOWCASE WORK IN REAL TIME
One of the key advantages of online platforms is the ability to share work immediately. Today’s consumers are all about instant gratification, and commerce moves at the pace of digitally transmitted pixels. Give your audience what it wants: more content served quickly and regularly. Upload images from recent shoots, share behind-the-scenes content, and post instructional videos, all in real time.
LEVERAGE DATA
Digital marketing offers an abundance of analytics that traditional methods cannot match. Google Analytics, social media analytics tools, and data from email marketing platforms provide data on audience behavior, engagement rates, conversion metrics, demographics, location, and more. This information is invaluable for refining strategies, understanding what resonates with your audience, and making data-driven decisions to grow your business.
Increasingly, interactions and transactions happen online. Your clients rely on online platforms to discover and vet their service providers.
BUILD LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS
Digital devices, and our obsession with them, are often seen as an impediment to interpersonal interaction. So, it may seem counterintuitive to think of digital marketing as a conduit for building relationships. But email newsletters, social media content, and personalized communication create opportunities for ongoing engagement. These methods help photographers stay top-of-mind with past clients and generate repeat business and referrals.
FIND THE RIGHT MARKETING MIX
Now that we understand the benefits of digital marketing, how do you determine the ideal mix of platforms and methods for your business? While the answer depends on your goals, budget, audience, and time, here are some options.
Social media. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook lend themselves to visual storytelling. If you work with a B2B clientele, LinkedIn may be your social network of choice. Post high-quality images, engage with followers through comments and direct messages, and share insights about your approach.
Content marketing. This is a broad category that includes everything from blogs to video tutorials to how-to guides—basically any intriguing content that will draw your prospective clients to you. Content marketing is all about the open sharing of information, not about selling. Give your audience something of value and establish yourself as an expert.
Email marketing. Building an email list of past and potential clients is a powerful way to maintain engagement. Regular newsletters featuring recent projects, special offers, or photography tips can keep your audience interested. And the occasional promotional email campaign can boost bookings and support sales initiatives.
SEO. Search engine optimization can be time consuming (and expensive). But when done well, SEO will help your site show up on search engine results pages for relevant search terms.
Online advertising. Whether it’s social media advertising or pay-per-click ads on Google, online ads can get more eyeballs on your content. And they can be optimized for a variety of intended results (website visits, phone calls, online sales, etc.).
Directory listings and local search. So much of today’s online search results are funneled through online business listings, like Google Business Profile, or local directories and review sites, like Yelp.
Marketing automation. Platforms like Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo, and Constant Contact can automate email messages at predetermined intervals and follow up with prospects based on their interaction with the messages. Literally set it and forget it.
Increasingly, interactions and transactions happen online. Your clients rely on online platforms to discover and vet their service providers. So, if you want to be in the conversation when they’re asking about photographers, you need to meet them where they are. Your next client may only be a click away.
Jeff Kent is editor-at-large.
Tags: marketing
