Digital marketing for small business BD — A practical 10-year expert guide

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1 day ago
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Quick snapshot: why now

Internet and social media use in Bangladesh are growing fast: at the start of 2025 there were about 77.7 million internet users (44.5% penetration) and roughly 60 million social media identities — meaning a substantial share of your local customers are reachable online. DataReportal – Global Digital Insights

Facebook alone accounts for tens of millions of users in Bangladesh — a core channel for most small businesses. NapoleonCat

Tanjid's Studio is a Dhaka-based digital & creative agency with deep experience running paid and organic campaigns for local clients; you can learn more at https://www.tanjid.com/. Tanjid's Studio+1

1) Start here: audit & must-have assets (week 1)

Think like a buyer: what would a new customer need to trust you and buy?

Checklist:

Claim your Google Business Profile (GBP) — address, hours, photos, and 3-5 real reviews.
Simple mobile-first landing page (single page is fine) with clear contact button (“Call / WhatsApp / Order”).
Facebook Page + Instagram (both linked) — profile image, short “About” text, contact CTA.
Basic analytics — add Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console to your site.
Payment options — clearly show how customers pay (bKash, Nagad, card, cash on delivery).

Why this order? Local discoverability (GBP + mobile page) converts faster and costs less than sprinkling money on ads before people can trust you.

2) Organic channels that return value for small budgets

Local SEO & Google Business Profile

Local searches like “nearby” and “open now” are high intent. Make sure your GBP has:

Accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
5 photos of the shop, products, staff.
Weekly posts (offers, new stock, behind-the-scenes).
Respond to every review — positive or negative.

Facebook & Instagram (content that sells)

For small business BD, Facebook is still the main discovery platform — product posts, short videos (15–60s), customer testimonials, and catalogue posts work well. Use carousel posts for product sets and keep captions short with a clear CTA (WhatsApp → Order).

Short video platforms

Short videos (Reels / YouTube Shorts) that show your product in use, a 20-second demo, or a satisfied customer clip get high organic reach. Use local language (Bangla) to build trust.

3) Paid channels: where to spend first (and how much)

Start with Facebook / Instagram Ads because of cost efficiency and targeting options. Suggested first-month budget for a very small business: $100–$300 (10,000–30,000 BDT) — enough to test audiences and creatives.

Ad structure:

Campaign objective: Messages (WhatsApp/Facebook Messenger) or Traffic (to landing page).
Ad set: Target radius around your city/town, interest targeting (e.g., “skin care” or “restaurant lovers”), and lookalike audiences after you have 100+ customers.
Creative: 1 static image + 1 short video. Use user testimonials, and always include price/offers.

Google Search Ads — add when you have at least 2–4 months of data from Facebook or when search volume for your product exists. Lower intent keywords like “cheap [product] near me” can convert well.

Budget tip: Pause ad sets that don’t convert after 7–10 days. Reinvest in the winners.

4) Offer formats that convert in BD

Small businesses in Bangladesh see strong conversion from:

Limited-time offers + WhatsApp CTA (use urgency but be honest).
Bundle discounts (e.g., buy 2, get 1).
Paid trials or samples for product categories like beauty or food.
Home delivery + easy payment messaging prominently displayed on all ads and pages.

5) Measure what matters (KPIs to track)

Primary (revenue-linked):

Cost per lead (WhatsApp/message) — track via FB ad reporting.
Cost per order / ROAS (return on ad spend) — track via conversion tags and a simple sales spreadsheet.
Average order value (AOV).

Engagement + discovery:

Click-through rate (CTR)
Message response time (shorter is better — aim <2 hours)
Review score & review volume on GBP

Use data to iterate weekly. Small wins compound fast.

6) 90-day practical plan (playbook)

Days 1–7

Claim GBP, build single landing page, connect WhatsApp, set up FB page.
Add Google Analytics & Meta pixel.

Days 8–30

Publish 12 social posts (3 per week): 4 product posts, 4 customer stories, 4 short videos.
Launch a low-budget traffic/messages ad (test 3 creatives).

Days 31–60

Scale the ad set that gives lowest CPL; test a new audience.
Collect 10 reviews (incentivize with small discount).
Start email/SMS list (export from orders).

Days 61–90

Introduce a special promotion with paid push on best performing channel.
Review 90-day numbers: CPL, conversion rate, ROAS — double down on winners.

Helpful enhancements (templates & micro-assets)

90-day content calendar (weekly)

Mon: Product highlight + CTA to WhatsApp
Wed: Short video / demo (20–45s)
Fri: Customer testimonial or UGC
Sun: Offer or bundle push

Ad copy swipe file (3 lines)

Headline: “Fresh [product] in Dhaka — Order on WhatsApp”
Body: “Limited stock today — 20% off on first order. Tap to message.”
CTA: “Message on WhatsApp”

Basic A/B test matrix

Creative A vs Creative B (static image vs short video)
CTA: “Call” vs “WhatsApp”
Audience 1 (radius 10 km) vs Audience 2 (interest based)

Real example (how Tanjid's Studio would run it)

Tanjid's Studio has worked on local ads, creative video, and landing pages for Dhaka clients — combining VFX and short-form video to make product demos more engaging. For a small product launch, we’d:

Make a 20s product demo (mobile vertical)
Set up FB lead ads sending people to WhatsApp
Run audience tests for 7 days, pause losers, scale winners. Tanjid's Studio+1

Author & review box

Author: Tanjid's Studio — Digital Marketing Team, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Website: https://www.tanjid.com/ (services: Facebook advertising, SEO, Google Ads, creative video). Tanjid's Studio

Reviewed by: Tanjid's Studio leadership (internal review). Company profile (BASIS) and service overview available. BASIS

FAQ

Q: How many times should I post on Facebook each week? A: Start with 3 posts per week (product, video, testimonial). If engagement grows, move to daily — but never sacrifice quality for quantity.

Q: What’s a realistic monthly ad budget for a small shop in Dhaka? A: For tests, 10,000–30,000 BDT (≈ $100–$300) is realistic. Use the first month to discover what creative and audience convert.

Q: Do I need a website or is Facebook enough? A: A simple mobile landing page + GBP is enough early on. A full website helps with SEO and repeat customers, but landing pages convert quickly for paid ads.

Q: Which platform should I pick first? A: Facebook (and Instagram through FB Ads Manager) — it still reaches the largest local audience in Bangladesh. NapoleonCat

Q: How long before I see sales from ads? A: You should see initial leads within 3–7 days once ads run, but expect 4–8 weeks to optimize towards profitable ROAS.

Q: How should I handle delivery & payment info in marketing? A: Be explicit. “Home delivery available — pay by bKash/card/COD” in every ad and on your landing page.

Final notes — short checklist to start today

Claim GBP and add 5 photos.
Make a one-page mobile site with a WhatsApp CTA.
Run one 7-day Facebook campaign with 2 creatives and 2 audiences.
Track leads in a simple spreadsheet and follow up fast.

If you want, I can:

Draft the 90-day content calendar for your exact product/service, or
Create three short ad copy variations and a sample landing page wireframe for Tanjid's Studio to use.

Sources & quick references:

Internet & social stats for Bangladesh (Digital 2025 report). DataReportal – Global Digital Insights
Facebook user counts in Bangladesh (NapoleonCat January 2025). NapoleonCat
Tanjid's Studio — company website. Tanjid's Studio
Tanjid's Studio — BASIS company profile PDF. BASIS
We Are Social / Digital 2025 overview. We Are Social Australia