Regardless of how big your business is, you still want to reach the most people in an efficient way. And ideally, you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg doing it. This is where digital marketing comes into play.

Digital marketing allows you to almost instantly see how well a new online advertising strategy is working. Plus, there are cheaper alternatives for smaller businesses just starting out. Check out these five digital marketing strategies that are sure to work:

Blogging with a focus on SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is so vital that it’s generally best to hire someone to handle this aspect for you. But it’s best to know the basics so that everything is optimized.

And while you might be wary of blogging (it can be a waste of time if not done right, or if your audience isn’t quite big enough), you should still make this a long-term goal since companies that blog have 97 percent more inbound links. But you must keep SEO and relevant content in mind when blogging.

Also, be aware of responsive web design, as more people are consuming information on their phones. So you need to make sure your web design is structured so it appears well on all screens, especially when it comes to those tiny phone screens.

Link building

Link building is vital because it plays a huge role in how your site will rank on search engines like Google. Link building and SEO go hand-in-hand in the current digital market.

Understandably, this can get a bit overwhelming, especially since nobody outside of Google fully understands Google search algorithms. Luckily, by using tools like LinkGraph’s link building, you can have link building done for you as efficiently as possible.

Social media marketing

This one is essential for businesses just getting off the ground, since it’s cost effective and reaches a huge audience. However, at this point, it’s expected that every business will have some form of social media presence in this current digital driven environment.

Social media marketing allows you to get in touch on a personal level with your customers. This way, you can manage negative reviews and make your company feel personable. Be sure to know which social media channel your intended market is using (as always, research is key).

Consider video marketing

The YouTube craze has reached an all time high. In fact, according to Hootsuite, 1.9 billion “logged-in users visit YouTube each month”. Plus, Google now shows you videos when you perform searches. So this not only helps your SEO ranking, but you can include links to your products and your website under the video.

Consider creating short little videos about how to use your products, what your products are useful for, or even a “behind the scenes” look at your business. You’ll inform customers and create a personal touch. This can be done via YouTube or just on your site.

Regardless of how you do it, it may be a good idea to incorporate more videos because they’re a cheap marketing tool. Plus, Cisco predicts that 82 percent of IP traffic will be video by 2022. It’s best to keep videos as short as possible for optimal loading time.

Email marketing

Sure, it can be a tad difficult to build up an email list, but it’s way easier than getting mailing addresses (and cheaper). Email marketing is a fantastic cost-effective way to advertise for your business while getting your links out there.

Be sure to not over send, as this hurts your brand by making people associate your emails with spam. Generally, the best tactic is to have a set “update day”. For example, a set day when you publish your weekly blog and then send out a quick newsletter with updates, promotions, and links.

James Montano