Every business knows that digital marketing is important for their overall success. But billions of dollars are wasted every year on marketing because there is no clear plan.
A defined marketing strategy can put your business’ advertising dollars to work the right way. It’s much easier to reach your goals when everything is pointed towards that goal. The alignment and focus can make all of the difference.
We’ve compiled some of the most important marketing basics that will help you create the most effective strategy for your business.
Digital Marketing Basics
The main goal of any marketing is to gather customers for your business. This is done by putting the business in front of potential clients, creating opportunities for interactions, and then fostering any connections made.
This basic formula can be a good place for any business to start. And then it can be broken down into more individualized steps and strategies.
The basics of marketing cover a wide range of areas from the design and functionality of your website to logo design and packaging.
Many companies have seen a great benefit from working with a professional in marketing to get their efforts off on the right foot. But there are a few things you can consider and think about before starting to create your campaign.
Drive Traffic
The best, and really only, way to increase sales for your product or services is to drive traffic to your website. Obviously you want your site to be full of people checking out what you offer (and then purchasing!) but that doesn’t just happen organically.
Instead, you have to put in some effort to get your name and site in front of new eyes regularly.
One of the best ways to increase traffic to your business is by creating shareable content. In our world of social media word of mouth, referrals are everything. So if you offer your audience something they can share with their audience, you’ve reached a whole new group.
This kind of content can take a variety of forms depending on your exact business. But it could be a viral video, a podcast interview, a free digital download, or an online course.
Whatever the specific content is, it should be completely in-line with your purpose and mission. This allows the customer to connect to your business better.
The world is always changing and evolving. There are new trends popping up every day. Try to keep up with new, popular activities online and participate as appropriate. When your business is current, it’s relatable.
A customer wants to feel like you’re a part of their world, so pay attention to what’s going on around them.
All of your marketing efforts will likely lead back to this main point of driving traffic to your website. It’s the best way for the customer to get the most updated news, see your products, and, of course, make purchases.
Develop a Brand
Marketing efforts are also crucial in developing your brand. The business’ brand is their soul, it’s important for it to be cultivated and presented.
When a customer identifies with the brand, they develop a connection with that business that is deeper and more lasting. Those customers who feel brand loyalty are much more likely to continue purchasing regardless of competitors.
The branding of a business includes the look and feel of the content that is published. Everything you do should ‘feel’ like your brand. This is also a key step in your website design and development process.
This type of similarity is an important part of marketing to help customers get to know you. Which will ultimately lead to your main goal, which is to increase sales and grow your business.
Types of Digital Advertising
One of the key aspects of digital marketing is all of the opportunities for advertising. There are so many avenues that can be taken, it’s important to pick the right one for your business.
Obviously social media is a huge space for advertising. There are so many platforms and each reaches a little bit different audience.
When you have a presence on each of the platforms your potential pool of customers grows even wider. There is also an opportunity to create a niche market with the right content and branding.
Some other online advertising opportunities include email lists or newsletters. This allows you to reach your audience on a very personal level.
Many businesses also create platforms of their own, such as online classrooms or challenges.
Taking advantage of the wide variety of opportunities is super beneficial to businesses.
Marketing Process Steps
Though the main goal of marketing is the same for any business, the steps to get to that goal will be very different for each.
One of the first things that will be done for digital marketing 101 is to work on your website’s SEO.
The optimization process helps your business to be more easily found through search engine sites. It includes adding keywords to your published content. This step seems too simple to yield many results, but it can make a huge difference in traffic and overall sales.
This is why many marketing professionals focus on SEO first while developing a marketing plan and website.
Google ads are also a common step for marketers as it guarantees exposure to search results. This is an even more straightforward way to drive traffic to your site and store.
There are many steps that can be taken to pull off a marketing plan but one step that is crucial is monitoring. It’s important to always have a good handle on what works for your audience and what doesn’t.
Many businesses will run experiment posts with slight differences to see what the reactions are. Then they can move forward confidently knowing what will get better engagement.
Help Your Business Be Seen
Every business wants to connect with as many people as possible. It’s the whole point of running a business. And marketing is the way to do that.
Following the marketing basics can help you maximize your time, effort, and money in order to reach the most amount of people possible.
If you are ready to get started or have more questions, contact us today!
