Digital Marketing 101
What is digital marketing? Many consider it to be “internet advertising”, however it reaches way further than that. Using digital means to communicate with possible customers is what is referred to as digital marketing. This covers texting (both SMS and MMS) on cell phones, emailing as a marketing technique, utilizing social media for marketing, display ads, search engine optimization (SEO) and leveraging applications.
10 Basic Digital Marketing Strategies to Use
1. Your business website
No matter how frequent you are when it comes to utilizing social media platforms, it still cannot be substituted for having a website for your business. Your website is like the ‘virtual home’ of your business and it is the only place on the internet where you can completely decide what to communicate. It is essential to make sure your website is optimized for mobile use in the year 2019; there is no option to forego this step. Appearance is not as important as making sure the site is friendly to cellphones and other mobile devices.
2. Search engine optimization
SEO is the means of improving website visits through the non-sponsored outcomes search engines generate. SEO involves plenty of intricate factors such as incorporating the correct keywords in your website, maintaining your social media presence, and having external websites link to your site, amongst other elements. A high level of difficulty is an explanation why merely 44 percent of enterprises are investing in SEO, in accordance with Clutch. The upside: If you are part of the 44%, you gain an advantage over the others.
3. Local search engine optimization
It has been reported by Google that since 2015 more inquiries have been made on smartphones than on desktop computers. A large portion of queries occur when people are moving about and seeking local businesses, so Google now has a preference for websites that are tailored for local lookup by including their location and keywords related to the area. Along with enhancing your website for regional search, verify your establishment address on local search sources like Google My Business and ensure that your name, address, and telephone number are listed the same way on all local search sources. Be consistent with how your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is listed across all divisions, omitting any form of “St.” If the details you provide differ from one posting to another, search engines may not be able to detect that they are the same place of business and detrimentally affect your searches.
4. Email marketing
The majority of businesses, about 70%, employ email marketing, making it the third most common digital marketing strategy. Almost half of individuals, regardless of their background, use their phones to access email; out of these people, 81% use their smartphones instead of tablets. Most (33%) of emails opened are done so through a mobile device. When crafting your email advertising correspondence, the emphasis should be placed on mobile-friendliness. Keep them concise; make sure to include a distinct invitation to take action; construct with a one-column layout; and utilize ample blank space to enable users to effortlessly press buttons or links in the email.
5. Social media marketing
Most businesses use social media as their primary advertising tool, according to a report from Clutch: 83% of businesses surveyed have adopted this platform. It is crystal clear why such a high percentage of Americans are on social media: According to Statista, 77% of the population are active users. Ensure you are up-to-date with the newest social platforms and where your audience is engaging (e.g., are they transitioning from Facebook to Instagram?).
6. Content marketing
This technique involves forming digital content (like blog entries, ebooks, white papers, infographics, videos, etc.) to be distributed online. The objective is to lure users to look at your material and take the prescribed action. One example of a good blog post may be “Tips on How to Effectively Prepare Your Home for Winter and Cut Costs.” At the end of the post, it is recommended to include an invitation, such as, “Reach out to us to get a complimentary price estimate for winterizing your house.”
7. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
Digital advertisements that you only pay for when clicked on appear when users are searching the web for words that you used in the ad. The moniker is derived from the idea that you only pay when someone clicks on your advertisement. The most frequently seen PPC ads are on Google (utilizing Google AdWords) but PPC advertisements can also be found on Facebook and other social media networks.
8. Marketing automation
Marketing automation software can take care of many of the mundane, repetitive tasks associated with marketing. For example, it can automatically generate a response or initiate an automated marketing sequence when people submit a lead form. It can plan when you post to your social media accounts, identify the greatest time to send out email newsletters, and other activities.
9. Messaging
You can reach out to customers using various forms of mobile messaging like SMS, MMS, and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber, and WeChat. Messaging applications on mobile phones can take advantage of location-based data to send messages at the right times, like when a person is close to your business, store, or eatery.
10. Online ratings and reviews
You may not traditionally associate online review sites with digital marketing, but they play a huge role in how potential customers regard your company. Approximately 86% of people who use services from local businesses read their reviews, with 95% of 18-34 year olds doing so; 91% of 18-34 year olds put as much trust into online reviews as they would a personal recommendation. Make sure that your postings on review websites are up to date, like you would do with Google My Business. Additionally, provide photographs, explanations, instructions and deals to further enhance your listing. Check your evaluations on a regular basis and answer any negative feedback quickly (and in a kind manner).
1) The importance of user privacy
As the world becomes progressively more interconnected, with it being the norm to share information on the internet, is there still such a thing as privacy? Quite the opposite. People have become more aware of the need to safeguard their privacy while using the internet in recent times. It is imperative to include a privacy policy as an integral part of your digital plan.
Ever since the GDPR started taking effect in 2018, websites have been expected to create a detailed, transparent and up-to-date privacy statement.
The web privacy policy must inform the user about:
The owner of the website (whether it is a person or company) needs to provide their identity, where they are located, and their contact details.
What personal data is collected, stored and processed.
What methods are used to collect such data.
The purpose for which the data is collected.
How the data collected is stored and secured.
At what point and in what manner are people allowed to agree to the gathering and manipulation of their information? What are their rights concerning it and how do they go about exercising those rights?
Which external services are you utilizing for collecting, processing, and saving private information?
Putting a proper privacy policy into your digital plan will create a sense of trust and openness with your visitors and help enhance the reputation of your brand.
2) The rise of inbound marketing as part of a digital strategy
A strategy of marketing and advertising is utilized in inbound marketing to approach possible customers more efficiently. This technique’s goal is to assist potential buyers that have a desire to acquire one of your items or services until they make the purchase. Furthermore, utilizing inbound marketing will bring many advantages to your business, including the ability to acquire leads and build faithful relationships with them.
Is inbound marketing a fad? Many businesses already have some form of marketing strategy that takes advantage of this approach, and there is no denying the vital role it plays in the marketing domain. Inbound marketing is an established method that looks set to thrive for the next decade, and incorporating it into your digital plan can bring about drastic changes to your campaigns’ outcomes.
3) The arrival of the metaverse
If something made 2021 stand out, it is the emergence of the metaverse, and the declaration from Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, which reveals that in the next half-decade, the social media giant will transition from a social networking company to a “metaverse” company.
But what is the metaverse? A digital realm in which multiple individuals can communicate with each other and with digital items is achievable.
We are able to accomplish many tasks through social networks, however, it is always done from the perspective of a two-dimensional screen. It is essential that there is a feeling of being present and the ability to teleport in this new landscape.
The implementation of the metaverse within our society will uphold the new normal and assist sustained digital connections in this era created by COVID-19. Its coming to light isn’t something sudden, however it’s true that after Zuckerberg’s announcement, it has become the focus of analysis and is viewed as one of the most noteworthy tendencies of the next year which will bring about the formation of fresh companies as well as necessitate adjustments of current companies.
4) The expansion of programmatic advertising
Have you ever observed that when you look up information on the internet, ads that relate to your query will continually appear? It is as if the web understands exactly what is required. This is predominantly attributable to programmatic advertising, an up-to-date automation technique that is transforming digital plans and how promotional messages are sent to customers.
This term describes the process of using computers to purchase audiences for advertisements that are specifically chosen according to the purchaser’s interests. This automation simplifies purchasing large numbers of viewers from a single centralized location, all while keeping the advertisements topical and efficient, something that was inconceivable before if each audience was obtained individually.
It is strongly suggested to incorporate programmatic advertising into your digital plan. In this way, your organization’s recognition will be able to reach a more specific crowd in a shorter timeframe, thus creating a favourable environment for purchasing your product or service.
5) Event-focused email marketing
Using workflows during the stages of obtaining customers or retaining customers is an exceptionally effective practice in email marketing. Typically, workflows are activated when an individual meets a set of requirements; once they have entered the automatically running process, they will be sent messages personalized to their details.
Recently, this method has been linked directly to the management of events put together by the brand. The core factor of the operations is honoring this occasion and disseminating news regarding the same. If a company arranges a webinar, they will send messages to the user both before and after the webinar takes place. Thus reinforcing attendance and user interaction.
6) Shopping on TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest
An increasing number of social networks are utilizing their platforms as display areas for sales. They capitalize on the immense amount of people who view content to market their items. In 2021, Instagram rolled out this technology some time prior, however TikTok, a widely-used social media platform, only just included a shopping tab to its accounts within the last couple of months.
In other words, businesses that have a TikTok For Business profile can link their product catalogues to their account, which will give the user the ability to access their eCommerce page directly from the app.
Twitter did not wish to be excluded and has begun an experimental test in which those consumers with a US account can buy items through the social media platform. When people view a profile with the Shopping component, they can look through the company’s merchandise selection and complete their order without having to leave the Twitter site.
Pinterest has jumped on the bandwagon and now offers an option to “shop” on its website. The social network has made the most of its relevance in the decision-making procedure users undertake before buying, by linking them right to the merchants, in order to expedite the procedure.
7) Google Web Stories
Google has recently dazzled us with the unveiling of Stories on its site. This particular style of content is hugely popular among those that frequent social media, providing the ability to make and view instantaneous posts, fostering more direct contact with the audience. In this way, Google is entering the domain of the pioneering platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram by betting on the use of Web Stories which aid brands in attracting visitors to their sites.
Moreover, the making of Web Stories will be advantageous for Google’s web ranking and will boost the visibility of your company.
8) Increasing brand investment in social ads
Brands are turning to social media platforms more and more often as a means of increasing sales. Research conducted by Emplifi shows that the growth of investments in Facebook Ads increased by a mere 3.2% from the beginning to the end of the first two quarters of 2021. Examining the numbers from the prior year, we find that marketers devoted 49.9% more resources during the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of 2019.
9) Creativity in Social Ads: Increasing consumer demand for the content they consume.
Individuals who use social media are increasingly more selective regarding the material they choose to view. Companies encounter a creative issue each time they choose to promote their products on these networks. Users are not happy with plain and basic content, they are searching for something that is outside of the norm and captivates them with what is being promoted.
A successful creative squad is necessary for companies trying to make their ads exceptional and to communicate their brand identity so that it reaches the consumer in the most efficient way attainable.
