At a recent lecture to website and mobile app developers, digital marketing strategist David Whitaker discussed his keys to success in navigating an ever-evolving digital landscape. “It is easy to become overwhelmed as a small business owner.

While it may seem obvious that having some form of online presence will be valuable for their business, understanding the language and jargon necessary to compete in that digital environment can be overwhelming.” What is digital marketing and why is it such a critical component for a small business? What strategies should they be focusing on? These are the kinds of questions that business owners want to know more about and it’s important that digital marketing professionals be prepared to answer them.

Mr. Whitaker started the discussion by focusing on what digital marketing is and what tools are necessary to compete in a technological space where small business owners might not be familiar. “Digital marketing is a term that incorporates business marketing along with the digital tools necessary to do this successfully in an online space: websites, mobile apps, email, search engines and social media. By having such tools at your disposal, small business owners are more likely to move their business forward and take advantage of the efficiencies of scale that the internet affords.” The second half of the lecture involved some solid places to start for any digital marketing professional working with small business owners.

Start a blog. “Blogs are a great way to get those who might be interested in a product or service to learn more about the people behind it. Whether you’re sharing information about new products being launched or the people behind the scenes, blogs are a great way to enlighten and educate readers while building trust in a brand.”

David Whitaker, a seasoned professional in the digital development arena, felt that video content for social media is a “game changer.” David explained how video is the fastest-growing segment of digital marketing and whether it involves posting pictures on Instagram or to a company’s Facebook page, people gravitate to video as a means of learning with a visual sense rather than having to read text all the time. “When you use videos in your digital marketing campaign, you’re adding a more approachable element to your business which is extremely effective for building brand awareness and building up a customer base.”

Another great tool for a digital marketing professional is the mastery of the social media platform. David Whitaker explained that “while it is important to be on them all, mastering one is essential for small business owners.” David advised, “Whether it is Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter, try to start with the one platform that you feel your client’s customer base would use. Trying to manage a dozen different social media platforms can be overwhelming and leave you lacking in quality as a result of frustration. Best to start slowly and learn what works before taking on additional platforms.”

There are many more digital marketing strategies to consider, but attempting to take on too much at a time can leave people feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Slow, steady progress is what is necessary to reap the rewards that the internet offers. “Slow you grow; fast you crash” is what David says. Small business owners are already wearing multiple hats and now having to learn all the ins and outs of the digital marketing world can be too much to handle, and this is why many small business owners will be turning to digital development professionals (like the website and mobile app developers attending the lecture) for their digital marketing needs.