In the last few years, online marketing has become a popular tool for small businesses. The digital world has opened up new opportunities for marketers, allowing them to connect with customers and prospects anywhere, anytime. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 84% of businesses either currently use or plan to use online marketing in the next three months.

For many entrepreneurs, the idea of investing in online marketing can feel daunting. After all, you’re already doing everything else to grow your business. Why would you need to spend money on something that feels like extra work?

But if you want to grow your business, you’re going to have to learn to rely more on technology, and online marketing is a great way to do that. It can help you connect with customers and prospects, gain credibility, and grow your sales. Here are just a few of the ways that online marketing can help your small business.

Attracting More Customers

With customers being able to discover your business anytime, anywhere, online marketing is the perfect way to ensure that they know exactly what you offer and can find you when they need your service or product. You can use various channels to attract potential customers, from search ads to social media.

Search ads are relatively inexpensive and easy to setup, allowing you to target the right audience. You can even choose to pay per click to get the most out of your ad campaign. In addition to search ads, you can also use social media to spread the word about your business. With Instagram and Pinterest growing their own personal brands, many businesses can now use these platforms to gain credibility and establish themselves as an expert in their field.

Boosting Your Local Business’s Reach

While only 24% of businesses currently use online marketing, that number is growing every year. What’s more, 69% of businesses plan to use online marketing to promote their local business. Why? Local marketing allows you to target the right audience, gain credibility, and grow your sales.

To start, you can use social media to gain credibility with your existing customers. By posting regularly and consistently, you’ll be able to establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry—a voice that your customers can trust. And when people trust you, they’re more likely to buy your products or services.

But if you want to go the extra mile, you can set up an online store for your business. An online store that you can run from anywhere, with any device, allows you to truly reach anyone at any time. When a customer is researching products or looking for information, they’ll find your business. And because everything is digital, there will be no distractions. No phones ringing, no meetings to take, and no coworkers to bother.

Gaining Credibility

If you’re looking to establish yourself as an expert in your industry, the best way to do so is through content. Customers all around the world now trust content published by verified experts more than they do marketers, advertisers, or salespeople.

You can even build a following on your own terms, publishing high-quality and engaging content on a regular basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a web developer, or a marketer, you can find an opportunity to contribute to reputable publications.

But the best part of establishing yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry is that customers know what you’re capable of, which helps build credibility. When people see that you’re already recognized as an expert in your industry, it gives you the opportunity to push back on inaccurate or poorly researched information that you come across.

For example, if you’re an expert car mechanic and you see an online review that lists several car repairs as being expensive, you might want to dispute that. Or if you’re an expert baker and you see a review for a certain product that claims it is healthy, you might want to give your opinion on that.

Growing Your Sales

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 69% of businesses plan to use online marketing to promote their local business. Why? Local marketing allows you to target the right audience, gain credibility, and grow your sales.

Even better, you can use various channels to find customers, from search ads to social media. But like most marketing activities, you’re going to have to put in the work to see results. Like any new marketing activity, getting started with online marketing takes some time to figure out, and you’re going to have to ensure that you’re constantly improving your approach, as well as measuring the results of your efforts.