6 Tips For Businesses Interested in Long Island Digital Marketing

Long Island Digital Marketing | Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

For those who may be unfamiliar, digital marketing is a form of promotion that utilizes internet and online based technologies including SEO, social media, and email, to elevate, and/or sell a product or service. Though the concept of digital marketing is one that spans the globe, smaller businesses with less of an online presence typically need to narrow down their prospects to stay within budget and generate meaningful leads.

When it comes to Long Island digital marketing, having a cohesive plan that will translate into a base of loyal customers requires a sense of strategy. While this can feel like unchartered territory to those new to the digital marketing space, there are lots of ways to be creative and achieve success. 

Below are 6 tips to get you started:  

Business Tips & Long Island Digital Marketing

Know Your Audience

Long Island is a unique place to live in that it is made up of many small towns and communities. Each of these neighborhoods have distinct histories and values that determine what people are doing, as well as what they’re interested in. For a business it’s important to understand the community you are attempting to engage, and just how to engage them. This is where demographics come in. 

In January of this year Forbes Senior Contributor Walter Loeb reported that at 77%, daily Facebook use is highest in millennials (18-34 year olds). Comparatively, 68% of use was reported for 35-to-54 year olds and 52% for the 55-plus age group. However, purchasing behavior for millennials seems substantially higher on platforms like Instagram. To that end Loeb writes (of millennials),“ They are the dominant generation using social media and the most likely to make online purchases. This group is shaping the future of how we do businesses. They are influenced by online advertising as well as the people they follow on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.”

Once you understand who it is you’re targeting you’ll be in a better position to determine which platforms will benefit your business. Sure, having an Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok sounds great. However, if you don’t have the time, capacity, or manpower to dedicate to each of these apps, then you may want to cut it down to the ones that will produce the most interaction. For example, if you’re targeting a broad age range, Facebook and Instagram are both safe bets. Plus, those accounts can be linked to create an easier posting schedule. Conversely, if your demographic is much younger, you may want to try investing your time into Instagram and TikTok. 

Spend With A Purpose 

When a brand properly places digital ads they have the power to successfully target leads both in their area and in surrounding communities. However, if they choose not to take an individualized approach, they run the risk of wasting marketing dollars on an inappropriate audience or through an ill fitting platform. This is especially true for service based businesses like salons or fitness studios. After all, if you’re from Riverhead, you probably won’t be driving to Garden City for a haircut. 

As you will come to learn, spending is not a one size fits all situation, and what works for one will not work for all. Because businesses operate within a budget, it’s up to you to determine where you will get the most bang for your buck. 

In a blog posted by Blue Fountain Media, Hitesh Sahni, a Marketing Consultant for Smemark, provided this sound perspective: “It's imperative to understand the value each channel offers. Search advertising platforms, such as Google Adwords, work best when there is a clear demand for your product or service, and you want to target people who search for your product or service online. Search advertising is less effective for a startup that has created a new and innovative product never before seen in the market.

Or for something that most people buy at brick and mortar stores and rarely search online. In these cases, you want to create demand from scratch. That's where Facebook fills the gap. Facebook users fill out their profile with demographic details and other interests. This means you can target people who are likely to be interested in your business, whether they are searching for your business or not." 

Utilize SEO 

SEO or search engine optimization is a great way to increase your internet footprint, and should be considered by all businesses interested in Long Island digital marketing. This process focuses on growing the traffic and visibility of your website through users of a web search engine.

A great way to do this organically is by creating a blog. For Long Island businesses specifically, getting granular with your keywords can help you to grab onto a more local market. To that end, AJ Beltis, a HubSpot Content Optimization Specialist says, “incorporating an SEO strategy into your topic selection and blog writing is the best way for long-term traffic growth.” For those unfamiliar with SEO, he also recommends using sites like Ahrefs or SEMRush to figure out what other people within your field are searching and talking about. 

Mobilize The Customer Experience 

Anyone that has ever had a frustrating online experience knows firsthand how off-putting the encounter can be. So much so, in fact, it may even deter you from interacting with that business in the future. 

It goes without saying that no brand wants to miss out on a potential lead because of their website. So here’s how to avoid the issue: make sure your website translates to mobile. If someone is surfing the web, there’s a strong chance they’re doing so on their phone. Therefore, your business has to keep up with the trend. Otherwise, a lead may become frustrated, click off your page, and simply move on to the next option. 

Aesthetics Matter

Creating a recognizable aesthetic for your brand is essentially like putting a face to a name. Fonts, colors, and tag lines all help businesses to create an identifiable profile for consumers to connect with. If your company is truly in it for the long haul, you must be willing to pivot and grow with the times. However, email blasts, web pages, and social media posts should always remain aesthetically consistent.  

Think of it this way. Every so often you head to the salon for a haircut or pick up a new outfit at your favorite store. Sure this enhances your look and keeps you feeling your best. However, if someone saw you on the street, they would still recognize you despite your new sweater. The same goes for your business. Staying fresh and evolving your content is important, but remembering not to lose your core in the process is too. 

Make It About More Than The Sale 

At the end of the day consumers are human beings, and they will recognize if they’re being looked at like a sale. As a business it is your job to not only provide people with a quality service/ product, but to also make them feel like their needs are being heard. Whether it’s through blogs, thoughtful emails, or informational Instagram captions, create content that offers followers an opportunity to educate themselves without having to spend money. Letting your community know that you care about them beyond a sale will not only turnover leads but also inspire brand loyalty in the long run.

So when it comes to your digital marketing strategy, be sure to incorporate information that isn’t strictly pushing people to spend. For instance, if you’re a mattress company, perhaps write a blog about improving your sleep hygiene or create an IGTV that educates followers on which mattresses are best for an active lifestyle. Who knows, you may be surprised by how many people appreciate and connect with your content. 

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Long Island digital marketing is a niche area of focus for businesses local to the area. And while many of the overarching rules for success may be the same wherever you live, it is imperative that you consider your individual community when constructing a strategy for the digital space.

Properly identifying and connecting with an audience geographically local to your to business is especially important for service based companies or those that rely on creating face to face interactions. However, as we’ve come to discuss in this article, successful Long Island digital marketing extends beyond grabbing at leads. Instead it requires that brands hone in on what makes them unique and utilize a combination of aesthetics, educational content, and ad dollars to leave an impact. 

Have any questions about your digital marketing strategy? Send me an email James@thehhub.com to chat.

If you liked this piece, don’t forget to read 4 Essential Content Pillars For Your Brand's Marketing Strategy