As a small business owner, you’re used to balancing work and life. Maybe you have a young family, a demanding day job, and a social life that just doesn’t end. You probably feel overwhelmed, thinking about all the responsibilities that come with operating a business.

If this sounds like you, you’re in luck because you can outsource some of your stress to an online marketer who can help you put in place the right online marketing strategy for your business. They can help you choose which platforms to use, analyse the results of your campaigns, and make suggestions for improving your online presence.

Here are five ways a marketer can help you grow your business online:

1. Create compelling content

In the past, the only option for finding content was to search for it on a paper magazine or a blog. Then, you would have to either find the piece you were looking for or create your own version of it. Today, with the internet playing a bigger role in people’s lives than ever before, content is available when and where you need it. This makes it possible to continually update your content as new information becomes available.

The beauty of this is you can use content to engage with your audience, draw them in, and make them understand and appreciate your business. A blog post, for example, can include anecdotes about your industry, how other businesses operate, and tips on how to succeed in your chosen field. The possibilities are endless.

2. Use keywords in your content

When someone conducts a search on a digital platform (like Google or Bing), the keywords they use determine which results they receive. When writing content for the web, incorporate your chosen keywords into your sentences where appropriate. This will help attract your target audience to your content when they search for those keywords.

For example, if you’re selling skateboards and you want to attract people looking for skateboard information, you could use phrases like “the best skateboards for beginners”, “which is the best budget for a skateboarder?”, or “how can I become a professional skateboarder?”

3. Build a community

To succeed in business today, you need to be ready to connect with your audience wherever they are. Building a community around your brand ensures you can access the important information you need whenever you need it. You can start by engaging with your followers on social media and by hosting a live chat or Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with your customers.

You can also develop content that supports your community (for example, creating a guide to help people with everyday tasks or establishing a Q&A column where you answer frequently asked questions). You can use your blog to host these conversations or you can use a tool like Telegram to create a group chat where you and your customers can get together to discuss your products and services.

4. Use digital marketing platforms

Setting up a website is among the first things you might consider when starting a business. While they can certainly serve as a starting point for your company, a static website won’t grow your business the way you want it to. You need a platform that allows you to fully engage with your audience and allow them to connect with you at the same time.

Installing and using a CMS (Content Management System) is the simplest and most efficient way to achieve this. A content management system gives you the freedom to write and update content whenever you want without having to contact an expert designer to update your site with the latest trends.

For instance, if you’re a fashion brand whose styles change frequently to keep up with the times, a CMS allows you to quickly and easily update your website with fresh content when it comes out. Your website visitors will appreciate this and your business will benefit from it.

5. Measure the success of your campaigns

To find out what works and what doesn’t, you need to measure the results of your campaigns. This doesn’t mean you have to hire a market research agency to come up with an elaborate questionnaire to measure the success of your marketing efforts, but it can certainly help.

When you choose an agency for digital marketing, they can help set up automatic A/B testing with the various platforms, set up recording on YouTube channels to see how different segments perform, and offer advice on how to make your videos more engaging (e.g. using popular characters or adding funny anecdotes). They can help you choose the right platforms for your business and help you figure out which ones perform best for you.

With the right approach, using the right platforms, and placing the right content on them, you can successfully grow your business online.