Navigating the uncharted waters of the ongoing pandemic has forced many Australian small business owners to adapt their long-term, carefully thought-out business plans and marketing strategies. While parts of the country are gently emerging into the ‘new normal’, the reverberations of the pandemic will continue to raise questions for business owners and entrepreneurs,writes Suzanne Mitchell, senior marketing director at Go Daddy.

Whether a single retail store owner in Queensland, or an independent floristry business in West Australia, one of the biggest and most common of these questions is likely to be: ‘how do we find new ways to reach and engage customers?’

How to use marketing effectively

In today’s digital age, the businesses best-placed to succeed could be those who understand that in addition to the quality of their products or services, it is also about the effectiveness of their marketing. With health and safety still key concerns and social distancing measures being strictly enforced, traditional marketing strategies like business cards and networking events may be less effective than they once were. Considering our growing reliance on technology and the internet, digital marketing could be what your small business needs to engage with your customers. Indeed, recent GoDaddy research revealed that almost one in three (28 per cent) Australian small business owners have begun or increased digital marketing in the wake of the pandemic. If you’re yet to get your digital marketing off the ground, here are a few strategies to help you start.

Anchor your digital presence

With many Australians spending more time at home and using digital platforms to stay connected with friends and family or even indulge in a little retail therapy, now is a great time to build or enhance your digital presence. A professional website could be the solution you need to engage with both new and existing customers, and can act as an effective hub for other digital marketing activities to follow. To ensure your website is visible and effective, first register a domain name, which is the word or combination of words that someone types into their URL browser to find your website. Effective domain names are generally short, memorable and representative of your business, for example, byronbayhomewares.com.au. Australians are strong supporters of Aussie businesses, so by using a local domain name like .com.au, you demonstrate you are local.

Once registered, it’s important to build a professional website that works just as hard for your business as you do. Remember to populate your website with important details including your products or expertise, store location or areas you service, and contact details. Consider also sharing positive customer feedback and posting eye-catching images of your new products or best work. Once the foundations are laid, it’s time to consider the digital marketing strategies that can help get your business noticed by your customers.

Expand your online reach

Considering the rate that digital adoption is evolving, effective and efficient digital marketing strategies should be central to getting the word out about your business. The good news is, you don’t have to spend large sums to promote your products or services using digital tools like email marketing and social media. In fact, our research also found that 33 per cent of respondents promote their products through social media, and another one in five (18 per cent) through email marketing.

It’s time to get social

Social media is a great platform on which to reach new customers and engage existing ones. In total, 18 million Australians use social media, so it’s safe to say that many of your customers will too. Facebook and Instagram are among the most popular social media platforms for consumers, so consider creating business profiles on these platforms and updating them with beautiful imagery, promotions and other relevant content that encourages your customers to visit your website or ecommerce store.

Nearly half the world’s population uses email, meaning it can be a quick, cost-effective way to help you stay top of mind with a potentially broad audience. To help build trust and credibility consider an email address matching your domain, like [email protected]. Then use it to communicate important business updates, promote a new product or share testimonials that you’re proud of.

Don’t forget SEO

While email is a great way to connect with existing customers whose contact details you already have, SEO can help make your website more visible to potential clients by helping it rank higher on search engine results. The better optimised your site, the easier it is for someone to find it, so populate it with keywords that people would use when searching for a business like yours, like ‘homewares Byron Bay’ or ‘home decor New South Wales’.

Despite the past few months presenting an unprecedented challenge, it’s inspiring to see how Australian small businesses have pivoted to continue providing services to their customers. Although there’s no one-size-fits-all digital marketing strategy, evaluate the components which might be most suitable for you and helpful for your customers, and let them help your business grow well into the ‘new normal’.