Four States Small Business Blog

There are seemingly infinite digital marketing tactics available, so it can get confusing when it's time to decide which ones are best for your business. However, reading about each and every one would take a while, and when it's time to run promotions, it's important to get moving instead of spending countless hours on research. Yet, with over4 billion internet users worldwide, you can't afford not to add digital solutions to your marketing toolkit.

The end of the year is the ideal time to build your marketing plan for the year ahead. After all, having an annual marketing plan offers a high-level view of your marketing program, keeps your marketing team accountable, ensures your budget stays on track and identifies any gaps in your existing strategy.

Seasonal businesses like home improvement may be tempted to ease up on marketing during the off-months, but this can be a mistake. It's very important to remain consistent throughout the year regardless of the activity level of the company. This helps to ensure that people have your business in mind when the time comes to make buying decisions. It also providesseveral other benefits, like building trust and driving customer loyalty.

While the popularity of jingles might have peaked in the 1950s, the radio jingle is still an invaluable marketing tool. Advertisers have not given up on this clever tool by a long shot. Brands like McDonald’s and Nationwide still work to generate the goodwill and nostalgia that jingles, at their very best, have done so well for nearly a century.

Managing your brand is essential for your digital presence. It allows you to create a consistent brand image and experience across all channels. Digital brand management takes traditional branding practices and applies them across digital mediums to enhance the customer experience. When done right, companies can successfully build brand awareness, engage with customers and expand market reach. Below are some of the top digital marketing solutions to use for your brand management efforts:

There are now almost 4.2 billion people who are active internet users, and 3.4 billion who are active social media users. With that in mind, it's easy to see that a company that does not engage in digital marketing is missing out on opportunities to reach, attract and engage customers online. Fortunately, this type of marketing is inexpensive and the barrier to entry is low, especially when compared to other forms of high-reach advertising.

For brick-and-mortar businesses, local marketing is an effective way to increase brand awareness and reach new customers in your local community. It’s also one of the best ways for local businesses to capture market share from larger competitors located in other areas. And it’s gaining momentum among marketers, as 58% of senior marketers consider local marketing an essential factor for a business’s profitability and growth.

Think social media is just for teenagers? Think again. Social media usage continues to grow across all demographics. In fact, a staggering 3.1 billion people are active social media users in 2018 - that’s nearly half of the world’s total population! Not only that, but 11 new people start using social media every second, with the average American spending more than two hours per day on social media. Given these statistics, it should not come as a surprise that more companies are prioritizing social media as part of their marketing strategy.

According to TalentNow, nearly 73% of employers struggle to find qualified candidates for their open job positions. This is partly due to low unemployment rates, as the national average is 4%. If you can relate, you may have already tried all the usual avenues for finding your next employees, including online job boards like Monster, Indeed and CareerBuilder. And although these boards are popular among job searchers, their one-click applications and lack of vetting can leave you sifting through an unending list of applications from unqualified candidates.

Zimmer Radio recently partnered with Honor Flight of the Ozarks to help them raise awareness and funds to fly veterans to see their war memorials in Washington, D.C. For the second year in a row, Zimmer hosted the Honor Flight Radiothon fundraiser, which has raised more than $43,000 over the past two years. Management, staff and radio personalities from several Zimmer radio stations helped with the fundraiser.