In the last 12 months, the world has adopted an online model of doing business like never before. This evolution is just the beginning and represents how businesses will operate well into the future. Having an effective digital marketing strategy is critical to your ongoing growth and success.
The Importance of a Strong Digital Marketing Strategy
Your digital marketing strategy is the foundation that helps your business flourish online. With the global reach of the internet, the possibilities are endless and your growth potential is unsurpassed.
Most modern consumers prefer the convenience and choice which is offered by patronizing online stores, making bookings, communicating, and even working online. As such, your priority needs to be on reaching a wider target audience, being seen online by the right people at the right time, and engaging with your target audience effectively. It is these activities that generate conversions – and they can only be achieved when you have a strong online presence.
Certain online marketing techniques and tactics require professional insight, skillset, and approach to properly implement and get results. There are, however, some general marketing techniques that are highly effective, and you can implement these yourself.
8 Top DIY Digital Marketing Techniques
1. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
This form of advertising showcases your website. Otherwise known as Google Ads, it is a great tool that helps you create campaigns and then track their results. You pay only for those ads which a user clicks on.
*With Google Display Ads, your business can place a banner ad on relevant websites; when a user clicks on your ad or visits your website, Google will present your banner ad to that user in the future to remind them of your web presence.
*With Google Search Ads, your results are boosted through Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). These ads appear in the top four places relating to a specific keyword search.
2. Social Media
Marketing with social media is the way of the future, and more than three billion people use social media every day. They are a captive audience, and you should harness the power of this for the benefit of your business.
Your market segment notwithstanding, your target audience will be using at least one social media platform, and as such, your business needs an active profile on the relevant platform. You need to focus on providing quality content including images, media use, backlinks to your website/blog, customer interaction, customer service, promotions and giveaways, and brand identity.
If you are in the retail sector, pay particular attention to providing shoppable social posts – directly connect your audience to product checkout to streamline payment processes and boost conversions.
3. Local SEO
Google receives almost 80,000 searches per second. (Source: https://wpforms.com/digital-marketing-statistics/). SEO (search engine optimization) helps place your website at the top of search engine results for specific keyword searches. A powerful marketing tool, for best results it requires a professional approach as it is a complex process. It is also an ongoing venture, rather than set-and-forget – and it takes time to elicit results.
There are ways you can achieve organic results with some DIY SEO activities, including optimizing your website and content. By including local keywords, you can further fine-tune and target your organic results to attract qualified, relevant traffic, improve your brand authority, and increase your conversion rates. Local SEO is especially valuable for businesses with physical locations, tradespeople, and sole traders, as well as businesses with a wide pool of competition globally.
4. Email Marketing
Provide quality, relevant content to a pool of subscribers (who have opted-in) via email. Create mailing lists of customers and prospects (but never send spam) and send a monthly newsletter, new product showcases, event alerts, and more. Ensure you include a clear call to action and a direct clickable link to your relevant website landing page.
5. Inclusivity
Depicting diversity, equality, and inclusivity in your marketing is a powerful statement about your values as a business and as a brand. This means including media, representation, and recognition of diversity across race, culture, ability, sexuality, religion, and more – and avoiding the homogenous content of decades gone by. Consider who your target audience is and how you can widen this pool and speak directly to everyone you wish to attract to your brand. For example, a women’s clothing retailer should consider using models with different racial backgrounds, different skin colors, from different age groups, and with different body sizes and shapes. Or, if you provide video content on your website, provide captions for hearing-impaired visitors.
6. Quality Content
Promote your brand through quality content marketing. This includes high-value, informative, interesting, captivating blog content, video content, and images. Your website’s home and landing pages must include relevant textual content that improves customer engagement and user experience of your website.
7. Influencers
Almost 50% of survey respondents (source: https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/) attest to relying on influencer marketing when deciding whether to purchase a product. Particularly notable on Instagram, influencer marketing provides trusted or admired niche individuals who appeal to (and whose opinion is respected by) a certain target demographic. Influencers are paid by a business to provide targeted content in the form of social media posts, blog articles, and/or video reviews. Done well, influencer marketing can elicit a five-fold return on investment. Note that the influencer must be able to deliver for your business in terms of engagement metrics as opposed to just vanity metrics (follower numbers).
Do not underestimate the power of micro-influencers! These are average consumers who have a large social media following. Attract these to your social profiles (contests are a great hook) and create sharable content for them to pass on – and watch them become lead generators for your brand.
8. Sustainability
Conscious decisions about where we shop are influencing consumers more and more. This includes a growing commitment to supporting businesses with a sustainable approach. Most consumers now prefer brands that demonstrate their eco-friendly status – from green products to sustainable manufacturing and shipping, etc. Communicate the sustainable focus of your business via visual content, branding, packaging, and green themes – and practice what you preach!
Final Thought
A top professional marketing firm has in-house industry experts who can help you with all forms of online, digital, and traditional marketing. See more information on this at Orange County-based digital marketing agency Twelve12 for your business’s growth and success in business in 2024.
