We live in a time when small businesses and startups of all stripes can increase brand awareness and get their names out there even with a limited budget. Digital marketing and social media found ways to democratize advertising, marketing, and promotions, which is always good for everybody—young entrepreneurs, bigger conglomerates, and the economy. The internet is a great equalizer for giant corporations and small and mid-sized businesses. Here are some ways digital marketing and social media are leveling the playing field for brands of all sizes.
Costs
It may seem like forever ago, but there was a time when brands had to pay an arm and a leg to get some air time on TV and the radio and to pay for ads on print media. Nowadays, brands have to pay upwards of $2,000 for their commercials to air on TV, and that’s not including production costs for the ad itself. But since the majority of people spend their time online now more than they ever have before, brands don’t have to prioritize old media—they can now focus all their energies on marketing their products and services on online platforms for a fraction of the price.
Another way digital marketing helps brands of all sizes save on costs is outsourcing services, like 3PL returns, which help smaller brands do bigger jobs, especially online. It helps businesses focus on more important tasks like marketing instead of micro-managing the logistical aspects of the company.
Better opportunities
Since internet trends and culture change every year, there are also many more opportunities for smaller brands to explore. They have much more leeway to experiment with new ways to reach bigger audiences. They also have more opportunities to determine which combination of media channels and platforms, and methods can help them reach their goals as a brand. So many new opportunities continue to present themselves in the online world, and brand owners and marketing specialists always have exciting new doors to one in terms of helping businesses improve their KPIs.
More personalized strategies
Because digital marketing relies so much on understanding consumer habits and behavior, marketers are better positioned to engage new audiences better and in more personalized ways. Where traditional advertising and marketing is all about throwing things at the wall and waiting for something to stick, digital marketing allows brands and marketers to be more precise in hitting their targets and thus upping their chances of converting leads to sales.
Speed
One of the biggest advantages digital marketing has provided the world of business is the speed at which brands can reach their target audience. Thanks to social media and other online platforms, brands of all sizes need not wait weeks before their content gets published on a spreadsheet or aired on a TV or radio show. Messages and content are posted faster, banner ads may be in rotation more quickly, and brands get the word out about their service or product in real-time or at the exact moment they want. And it goes both ways—social media allows clients and customers to respond in real-time, too, making business transactions faster and smoother.
Reliability and reputation
Another benefit of digital marketing that often gets lost in the conversation is how much an online presence can help boost, make, or break a brand’s reputation and reliability. Since we live in a time when brands talk like a normal person on social media, many of these businesses take on a human persona, making consumers feel like they’re talking to an actual person and not just some big conglomerate out to take their money.
Social media also makes it easy for consumers to hold brands accountable for any slip-ups, which means brands must be ready to take responsibility for any mistake, whether it’s a product defect or an online faux pas. When done right, brands can leverage social media and the existence of these parasocial relationships to build a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness.
Analytic tools
Analytic tools are also valuable in helping companies gain an insight into what methods work and what doesn’t. For example, these tools can help brands which content received the most engagement and what portion of the audience it spoke to the most. These are tools that even small businesses can get their hands on, thanks to digital marketing.
If you are a small business owner, more resources are available to you now more than ever in history. Leverage them to your benefit, and don’t be afraid to explore which digital marketing strategies work best for your brand.
Meta title: How Digital Marketing Is Leveling the Playing Field
meta desc: The internet is a great equalizer for giant corporations and small and mid-sized businesses. Here are some ways digital marketing and social media are leveling the playing field for brands of all sizes.
