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Once upon a time, advertising was different – in the olden days of the 1980s, we walked uphill both ways through blizzards just to look at billboards. Now, in modern times, full-print ads, TV commercials, and radio spots no longer dominate. As a business owner, you’re well aware of this – you’ve adapted to the times and replaced traditional marketing, at least in part, with digital marketing. But, is that enough?
Digital marketing is a rapidly growing field and that means being in the game might not suffice – you have to be winning the game, too. So, how do you do this? It starts with the following:
Offer comprehensive content
As recent as a few years ago, quantity of content was more important than quality – people churned out blogs and articles as quickly as possible. That’s no longer the case. Today, quality is more important. It’s not enough to post content; you must post good content. This means giving your readers something they want – entertainment, information, writing that make them feel fears or cheers or tears. In short, give people something they’re interested in. Otherwise, your blog will just be all dressed up with no place to go.
Provide mobile capabilities
We live in a world where everyone – even our kids – have cellphones. And we don’t only use these to call people (some of us never use these to call people). We use them for work and play and everything else along the way. Thus, in order to have a strong digital presence, make sure your mobile capabilities are solid. According to Smart Insights, people spend 71 percent of their digital minutes on mobile devices.
Pay for ads on social media
Social media can do a lot for your digital marketing efforts – Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are exceedingly popular. And you can certainly use social media platforms to build your presence in an organic manner. However, paid ads can take your brand to the next level. They allow you to target a specific audience, which ups the odds of securing new customers. And they don’t need to cost an arm and a leg, either – you can set your own budget, keeping all of your limbs in the process.
Seek influencer relationships
Per Forbes, the vast majority of people – over 90% – trust influencers more than celebrity endorsements. So, how do you get influencers to influence your customers? Establish a relationship that is mutually beneficial. You can start this process by simply asking an influencer to review your product. Many influencers will, especially if you show them that you want to know what they truly think.
Utilize email marketing
Reports of the death of email have been greatly exaggerated – this type of marketing is still effective and still vital. But you must walk the fine line between too much and too little – it’s generally recommended that you send out an email twice a week (or three times in fast moving industries), that you pay very close attention to your subject lines, and that you segment your email list, allowing certain emails to only go to certain types of people.
A digital marketing plan isn’t enough for a successful business – nearly everyone has a plan, too. Instead, design a campaign that stands out and sets you apart from your competition. The above tips will get you started and headed in the direction of success.