Your digital marketing strategy can make or break your brand. But many professionals feel lost in the shifting tides of SEO practices, SERPs, PPC ads, and thoughts on organic reach.
Adobe found that more than three out of four professionals believed that “marketing had changed more in the past 2 years than in the previous 50.”
To remain competitive with peers and engage with future customers, your digital marketing needs to be modern, engaging, and high quality.
Here are the two first steps to creating an excellent digital marketing plan.
First Step: Educate Yourself on Latest Trends
Digital marketing is a constantly evolving. To stay on top of current trends and consumer behavior, you need to regularly read and engage with thought leadership in your industry.
The most recent trends in digital marketing show a preference for organic, authentic, and mobile marketing.
Take a look at mobile marketing. Most people use their phone or tablet to access the internet today. Your business does not have a choice but to go to mobile. With Google’s mobile-first indexing, there is more pressure than ever to get your site mobile optimized.
Not only do you need to do your research on how online marketing is transforming, you need to keep up-to-date with your target audience.
Are you reaching the older generation? Maybe Google’s indexing practices won’t be as important to you as Bing’s.
Is your product designed for those just entering their 20’s? Snapchat might be your go-to social media platform, rather than Facebook.
Business professionals might primarily focus on Linkedin and review sites for their networking and development needs.
With knowledge of online marketing trends and your customer base, you can make the best strategy for your business.
Consider software tools that support your strategy.
Hubspot is one of the most highly reviewed marketing automation tools. This SaaS can help you build and edit your sites, drive more traffic to landing pages, create powerful drip campaigns, and more.
If you are ready for more advanced tools, try A/B testing software to make sure your website is the most optimized for your clientele. Evergage is a personalization software that can help you give your customers the best user experience.
Second Step: Get Your Quality Content Out There
After you educate yourself on the latest trends and what your customers are looking for, you are ready to start creating content. You do not want just any content, but high quality content that educates, delights, and engages visitors.
- You will need to start with your own website, with beautiful and clear landing pages, a blog, social media pages, and perhaps a Youtube channel depending on your industry.
- Consider who your target audience is, what platforms are they familiar with, what motivates them, and what they look for in a brand.
- Connect with influencers and review sites. People look up to celebrities, Youtube Stars, podcast hosts, and reliable influencers to highlight valuable products and services.
- Get your product on review sites. Consumers are much more likely to believe the credibility of a product, if a friend,family member,or verified reviewer has recommended it.
Building quality content and connections requires extensive organization and task management. Digital tools can help you with all your organizational needs.
Trello is a Top Rated project management software that allows teams to easily visualize task assignments, due dates, and communicate with other team members.
Basecamp is another popular task management solution that allows teams to easily communicate and collaborate on project ideas, tasks, time management, and more.
Taking these two steps – and utilizing the tools outlined here – will get you well on your way to beginning your digital marketing strategy.