Communications as a means of exchanging value
You know the importance of communications in our day-to-day lives if you relate to other people. The relationship we have with family and friends is directly proportional to our ability to communicate. The more open and reciprocal the communication, the deeper the connection.
Have you ever seen a couple who communicate with your eyes only? Or the way a Mum rolls her eyes in vain exasperation when her little one does something naughty?
Communication is the way of sending information from one party to another. The other party must receive this information, understand it and take a specific action. Simply put, communication is an exchange of information between two or more people to achieve mutual understanding
Digital communications a driver for business revenue
Digital communication is a vital part of marketing because it ensures an increase in revenue for businesses.Many organisations depend on digital communications as a means to showcase their product range , offer solutions to problems , show off their competitive advantage , open dialogue with their consumers and display their core values . It does not matter if it’s a large corporation or a small business, every business needs a strong marketing strategy, and digital communication is part of this. How a (small) business communicates as a brand to its audience sends a message to its consumers. Now, how can small business owners tap into the digital world? How can they communicate using digital platforms in this post-pandemic era?
Communications via digital media simply extend ‘normal’ communication. Communication is a two-way process, which involves listening, understanding, and the subsequent change in the customer’s behaviour.
Know your customer and then speak to them in their language and platform
Every small business owner needs a deep understanding of their core customers, a top-notch engagement strategy and the willingness to synergise the two. It is up to small business owners to know what types of digital communication they need to incorporate into their business strategy.
Here are some important types of digital communications that small business owners must know:
Content Marketing a digital medium for supporting business objectives
Content marketing is an effective digital communication and marketing type that has served many online entrepreneurs and business organisations. Small business owners’ mistake is believing they have only to market their products/services and hope for sales. No! These days, small business owners can do more.
Great content helps you build your expert status and provide value
You can be a reliable source of trust to your audience by providing up-to-date information regarding your niche. This strategy is almost underrated, but it mainly works because it taps into the emotional part of your audience. Think about it; people would prefer to buy from a clothing brand that highlights its audience’s love for fashion and self-confidence. Small business owners must invest time and resources to develop content that transforms the lives of their customers.
The following are examples of Marketing content that can support business growth objectives:
- Email marketing
- Blog
- Webinars
- Online conferences
- Newsletters
- Podcasts
- YouTube
Social Media
Social media platforms have evolved to be a powerhouse for all businesses, especially for small business owners on a limited budget. Social Media is a great resource to advertise and grow your business. Read more about the power of social media for your business growth in our blog.
Social Media is beneficial for achieving your small business objectives
Social Media works; its impact on driving sales and brand awareness is phenomenal. Safe to say that many online entrepreneurs and small business owners are tapping into this as well, especially since there were restrictions to physical communications during the pandemic era. Business growth is the reason small businesses should incorporate social media in communicating with their audience.
Build and grow your social media network
If you haven’t already done so, go and create your online business presence on major social media platforms. The major social networks including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter etc. But first, study your tribe and research the social networks they like. Engage and them with your content on platforms. If you truly understand your dream customers, then it will be easy to find and engage them.
Digital Advertising
We cannot talk about digital communications without discussing digital advertising. Like I mentioned earlier, traditional advertising approaches cannot cut it anymore. Small business owners have to learn how to use digital advertising to communicate with their customers online to ensure growth.
The term digital advertising refers to the use of Google AdSense, Facebook Ads etc., to showcase your product to the online world. Digital advertising professionals develop and execute strategies and tactics that target highly relevant audiences via various channels, such as Google AdWords and Instagram.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
If you searched for something across the line of “digital communications for small business owners” and you stumbled on this blog post, SEO is why you are reading this article. Search engine optimisation exists to connect the right platforms to its right audience using “keyword”. Keywords are those words or phrases you type into the Google search box, which causes several websites and video links to pop up. It is a fundamental part of digital marketing.
The higher the rankings on search engines, the more traffic to your website
To ensure optimal digital communication, small business owners must make sure all their content in the digital world is continuously optimised. Digital properties include your website, Social media, YouTube, Podcasts, Apps and so on.
Small business owners must acquire a deep understanding of analysing and improving the company’s website content to rank higher in search engines. A helpful plugin for your WordPress blogs is Yoast.
Business is about the exchange of value between two parties
Business is about the exchange of value between two parties. As a small business owner, your goal is to give value to your customers by solving your customers’ problems. Digital communications help your business to attain its primary objectives of profitability and growth. Digital communication, like traditional media, helps to create an awareness of your company’s product and services. Internally, digital communications are an excellent way for employees to work on ongoing projects and utilise those channels effectively to collect employee feedback.
For example, during the pandemic, most companies – it did not matter whether large or small – had no choice but to mandate remote work for their employees. Most communications between business owners and customers moved to digital platforms like Zoom, Skype, Microsoft teams and Google hangouts.
During the COVID pandemic, many small businesses were closed, and those who survived could pivot. In an article by Emily Guerin, she writes that a survey of 22,000 entrepreneurs in California’s small business development centresfound that over half of the small business owners changed how they served customers. These changes were to accommodate social distancing. Agile small businesses, those that responded to the changing ecosystem, survived.
A brilliant example of agility is Wanderlust Creamery, an artisanal ice cream shop in Los Angeles County. Before March 2020, the in-store experience was core to their business model. Employees encouraged customers to linger in line, sampling as many unusual flavours (like sticky rice and mango) as they wanted.
When stay-at-home orders, Lopez realised that offering unlimited samples indoors was risky for his employees. So, wanderlust temporarily stopped offering scoops instead of selling pints of ice cream to go. Lopez also re-built his website so people could order pints online. He had no idea what to expect, but it was shockingly well-liked.
“For four years, online wasn’t even a thing on our radar,” he said, “and now that the pandemic is here, I can have a conversation about e-commerce with people, which is crazy because I sell ice cream!”
He estimates that 30% of his business now comes from shipping hand-packed pints of homemade ice cream around the country.
For four years, online wasn’t even a thing on our radar,” he said, “and now that the pandemic is here, I can have a conversation about e-commerce with people, which is crazy because I sell ice cream!“
The simple things of life
Digital communication is a straightforward concept. As humans, we have been communicating with each other in verbal and non-verbal means. Digital communication takes the same idea and delivers it via the internet.
My challenge is finding your voice and using the platforms mentioned above to reach out, add value, engage, and grow your audience. The stronger the relationship with your audience, the closer you will be to achieving your business objectives.