A digital marketing strategy is a foundation on which your business will be built. It’s what you do to get people interested in your brand, products and services. An excellent digital marketing strategy can help you reach new customers, increase sales, improve customer service and build loyalty among existing clients. The key elements that make up an effective digital marketing strategy are:
• Keywords
What words or phrases best describe your product/service? What keywords should you use when searching online for information about your company? How many times per month does someone search using those terms? These questions can provide insight into how well-known specific keywords are within your industry. If you want to rank higher than competitors with similar content but different keyword usage, it’s essential to know these things.
If, for instance, your business is called “The Best Pizza Place In Town”, then you might consider adding some variations like “pizza” instead of just “best pizza place”. This way, if someone searches for “Best Pizza Places”, they’ll find your site at the top of their results page. You could also try other variations such as “Pizza Restaurants Near Me” or even “Fast Food Restaurants near me.”
• Content Creation & Distribution
How much time each week do you spend creating blog posts, social media updates, videos, etc.? This number tells us whether you’re spending enough time producing high-quality content. You may need more resources if you don’t already have them. For example, if you only create one post every two months, we’d recommend increasing this amount by at least 50%.
If you spend too little time writing content, you won’t see any improvement in rankings. On the flip side, if you write lots of low-quality articles, Google will penalize you with lower organic traffic. So, it’s crucial to create great content that helps users solve problems and answer frequently asked questions.
• Social Media Engagement
Do you interact with other businesses through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.? If yes, how often? Are there specific types of interactions that drive engagement? Do you engage with influencers in your niche? All of these factors play a role in determining how successful your digital marketing efforts will be.
In your interactions with the audience, consider whether they respond? Are there any common themes between their interactions and yours? All of these factors tell us something about how engaged your audience is with your brand. They give us clues about where to focus our efforts next.
• Analytics Reporting
Are you tracking all of your website metrics? Is everything being tracked correctly? We’ve seen plenty of websites that track analytics incorrectly, so it’s essential to check your reports regularly. Make sure you understand what data points matter most to your business goals. You can track analytics using tools from Google, HubSpot and Kissmetrics.
It has been proven that analytics reporting plays an integral part in improving SEO performance according to Nine Peaks. The better you monitor your progress, the easier it becomes to make changes to improve your ranking.
• Email marketing
Does email work for your business? Email campaigns are still very effective because people expect to receive emails from brands they trust. However, email isn’t always the right choice for everyone. It depends on your target market and budget. Some companies choose not to invest in email lists due to cost concerns. Others prefer to send regular newsletters rather than promotional messages. Still, others opt for paid advertising over email.
We suggest starting small and testing various options before investing heavily in email marketing. Remember that email doesn’t replace traditional forms of communication like phone calls or face-to-face meetings. Instead, it should complement those methods. Once you find the best option for your company, stick with it!
• Web design
Is your site mobile-friendly? Mobile devices now account for almost half of internet usage worldwide. As such, having a responsive web design is critical for success online today. A well-designed mobile experience means higher conversion rates and improved user satisfaction.
A good designer knows when to use images, videos, text, and links to convey information effectively. When creating a new page, ask yourself: What do I want my visitors to know after reading this article? How would I describe this piece of content to someone else who didn’t read it yet? These two simple questions help you determine which elements need more attention.
• Paid search
How much does the pay-per-click cost? PPC ads have become increasingly popular as a way to attract traffic quickly. But many marketers don’t realize just how expensive some keywords are. We found one keyword that costs $1,000+ each month to rank two on Google. That’s crazy talk!
If you’re looking to get started with AdWords, here are three tips to keep in mind:
- a) Start slow- this means spending less money at first. If you start by paying too little, then you’ll be forced into bidding high prices later on. This will only hurt your bottom line.
- b) Use negative keywords- if you’re running a local service business, you might want to exclude specific terms related to your competitors.
- c) Be patient- sometimes it takes months to see results. Don’t give up hope, though; once you reach the top spot, things tend to pick up speed. In case you don’t want to spend a lot of time on AdWords, you can always hire a professional digital marketing agency like One Search Pro.
• Reputation marketing
What can reputation management services offer businesses? Reputations are built through word-of-mouth recommendations. People often share their experiences about products and services via social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
When customers leave reviews, these comments appear alongside other customer posts. Reviews also show up in searches, making them even more influential. So what happens when bad reviews come out? You could lose potential clients, but there are ways to turn around poor reputations. Here are five steps to take when dealing with an unfavorable review:
- Respond immediately – The most important thing to remember is responding within 24 hours. Otherwise, the post becomes public and appears on the website itself.
- Address the issue directly – Make sure you address the problem head-on. Explain why the situation occurred and apologize for any inconvenience caused.
- Offer compensation – Many times, unhappy customers will accept freebies or discounts in exchange for positive feedback. However, make sure you follow all guidelines set forth by the company offering the deal.
- Ask for forgiveness – Sometimes, people feel they’ve been wronged so badly that they won’t forgive anyone involved. It may not work, but try asking nicely.
- Follow up – After responding to the complaint, send a thank you email letting the person know you appreciate their time. Then, schedule another meeting to discuss future projects together.
Conclusion
With digital marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of running a small business. If you work in the agency setting and don’t have proper agency project management software, you risk losing potential customers before you ever reach them. That’s why it’s critical to develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan that includes both short-term strategies and long-term ones.
