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Do you remember small business retail before COVID? As you look back to our pre-pandemic era, storefronts, packed shopping malls, and large gatherings are all that come to mind. Fast forward to 2022 and the scene in business is completely different. The endemic has forced people to stay indoors, shop online, and look for new ways to stay entertained. There’s no doubt that a consumers’ shopping behavior has changed, and many businesses that brushed off having a website, social media presence or digital marketing strategy saw their sales and profits drop quicker than an air conditioner’s temperature during a Laredo summer. If your business made it through the last 2 years, pat yourself on the back because it wasn’t easy. However, this article isn’t to tell you the challenges of entrepreneurship are going to go away, rather it has been crafted to tell you that you should embrace the fact that your business needs to be online. No matter your business model, your products, brand or service, having a marketing plan that includes digital is essential in 2022. Here are the 5 marketing things every business owner should be doing in 2022 to get attention for their business.
Mobile-Friendly Website
Having a website is one thing, but having a mobile website is another. Every business needs a website, but what they might not know is that there are different types of websites depending on where you want your business to be found. For example, if your business only caters to local clients then an eCommerce website may not be necessary, but if you are faced with a mandatory shut down as we saw during the peak of the pandemic, websites with an online ordering system became the only lifeline for businesses to survive the last 2 years. If you’re wondering why your website needs to be mobile-friendly, according to Statcounter 70% of all searches for businesses like yours take place on a mobile device. It’s even more competitive for businesses because websites that do not render for mobile devices get penalized by Google in turn affecting search results.
Social Media
According to eMarketer, 80% of adults online use some type of social media platform every month. In fact, searching for a business without any social media presence is an experience many people have simply stopped doing due to the lackluster results. Creating a business page on all social media platforms is free and engaging with customers and prospects is easier than ever. These days most people have some sort of social media account and setting up a business page is a simple click of a few buttons.
Email Marketing
Email used to be a common way for businesses to connect with customers and followers. Now business email has been put on the back burner as many business owners have found that their promotions, discounts, and updates are being sent through a digital marketing channel instead. Remember this: people will change their physical address, they’ll change their phone numbers, but most use only one personal email that will remain with them for the rest of their digital lives. Email marketing is a great way to noninvasively get your business in front of customers simply by building up an email list for little to no money.
Digital Marketing
A business is only as good as the people who are selling it, therefore businesses must have a solid digital marketing plan in place to effectively communicate with customers via the web. Laredo business owners need to take full advantage of search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising, blogging, directory listings and especially local SEO tools such as Google My Business. If your business isn’t creating custom content for your customers and connecting them with that content online, then you’re just another fish in the sea.
Networking
While technology and digital marketing have taken over the conversation, there are some things that will never go out of style and networking is one of them. Business networking, in particular, has helped numerous business owners get over the hump and slump of the pandemic. Give yourself an advantage and start building up your personal or business network today by attending events or even hosting some of your own no matter if they are in person or virtual. Joining the Chamber of Commerce is one example of how to keep your business in the network of entrepreneurship that can pay off through word of mouth and referrals.
These are just 5 marketing things every business needs to do in 2022. While there are many more, starting with a few of these can propel your business forward, boost sales and increase your brand’s recognition. If you have any questions about how your business can maximize the use of digital marketing or social media feel free to reach out anytime through our website at www.growlaredo.com
David Kash Vasquez is a digital marketing expert with 2 decades of branding and marketing experience and is the owner of Grow Laredo, a digital marketing agency in Laredo, Texas.