Should Small Businesses adopt a Digital Marketing Strategy?
Digital Marketing Fundamentals
According to HubSpot, digital marketing is any marketing activity within a digital space, platform, or channel. That means inbound marketing, outbound marketing, and (purportedly) any miscellaneous action as long as it occurs or is presented in a digital space.
While HubSpot is a phenomenal resource, this definition doesn't strengthen the position of the next-generation marketer. With a strict delineation like that, the inverse (analog marketing) is any activity that's not within a digital space, platform, or channel. My view is that it's problematic due to the isolation of thought.
Especially in the B2B small business and business services space, small isolated practices exist. Think of these like vernal ponds. They exist within their region, are isolated, and have an ecosystem that's functional but separated from industry's best practices at large.
These SMBs will have operational, sales, and marketing strategies or actions unique to their team members, community, and regional partners. These practices are successful. They are tried and true and translated into digital.
Likewise, modern thinking and practices of digital-first marketing can be presented into the analog SMB space successfully. Moreover, a new generational perspective can enhance existing outbound tactics.
When working in one of these vernal ponds, all marketing efforts should be multilateral; and the segmentation of digital and non-digital must be avoided unless the team composition is large or immersive enough to ensure consistent sharing of data, strategy, and methodology.
An ending note: plenty of contemporary digital marketers have an inbound and content marketing bias. Some outbound strategies are presented in a negative light by "...aim[ing] to put marketing messages in front of as many people as possible in the online space-- regardless of whether it's relevant or welcomed" (source: HubSpot).
There's room for both old and new dogs to share their book of tricks.
