As a small business, there’s often a lot on your plate, and while you’re focused on your core offerings, establishing the right digital groundwork early on can significantly benefit your future.
We know the digital world can feel overwhelming, so here’s a straightforward guide to key digital marketing elements you should set up right away as your initial toolkit for success.
1. Start to build your presence on Google
Establishing your Google presence is vital. Set up your Google Business Profile so people can find your essential information easily, making sure things like opening hours and contact details are always up to date.
Your Google business profile also serves as a platform for people to leave reviews; building a strong rating can help build trust with potential customers.
It might be worth offering incentives like vouchers or a prize draw to anyone who leaves a review in order to generate more.
2. Collect data
Whilst some data might not seem necessary straight away, it will be invaluable for understanding your online visibility in the future and help inform decision-making.
By setting up tracking tools now, you can ensure that you’ll start gathering key insights about how your site is performing.
We’d recommend starting with Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console as a starting point. These are free tools that will collect data on website visits and engagement, as well as how your website is ranking for Google searches.
3. Create brand guidelines
To truly make your mark and become instantly recognisable, your business needs a cohesive identity across all of your touch points. This includes everything from your logo and colour palette to the tone of voice in your social media posts and emails.
To ensure this consistency, it’s important to develop clear brand guidelines. These guidelines should document your logo usage, colours, typography, image style, and even your brand’s personality and voice.
By having these standards in place, you make it easier for you, or anyone working on your brand, to maintain the brand’s image across every platform.
4. Be consistent on social media
Keeping up with social media and its fast-paced trends can be a very time-consuming challenge.
Instead of trying to be everywhere, focus on one or two platforms where your ideal customers are likely to be. Meta, encompassing Facebook and Instagram, is often a strong starting point.
By setting up Meta Business Suite correctly, you can efficiently manage both platforms in one place, even posting simultaneously, and managing both inboxes.
Remember, doing one channel really well is more effective than spreading yourself too thin.
5. Build your email database
Email marketing offers a direct channel of communication to your existing or potential customers, which is why building a mailing list as early as possible is crucial.
Set up an email database using a platform like Klaviyo or Mailchimp, choosing one that integrates well with your website platform, and encourage people to subscribe.
Even if you don’t send people emails from day one, when that time comes, you’ll be thankful you have a robust email list to communicate with.
You could also consider how you might segment users early on for more targeted engagement later.
6. Put the SEO fundamentals in place
Finally, get the basics of SEO right from the beginning. Ensure your website loads quickly and has a clear structure.
Pay attention to your page titles and content, making them relevant to what people might search for.
Also, consider optimising your images, ensuring they are a smaller file size to avoid slowing down your site.
Setting up these foundational digital marketing elements now might seem like extra effort during a busy launch. However, the time invested will create a strong platform for growth, provide essential data for future choices, and save potential headaches in the future.
If you need digital marketing support or guidance at any stage, get in touch with our team today — we’re here to help your small business launch strong and grow smarter.