We all know by now that the Internet provides a wealth of commercial and financial opportunities. But this medium is also an extremely competitive one, so what skills do you need to get ahead of the competition in 2014? Here are some key areas for your attention to optimize and sharpen the digital strategy of your online promotion strategy.
Networking and Social Media:
You’d have to have been living under a stone to not have considered embracing social media. But it is becoming increasingly important to market your enterprise adequately through sites such as Twitter and Linkedin. The latter is rapidly developing a credible reputation, and you can make great business contacts through it, so putting time into gaining followers and contacts through these sites is extremely worthwhile. Google+ also looks to be here to stay, and many businesses and freelancers are taking advantage of this social media site with a commerce-related flavour. Getting quick shares through social profiles is a great way to get social signals. You can check the video below to get some quick social share for your blog or article:
Search Engine Optimisation:
Absolutely essential. The importance of getting as far up the Google listings as possible cannot be underestimated. To do this, you will need to use appropriate keywords so that Google’s search algorithms pick up your site.
This can be achieved through basic research, and the constant updating of your site, but there are also two useful labour saving devices which it is worth embracing. SEOmoz is a site which provides critical resources and a massive community of people with huge SEO experience, with a helpful blog and a beginner’s guide to SEO principles. If you haven’t given this aspect of digital marketing serious consideration, it’s time to catch up. A recent video from Google is embedded below which discusses about top 3-5 mistakes that webmasters naturally do while doing SEO. Hope this video will be very helpful for SEO:
Never Stand Still:
When you’re a digital marketer, you’re pretty much a one-man (or woman) brand, so never underestimate the value of teaching yourself new skills. You might be a brilliant marketer, but if you can teach yourself graphic design, improve your copywriting, compile your own accounts, etc, then your business will benefit in both practical and financial terms.
And there are literally dozens of freelancer and self-employed forums out there where people discuss every possible aspect of digital marketing that you can conceive, so take advantage of other people’s experience. It’s admirable to stand on your own two feet, but knowing when to seek the counsel of others’ expertise is equally important.
Acquire Fundamental Web Knowledge:
It is hard to think of anything more valuable for a digital marketer than web knowledge. The foundation of the Internet and the way that it works is a critical skill for any digital marketer. Although it is not a requisite skill to be a world-class coder, if you know the basics of HTML and CSS, your site will potentially benefit massively, and you could save yourself a great deal of expense associated with hiring someone to do work for you.
Value Feedback from Customers:
Finally, this is constantly ongoing process for any digital marketer that never becomes more or less important. But it will without doubt be critical in 2014. Listen closely to feedback from your customers. If possible, seek it out yourself regularly, don’t just passively wait for it. Then market your product in a manner that solves customers’ specific problems. Satisfying your customers’ desires is your number one priority.
