Is your marketing plan as dated as your flip phone? As consumer spend more and more time online and on their phones, your business cannot afford to be up to date on the latest trends. You need to show your customers your business is “with it” and understands the growing marketplace. Yes, hiring a professional to handle your digital marketing is your best bet and you should be well read and up to date to avoid wasting time and money.
Digital Marketing: Things to Know
Your Website
Businesses need an inviting and sleek website. Your website is usually one of the first introductions to your business for new customers. A customer is much more likely to Google you before doing business with you. Your website should be easy to navigate and well designed. Think of your website design as your first impression, because it is.
Developing a Social Media Brand
Social Media allows you to connect directly with potential and current customers. Remember to “sell softly” and plan posts at the right times. A good social media manager connects with users in an interesting way that encourages discussion.
Search Engine Optimization
How will customers frequent your business if they don’t know you exist. SEO might be the most important part of your digital marketing solutions. Even a less than stellar website that shows up near the top of web searches does better than a top of the line site that is buried beneath the search results.
Social Media Marketing
Make sure your business is on all the popular social media brands. Some customers might not use Facebook, so having a Twitter account is important. Social Media Optimization also helps your Search Engine Optimization, so it is a wise place to spend your advertising dollars. Also keep in mind Millennials might use Instagram rather than Facebook, which would be a great place to pull in the over 30 crowd.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing can work but it depends on your business and how well it is done. Great content gets read and converts users into customers. Bad email marketing gets ignored, deleted and ultimately unsubscribed. This is probably one of the most important to be left up to the professionals.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing is custom articles written specifically for your business, more commonly referred to as “blogs.” Blogs greatly help your SEO as they make search engines continuously re-cache your website, which keeps you in the top results. Monthly posts are recommended.
Photos, Graphics and Videos
Make sure any photos, graphics or videos are professionally done. I cannot stress this enough. As much as a great logo can have a huge impact on your business, a bad, cheesy logo can make your business unprofessional and ultimately force your customers to take their business elsewhere.
Mobile Apps
More and more web traffic is coming from smartphones and tablets. Apps are attractive, and can help your business, but sometimes are not the only option. A mobile optimized website that is responsive and user-friendly can sometimes serve the same purpose as a mobile app.
These are just some of the things to know in the ever-changing digital landscape. The most important thing is to tell a consistent story that is true to your brand. Stay professional, as an unprofessional digital marketing solution can be anything but a solution. This can make your business look cheesy and ultimately have a counterproductive effect on your customers.