Digital marketing is an essential component and strategy one can invest in to reach business objectives. HubSpot defines digital marketing as “encompassing all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet such as search engines, social media, email, and other websites to connect with current and prospective customers” (Alexander, 2021). However, when deciding to implement these electronic strategies it is important to understand some basic concepts that will elevate your knowledge and maximize your efforts. Below we cover tools that will aid in helping you deliver exceptional and effective campaigns.
Creating and promoting content assets to create brand awareness, growth, lead generation, and attracting customers (Alexander, 2021). Creating custom content in your industry can help to establish you and your brand as industry experts. This can be accomplished through creating blogs, eBooks, whitepapers, infographics, and social media content. Consistently creating and distributing content helps you stay top of mind for consumers.
Have you ever received an email from a business whether a promotional coupon or monthly newsletter? If so, you have been a target of email marketing. An email marketing campaign is a coordinated set of individual email messages that are deployed across a specific period with one specific purpose or call to action (Campaign Monitor, n.d.). Sharing relevant content to your subscriber list can help boost engagement and build brand awareness. As end-users open your email campaigns you can begin collecting data learning about your customers and the type of content, they are interested in.
The term Social Media Marketing (SMM) refers to using social media platforms and networks to market a company’s products and services. (Hayes, 2021) Popular platforms include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap Chat. Every platform has its own set of rules of engagement and it’s important when selecting platforms to identify the audience you would like to target. Sharing content on social media will increase reach providing real-time communication with customers which will aid in creating brand advocates.
The process of optimizing your website to “rank” higher in search engine results pages increasing the among of organic (free) traffic your website receives (Alexander, 2021). This optimization process benefit occurs through keyword usage, including external links, blogs, and infographics. There are various ways to accomplish SEO optimization such as on-page, off-page, and technical that will drive qualified traffic to your website.
Increasing website traffic can also come with some investment. Different from SEO which increases organic traffic (unpaid) PPC allows you to pay per interaction (click) via custom ads. There are two channels that leverage PPC which are Google ads and Social Media ads. Google allows you to create ads with custom keywords that will promote your business via Google search and Maps. Social Media platforms allow for targeted ad creation that will reach specific individuals.
Prominent social media or public figures that have grown their network of followers can be brought on to increase brand trust and loyalty. Working with influencers in your industry can bring your business to their followers via promotion. Influencers can collaborate in social media posts, blogs, products placement, eBooks, infographics, website quotes, and interviews. It is important to invest in influencers that will reflect the core values of your business and will accurately depict your brand.
The concepts detailed in this post are only some of the major themes you will come across as you expand your business in the digital world. As you begin to navigate these strategies keep your overall goals in mind and be sure you are setting up key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep you on track.
Alexander, L. (2021, August 25). The who, what, Why, & how of digital marketing. HubSpot Blog.
Campaign Monitor. (n.d.). What is an email marketing campaign? Email marketing terms.
Hayes, A. (2021, August 5). What is social Media Marketing? Investopedia.