You do not need a double page glossy spread in a high-end magazine — or a billboard of the side of a highway — to effectively market your product. No matter what their budget, small businesses have access to the same quality of marketing. What sets great campaigns apart from the mediocre is the creativity that is employed when putting them together.

The power of social media

If you were to ask any young entrepreneur what digital marketing is, the first thing that they would probably say is Facebook, Twitter or the name of another social media network.

Although seasoned digital marketing professionals know that social media is a small part of this type of marketing, the reason why social media marketing is top of mind for the youth is that this is how they interact with the world around them.

This almost expert knowledge of social media helps the youth enormously, as they are well versed in how to use these networks to the advantage of their businesses — oftentimes without having to resort to paid-for advertising solutions on these networks.

A similar user experience across platforms

Another great advantage of social media for promoting one's business is that the user experience of these networks is pretty much the same whether you're using a laptop, tablet or smartphone.

This is a massive advantage for entrepreneurs as they do not have to fork out money unnecessarily on infrastructure that they may not need. This leaves this extra capital available to them to use in other parts of their business.

2019 was a watershed year for SMMEs with the president's support being pledged to them. In 2020, the digital marketing industry will be well-poised to take their businesses to the next level.

The Digital School of Marketing is an online provider of accredited social media courses and digital marketing education.

For more information, visit www.digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za or contact [email protected]. You can also follow DSM on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.