With Coronavirus lockdown forcing many businesses to close their doors, here at onefoursix, we have created a guide on digital marketing strategies that can be implemented during these quiet periods. Whilst businesses are beginning to reopen, we’re not back to business as usual. This guide will give you marketing tips which will support your company in getting back to business. 

Google My Business

Always remember to update your Google My Business account. It is free and an easy way to bring in customers from your local area. Google is the leading search engine and therefore you will see great benefits setting up and consistently updating your profile. 

This platform allows you to set up your location on Google maps, add your business hours with contact information. Additionally, we recommend posting weekly updates about your company whilst also updating your photos weekly to keep your profile up to date and active. If you stick to this, you should see an increase in engagement. This will encourage organic customer reviews and activity through customer questions.

Another way however, is to email your customers a link to your listing, asking them to leave a review. A customer review is a word-of-mouth recommendation for your company and therefore is a powerful marketing tool that adds credibility. Over 50% of consumers use a business with positive ratings in their Google My Business profile. Google sends you weekly reports to help monitor the profiles activity. This will help you understand which content is gaining the most engagement.

Blogging 

Blogging is a great, affordable online marketing tool. It can attract new customers, whilst also keeping current customers engaged with your website. Marketers that prioritise blogging are 13 times more likely to get a good return on investment. A search engine like Google will rank your site higher if it is regularly gaining new and relevant content. This is where blogs come in, they can set your business apart as an industry expert. People will eventually see you as their go-to source within your industry with a consistent flow of helpful and informative blogs. Creating shareable content will help attract an even wider audience so be sure to produce top-quality blogs. 

Backlinking

Backlinking is key element for Google ranking. We advise creating SEO backlinks to top-quality relevant sites, try to avoid any spam sites with no authority.

Getting noticed from a well known site informs search engines that you’re a reputable company. When a search engine crawls your page, not only does it look at your site’s content, it also looks at the number of links that are coming from quality websites towards your site. 

However, be cautious of overusing backlinks as Google will penalise you. Also avoid covering topics that people aren’t likely to search for. 

Directory Listings

Posting a free directory listing is similar to posting your company in the Yellow Pages. Adding your company to a business directory is a quick and efficient way to get a step ahead of your competition. 

Companies can be categorised by niche, size, location or activity. All you have to do is find a good directory that is appropriate for your business and link to it. This will help your company gain more exposure to your website and drive more traffic. 

The people who visit these directories are likely to be in need of your services. Many business directories allow customers to leave reviews, ratings and testimonials. These sorts of consumer engagement is an easy way for customers to build trust in you.

If you’re based in the Northamptonshire area, Northampton Life offers free directory listing. Just visit their site, fill in your company’s details under ‘add your free business page’ and there you go. 

Social Media Posts 

Since the Covid-19 lockdown, more and more people are going online and using social media to connect with the outside world. Company’s who want to appeal to or engage with a younger customer base, online advertising campaigns need to include social media platforms. 

Social media allows customers to leave feedback faster than any other network. Businesses can then go and respond just as quickly, resulting in great customer service. Consumers will feel like they’re being listened to and appreciated. Building this relationship will help your business gain a great reputation.

A great tip for using social media for a business is to always link to your website in your posts. This will create a much wider reach than not including a link. 

Local Citations 

Directory listings are designed to help local searchers find the information they need about particular businesses. If you have a physical location, local citations are a great way to generate foot traffic. 

Google rankings are influenced by a business’ number of citations. If you’re not taking advantage of local citations, it’s likely that your competitors are using this online advertising tactic and getting local traffic.

To Conclude…

Digital marketing is a long-term strategy that can help businesses during quiet times, as well as when business starts to pick back up. Implementing these tactics will help drive customer engagement as well as build a credible online status for your company. 

Got any questions? Get in touch with our onefoursix team today.