With the world on the internet, it’s only natural to want to get your products in front of a vast audience. However, with so much competition out there, it’s not as simple as just creating a website and hoping people see it. That’s where digital marketing comes in. Marketing is vital for any business, and none more so than via digital streams. There are several avenues to take in this area, and understanding how each funnel works is important for your business.
Creating a digital marketing strategy
Before you delve into the marketing funnels, the first step to take is creating a digital marketing plan. This plan outlines the goals you want to achieve with your marketing strategy. It looks at different avenues to take and how they work together to create a cohesive brand message. Another critical area in the marketing plan is how much you need to budget or invest. Plus, all techniques will require investment in time and resources to make each part of it work effectively.
Top things to include in your digital marketing plan include:
- Defining your brand
- Identifying target audience
- Creating marketing goals
- Researching digital marketing funnels and what could work best for your company
- Set a budget
- Create and launch campaigns
- Start promoting your business
- Measure your results
Once you have a strategy in place, it’s time to look at the different digital marketing avenues you can take.
Top digital marketing strategies
- Content marketing
- SEO
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- PPC
- Video marketing
Explore these in more detail below:
Content marketing
It’s often thought that content marketing is simply using the words on a page to promote a business. However, there is so much more to this avenue than meets the eye. Content covers a wide range of areas, including words, images, and videos. In addition, content marketing focuses on providing consumers with informative and engaging cues to interact with your company.
Within your content, you can delve deeper into targeting specific keywords and audience demographics. But above all, any content created should provide value to your audience and be relevant to them.
For example, if someone watches a video your business created, how do you want them to react? Likes, comments, and shares are vital to keeping this video in circulation. The same can be said for any type of content, including blog posts, reports, and infographics. The better and more relevant the content, the more consumers will engage.
Another way to create content is using influencers. The influencer industry is big business, and harnessing this funnel can provide valuable access to targeted audiences. What’s more, influencers create content for you in an organic way. However, choosing the right influencer to promote your company can be a minefield. ROI can be difficult to determine, so working with a global influencer agency can help make this process simple. They have the expertise to pair you with suitable influencers and provide reports on results and outcomes.
While creating content is the first step in your content marketing strategy, you also need to consider the goals. The main areas to think about include:
- Increasing traffic to a website or landing page
- Optimizing website content for search engines
- Providing value to consumers
Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO is vital in any digital marketing strategy. However, the internet is a big place so getting noticed is challenging.
What is SEO?
SEO is a digital marketing practice that focuses on improving where your site ranks in search engines. Of course, everyone wants to be on page one and in the top rankings. Still, as more companies come into the market, there is greater competition for keywords in your niche.
SEO strategy
The best way to tackle this is by developing an SEO strategy. The goal of this plan focuses on improving search rankings for specific terms. These need to be relevant to what your company does to drive the right people to your website. Keyword targeting also needs to break down how you target the audience. Some should hone in on informational intent and others on transactional intent. Looking at different ways people search for things online will provide a broader range of conversion avenues. Plus, your methods will raise brand awareness.
Email marketing
Email marketing is dubbed to be one of the most cost-effective methods of converting consumers. The reason? You’re targeting customers who already know you!
Building a database is one of the best ways to retain customers and encourage repeat transactions. However, everyone knows the easiest to discourage consumers is by bombarding them with too much information and irrelevant emails.
There is a balance to email marketing that needs to be recognized. Customers probably receive numerous communications throughout the day, and you want your email to stand out.
Developing email campaigns
Much like content marketing, email marketing needs to provide value and information. Even if someone doesn’t want to spend money with you straight away, this email can provide a prompt for future transactions. This type of marketing doesn’t have to be consistent selling either. Plus, for the most part, it definitely shouldn’t be the sole purpose of it. Campaigns can also focus on informative content and linking to resources consumers find useful.
Using an email marketing software plan will help build campaigns specific to your audience. Data is segmented to identify how many people open your content and how many interact. You can also target customers who purchased particular products previously or visited areas of your website.
Email marketing should help to prompt customers but not become too pushy. Getting that fine balance will ensure they keep returning time and time again.
Social media marketing
People across the world have access to social media. These platforms have catapulted brands to different audiences. Plus, it shows a more human side to the traditional corporate exterior. Some of the top social media platforms include:
- TikTok
Each of the above platforms provides a different experience. For example, Instagram is image-driven, while LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals. Plus, each has a different demographic.
Before you jump in and try and be everything to everyone on these sites, take a step back and research the audience. While social media is a great way to communicate with consumers, it’s crucial to invest in the ones that are right for your business. What’s more, you don’t have to be on every platform to be successful.
Be social
It might sound obvious, but your business needs to be social to make social media work for you. Posting regularly, interacting with other posts, and sharing relevant content are essential to improve visibility on all sites. It’s also important to respond to questions and queries. More and more people are contacting businesses through social media. If you’re not responding, you could be turning a potential customer away.
Advertising on social media
Social media advertising is a great way to target specific audiences. These platforms hold information on people from what they like to where they live, and this information can be harnessed effectively. For example, Facebook marketing is a great way to target specific people, including age groups, locations, and individuals who have purchased from similar companies. It’s a cost-effective method too. Campaigns can be set spends per day and are easy to change to improve results. Businesses looking to promote to local areas also find this method of advertising very helpful in raising awareness and conversions.
Video marketing
As soon as Instagram announced, ‘we’re no longer a photo sharing app,’ this solidified just how important video will be to businesses in the future. The way consumers engage with content is changing, and video is one of the top types of content people interact with.
For a business, it can be challenging to fit in with video trends, but it’s not impossible. Like the other marketing techniques above, video should provide your audience with valuable and informative content they want to share. Examples of video content include:
- Company updates and launches
- Behind the scenes footage
- Events
- Instructional and tips videos
Creating video content
Surprisingly, you don’t have to hire a film crew and studio to get good quality video content for your company. Many businesses film on smartphones and with basic equipment. This method can make your brand feel more personal and accessible, which appeals to consumers. Planning is key to creating great content for video, and storyboarding will help you create consistent messaging and styling throughout.
Putting plans into action
These are just some of the best techniques to employ in your digital marketing strategy. The key to all of the above areas is to plan, launch and track results. By doing this, you can tweak campaigns and focus on the areas doing well to get the best results. Sometimes you may face trial and error, especially when it comes to social media marketing. However, evaluating and tweaking your plan will improve conversions and interactions moving forward.
