In the digital age, having a website is not a luxury, but a necessity for any small and micro business that wants to grow and succeed. A website is your online storefront, your digital identity, and your most powerful marketing tool. Here are some of the reasons why every small and micro business needs a website in 2024:
 

• Credibility: A website gives your business credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers. It shows that you are serious and professional about your business and that you have something valuable to offer.
• Visibility: A website helps your business get found online by people who are looking for your products or services. It also helps you rank higher on search engines and increase your organic traffic. To achieve this, you need to optimize your website for relevant keywords that your target audience uses to search for your niche.
• Marketing: A website allows you to market your business effectively and efficiently. You can use your website to showcase your brand, products, and services, and to communicate your unique value proposition. You can also use your website to generate leads, capture email addresses, and create sales funnels.
• Sales: A website enables you to sell directly to your customers, without any intermediaries or commissions. You can use your website to display your prices, discounts, and testimonials, and to accept payments online. You can also use your website to upsell, cross-sell, and repeat-sell to your customers.
• Customer service: A website improves your customer service and satisfaction. You can use your website to provide information, answer questions, and solve problems for your customers. You can also use your website to collect feedback, reviews, and referrals from your customers.
• Competitiveness: A website helps you stay ahead of your competitors and differentiate yourself from them. You can use your website to highlight your strengths, advantages, and unique selling points. You can also use your website to follow the latest web design trends and create a memorable user experience.

A website is a must-have for any small and micro business that wants to thrive in 2024. If you need help with creating and managing your website, contact us today and we will be happy to assist you.
 

Social media is a powerful tool for any business that wants to reach and engage with its target audience, increase brand awareness, generate leads, and boost sales. However, not all social media activities are the same, and there are two main terms that you need to understand: social media management and social media marketing. In this blog post, we will explain what these terms mean, how they differ, and why they are both important for your business.

What is Social Media Marketing?
Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms to promote a product or service. It involves creating and sharing content that is specifically designed to achieve a certain goal, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, driving traffic, boosting sales, or building customer loyalty. Social media marketing can help you:
 

• Reach a large and diverse audience and expose them to your brand name, logo, products, and services
• Establish your brand as an authority and a thought leader in your industry
• Create a two-way communication with your audience and foster a sense of community and loyalty among them
• Drive more traffic to your website and landing pages and generate more leads and sales for your business
• Reduce your marketing expenses; social media marketing options are both affordable and effective

What is Social Media Management?
Social media management is the process of creating, scheduling, publishing, and monitoring content on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, etc. It also involves interacting with your audience, responding to their comments, questions, and feedback, and building relationships with them. Social media management can help you:
 

• Maintain a consistent and professional online presence for your brand
• Provide customer service and support to your audience
• Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Gain insights into your audience’s preferences, needs, and challenges
• Identify and collaborate with influencers and advocates in your industry
• Manage your online reputation and handle any negative feedback or crisis

How Do Social Media Management and Social Media Marketing Differ?
Social media management and social media marketing are both essential for any business that wants to grow and succeed in the digital age. However, they are not the same thing, and they require different skills, tools, and strategies. Here are some of the main differences between them:
 

• Social media management is more focused on creating and maintaining a positive and engaging online presence for your brand, while social media marketing is more focused on creating and executing campaigns that drive specific results for your business.
• Social media management is more about building and nurturing relationships with your audience, while social media marketing is more about influencing your audience to take a desired action.
• Social media management is more of an ongoing and long-term process, while social media marketing can be a short-term and goal-oriented process.
• Social media management requires more creativity, communication, and customer service skills, while social media marketing requires more analytical, strategic, and data-driven skills.

Do You Need Both Social Media Management and Social Media Marketing?
Social media management and social media marketing are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. You need both of them to create a holistic and effective social media strategy for your business. Here are some of the reasons why you should remain active across social platforms as well as invest in a social media marketing campaign:
 

• Social media management can help you build a solid foundation for your social media marketing efforts, as it can help you create a loyal and engaged audience that is more likely to respond to your marketing campaigns.
• Social media marketing can help you leverage your social media management efforts, as it can help you reach a wider and more targeted audience that is more likely to convert into leads and customers.
• Social media management can help you optimize your social media marketing efforts, as it can help you monitor and analyze your social media performance, evaluate your results, and identify what worked well and what needs improvement.
• Social media marketing can help you amplify your social media management efforts, as it can help you create and share more valuable and relevant content that showcases your brand value proposition and differentiates you from your competitors.

Social media management and social media marketing are both vital for your business success. If you need help with creating and managing your social media strategy, contact us today and we will be happy to assist you.

Free website services might sound appealing, but the reality is they often come with hidden costs. You might get a few basic pages hosted on their platform, but to have a truly independent website with your own domain name, a unique design, analytics, removal of the builder name from the URL, and removal of ads - all require additional fees. Often, these fees add up to more than what you'd pay with a low-cost hosting company that provides those features from the start.

Not only that, but, at the risk of sounding crass, there’s a reason each of us are in business. You’re not a web designer. If you were a web designer, you’d have your own digital marketing company. You'd be the one writing this blog. But you’re not a website developer; you’ve perfected your craft. By trying to also be the head of digital marketing at your company, you’re taking away valuable time from your company which could be better spent speaking with customers, replying to customers & reviews, headed to appointments, and most importantly, time spent figuring out & keeping up with the latest digital marketing trends leads to time spent away from your family.

Okay, so why choose TMS Digital over the rest?

Sure, we’re not the cheapest – but we also don’t want to be the cheapest. We’re also definitely not the most expensive in town. Our pricing can be as low as a cup of coffee per day from the nearest Speedway or upward of the daily Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks. Some of our “competitors” in the area having the Starbucks analogy as their starting price… So why the difference in price? You might expect better customer service from the more expensive options, but that's not always true. At TMS Digital, we're a small, locally-owned business with lower overhead costs. This allows us to offer competitive pricing without sacrificing on personalized service. We may not have a 24-hour customer service line like some large companies (but let's be honest, “customer service” is kind of an oxymoron when it comes to these big guys), but you'll always be working with a dedicated professional right here in North Carolina.

If you're looking for a cost-effective website solution with a human touch, contact our team at info@tmsdigi.com or 919-553-9042 and let's discuss your needs.