From an outside perspective, devising a digital marketing strategy seems so easy. Launch a website, create a few social media accounts and watch the cash roll in… right? Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy. Success in digital marketing means managing multiple parts of a comprehensive strategy to reach the right consumer at precisely the right time.
Such a concept can seem highly intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips you can implement right now to turn your digital advertising strategy into a cohesive and effective machine.
Identify Your Goals. Every company wants to make a lot of money, and that’s clearly the goal of any ad campaign. But it never hurts to take a little time to consider who you’re marketing to and what message you want to send to those individuals. It seems simple, but many companies fail to do this and find themselves wondering why they’re not meeting their projections. Also, remember that the ultimate goal of digital marketing is to drive traffic to your website, where people can make purchases or convert in other ways like signing up for a newsletter, requesting a demo or getting driving directions. Likes and shares on social media aren’t indicators of marketing success. Getting the customer to click and take a preferred action is where you really want to focus.
Pick Your Platforms. When you know who you’re marketing to, your digital advertising strategy starts to come into focus. If you’re targeting senior citizens, you’re not going to reach them on Snapchat. However, you’ll probably find that email and Facebook campaigns are very beneficial. It’s not about what’s easiest for you; it’s about choosing the areas of the Internet where your audience is likely to reside.
Identify Common Paths to Purchase. Digital marketing has many layers, so it’s foolish to consider only one or two aspects as you devise your strategy. Instead of looking at marketing from your perspective, look to your audience for direction. Plot consumer activity across all of your company’s touch points and take note of any patterns you discover. Do people find your site through a Google searchor through social media? How many emails do you have to send before recipients click through? Start connecting these dots and you’ll not only have a better understanding of your customer base, but you’ll be able to market in a way that nudges customers down this path to purchase.
Track and Test. Perhaps the best part of digital marketing is the ability to track virtually everything that happens from a marketing standpoint. Use this to your advantage. Keep track of every data point that relates to your marketing. While you might not need to look at every single number at first, you never know when you might need something. In fact, too much data can be overwhelming, so keep your data analysis simple at first and incorporate additional factors as you go.
Testing is another great ingredient for a successful digital marketing strategy. Come up with multiple email subject lines and try them out on various segments of your audience. Execute a variety of lead nurturing strategies on different groups. This will help you drill down into what your audience wants, which makes it much easier to give them exactly what they’re looking for.
All marketing strategies are works in progress, and it might take a little bit of practice for you to stumble upon your most effective digital advertising strategy. But keep at it, and you’ll soon find that improving your marketing is easier than it might seem. For assistance in enhancing your digital marketing strategy, drop us a line today.
Author - This article was written by John and Team - John Gumas is the Founder and President of Gumas Advertising, a San Francisco based full service branding, advertising and interactive marketing agency that specializes in Challenger Brand Marketing. John is considered one of the country’s foremost authorities on Challenger Brand Marketing and is the author of the popular book on the subject entitled “Marketing Smart.” Check out John’s book at www.marketingsmartbook.com/