This document was produced by FSB in June 2021

Business Basics:How to easily improve your digital strategy on a budget

Business Basics: How to easily improve your digital strategy on a budgetHave a big impact with a small budget with our top tips for improving your digital marketing strategy. From research to free courses, grow your online presence with our beginner-friendly guide.

What’s included?

A digital strategy is so important for any small business, and the pandemic has shown just how vital online marketing has been as businesses adapted and pivoted to changing circumstances.

But where do you start with digital marketing if you’re on a budget? Even if you don’t have the capacity to hire a team of professionals, there’s plenty you can do to amplify your message without breaking the bank or sacrificing your valuable time. Equipped with free tools, courses, and some technical know-how, you’ll be well on your way to spreading the word online.

In this guide, we’ll help you to start building and improving your plan so you can engage with current and potential customers online. Whether you’re aiming for increased brand awareness or those all-important sales, you’ll develop a clear direction to reach your goals.

An overview of the key areas of a digital strategy

5 ways you can take your strategy to the next level on a budget

10 tips for creating a successful online advert

Free social media planner template

What should be in a digital strategy?

A digital strategy is your plan to achieve your goals and build your online presence. You might be an e-commerce business looking to boost your visibility, or a bricks and mortar shop wanting to attract more footfall. Before we jump into how you can improve your strategy, let’s dive into the different channels available to you.

WebsiteWhether you’re running an e-commerce business, accept additional orders or reservations online, or simply want to display information for potential customers and clients, a well-designed and thought-out website is often central to your online presence.

Your website is your virtual shop front, where potential customers can stay in the know about new products and offers, as well as find out more about your business and read testimonials. A relevant, well-maintained website is an asset to any business. It can help bring new customers into the fold whilst reinforcing your brand identity in the minds of existing customers.

If you don’t yet have a website, there are many accessible and affordable options out there to get you started.

Top tip Maintain the

momentum by regularly reviewing your

website to encourage customers to keep

coming back.

Social media platformsFrom sharing your latest offers on Facebook to updating your LinkedIn with insightful content on your company culture, social media is a valuable platform for small businesses.

When should I post?If you aren’t sure when your customers are active, knowing the most popular posting times on social media can give you a good starting point until you can measure which posts are performing better. The best time for you to post your content will vary based on the demographic of your audience and your sector.

Identify which social media platform is best for your business

Think about your target audience, your content strategy and what you want to share

Stay in the loop with trends, industry news and your competitors

Top tip Check your analytics

to see when your followers are most

active and post during these times.

Paid advertising Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a great option if your business is looking for results on a budget. You can advertise on social media platforms with Facebook Ads, or on search engines like Google or Bing.

Budget-friendly – you can set a limit of how much you want to spend, down to the day, on a particular campaign

You only pay when someone clicks on your advert or takes an intended action, such as an impression

How much you pay for each click is known as your cost-per-click (CPC), and this can vary depending on factors including your ad quality, what keywords you’re targeting and your industry

Targeted advertising on platforms like Facebook means you can get your message in front of your ideal customer

Access detailed metrics so you know how your advert is performing

Ability to set up retargeting campaigns

• What are you advertising in your campaign?

• Who do you want to target?

• What is your goal? (e.g., brand awareness, traffic, lead generation or sales)

• What is your budget?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)Grow your digital footprint with search engine optimisation. SEO is the process of designing your website and its content so that it appears near the top of the list in search results. Search engines use an algorithm to rate websites based on several factors, including relevancy, speed, and authority. It does this to give searchers the results that best match their question or search term. The better your website meets these criteria, the more likely it is to appear higher up in the results.

After all, when was the last time you went to the second page of Google?

Bitesize tasks…

• Write a blog post about your new product launch or industry news

• Share recipes or how-to guides

• Update a page with new information

• Add links to new products or services

Top tipTake advantage of local SEO (‘cake decorator Blackpool’)

and longer keywords (‘vintage style wedding cakes’) to get

in front of local users who are closer to the purchasing stage of their journey and increase

your conversions.

Are there relevant keywords on your site?

Have you avoided ‘keyword stuffing’ (using keywords too often)?

Is your content designed with the reader in mind?

Do your external links work, such as to social media and other websites?

Is it easy to find out more information and how to contact you?

Most importantly, is it easy to order products or services?

Email marketingEmail marketing allows you to communicate directly with your customers and potential customers, keeping them in the know about your latest offers or product/service launches. There are several platforms online where you can build emails using a simple template. Lots of emails land in our inboxes every day, so how can you break through the noise, win the attention of your customers and, most importantly, convert them?

Growing your email listAre you offering exclusive content or discounts? Will those on your newsletter list be the first to know about a new launch? Whatever it is, let people know. Your sign-up section on your website should have a short line about why someone would want to receive emails from you. If someone knows what they’re signing up for, they’re more likely to open and click on your emails.

Launch a newsletter with valuable content to start building an email list

Set up a loyalty scheme for existing customers and promote early access

Email marketing lets you segment and target groups of your audience

Order updates, booking confirmations, reminders about abandoned carts

Top tip A/B testing is where

you create two different versions of your email to see which performs better, such as different

subject lines or sending times.

Online review platformsIf your customers leave glowing reviews on Facebook, Google, Trustpilot or other platforms, share this to build trust in your brand and show off your customer service skills.

Have you…

How to respond to a negative reviewOnline reviews are a great opportunity to turn a negative into a positive by showing how you handle complaints with excellent customer service.

1. Resist the temptation to react immediately in the heat of the moment. Calm down and collect your thoughts.

2. Visit your pages every day. The worst type of online complaint or review is one that isn’t responded to within 24 hours because this hints at slow processes and poor customer service.

3. Say when the issue is resolved. Respond to a public complaint in a public way. Apologise for any shortcomings relating to your product or service, then set out what you have done to rectify matters. If the criticism is unfair, tactfully state that you are sorry they feel this way, that you have hundreds of satisfied customers, but you appreciate their comments.

4. Take it offline. If the complaint is especially complicated or extremely embarrassing to your business, quickly find an alternative way to communicate with the customer. Ask if you could message them privately or contact them by phone or email but remind customers not to share their details publicly on the review platform.

Responded to your reviews and encouraged customers to spread the word?

Highlighted glowing testimonials on your website?

Shared recent product reviews or photos taken by happy customers on your social media channels?

Encouraged your customers to tag your social media accounts in their posts?

Ready to take your digital strategy to the next level on a budget?

1. Do your researchAs you can see, your digital strategy will relate to a lot of areas in your business, from selling online to your marketing plan.

Start by asking yourself:

• Who is your target audience?

• Who are you currently communicating with?

• Are you talking to the right people?

• Are you clear about your offering and what you want to share?

• Who is your competition? What’s working well for them?

You can then apply this to where you concentrate your efforts in your digital marketing strategy. For example, there’s little point in doubling down your efforts on posting on LinkedIn if most of your target audience is using Twitter and Facebook. Setting goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) will allow you to:

Keep track of your progress

Make the most of any opportunities

Spot areas for improvement

2. Plan, plan, planHave you ever reached the end of a busy day only to realise you forgot to post about your new offer on social media? Or maybe you’re always sending out rushed newsletters at the last hour or forgetting to set up a new paid advertising campaign? Planning your content and digital communications in advance is an easy way to save time and cut down on the stress of last-minute posting.

Whether it’s your Twitter feed, website or email newsletter, a plan for your digital communications means you’ll:

Have a regular feed of fresh content for your target audience

Stay on top of trending topics, seasonal events and other opportunities

Always serve valuable and high-quality content

Improve your SEO by having up to date content

Link in with your overall marketing and business objectives

Date Time Post type Text for post Image Posted?

Date Time Post type Text for post Image Posted?

Date Time Post type Text for post Image Posted?

Date Time Post type Text for post Image Posted?

Social Media ScheduleHow to use this planner

Fill in the blanks below to plan out your social media posts and stay on top of communicating with your customers. Whether it’s an exciting new product launch or #InternationalDogDay, keep all your amazing ideas in one place and never miss another post!

3. Test and measureStep back and look at what you’re communicating online. What performs well and how can you replicate that? Many platforms have basic analytics built-in that can give you valuable insights into when your followers are online, which pages of your website are the most popular and how many people clicked on the offer in your last email.

Unfortunately, not everything goes to plan, so if something doesn’t resonate with your audience, what can you learn from that and do differently in the future? Measuring your reach and engagement gives you an indication of how you’re performing and if your strategy is turning clicks into conversions. For example, are people visiting your website, making a booking, or buying your products because of your online activity? Or are you losing them somewhere in the journey?

Keeping a close eye on your data means you can be savvy with your budget and understand how best to use it. You might need to invest in website upgrades, or it could be as simple as crafting a clear call to action.

4. Improve the user journeyOn a similar note, think about if there is anything that might frustrate or confuse a potential customer on your website, which might cost you a sale. Could your e-commerce checkout process be a couple of steps shorter, so it’s much easier

to complete a sale? Could you add a direct link to your latest offer in your Instagram bio, rather than just a link to your home page?

Questioning your own online presence in this way can help you improve parts of it that you otherwise might not have

thought about. It can help you spot site errors, broken page links or overly complicated journeys, which could otherwise slip through the cracks. Aim for a maximum of three clicks to get anywhere on your website if possible. You should also be left with a more efficient, easier to use, and better designed website.

5. Take a free courseThere are lots of free digital marketing resources online to get started with, pitched to all abilities. You can test the waters with a beginner friendly course or stretch your skills with more advanced resources. If you prefer to learn in a collaborative environment, search for free events near you.

Our beginner-friendly social media marketing series, hosted by Be More Social, is a great place to start. Social media is a key tool for small businesses, and the best part is that it’s mostly free. You’ll learn how to curate Twitter lists, level up your LinkedIn skills, and boost your presence on Facebook. With on-demand videos, tasks and further reading for each lesson, it’s ideal for busy small business owners.

10 tips for creating a successful online advert

New to online advertising or want to up your game without breaking the bank? Here are ten things to remember when creating your next online promotion.

1. Craft a clear messageYou might think your advert is obvious, but it may not be to a potential customer. Try summarising the services or products you offer and decide on your ‘elevator pitch’ before you move onto your text.

2. Make an impact with your headlineGrab attention with powerful, active words. Appeal to emotions. Invite readers in with a question. Keep your headline short, clear, and specific to your promotion.

3. Use eye-catching imageryA picture paints a thousand words, so use striking imagery to make an impact and say more with less. Your image should be on brand, support your key message and comply with any copyrights your image may have.

4. Keep it on brandStand out from the crowd with your brand identity

and be remembered by future customers. A distinctive logo, catchy slogans and a solid marketing message are all important here to increase awareness.

5. Include a call to actionWhat should someone do next? Whatever the

desired outcome, a clear call to action is crucial for a winning advert. Use direct phrases with

urgency, such as ‘visit our website to learn more’, ‘call us today’ or ‘save your spot now’.

6. Use custom URLs or referencesBy asking people to visit a certain webpage or quote a specific campaign term, you can measure how many people are responding to your adverts and see what works.

7. Make your words countYour advert needs to be engaging and inspire action from a consumer. You know your business better than anyone else, so think about what you want potential customers to know.

8. Check your websiteIf you’re going to be directing people to your website, you’ll want to make sure you’re making a good impression. Keep it alive by regularly adding fresh content, exciting photos and showcase what you do best.

9. Support your campaign on social mediaUpdate your cover photos to match with your campaign or use a campaign hashtag to get everyone involved and introduce your business to more people.

10. Include your contact detailsMake sure these are correct and up to date. The last thing you want is to be missing out on sales because your emails are going to the wrong address!

Stretch your skills

• Level up your online presence and learn the benefits of creating video content.

• From interviews and article features to advertorials, there are lots of ways to get your name out there in the conversation. Our PR experts share their top tips for promoting your brand.

• Launch your brand online with our handy guide to running an e-commerce business.

Want to learn more? Brush up on your business knowledge and dive into in-depth resources on everything from social media marketing and business finances to managing a team and getting paid on time. With downloadable guides, on-demand webinars and more, our skills hub is home to valuable resources and guidance for small business owners.

Discover more:

fsb.org.uk/skills-hub