Simple Steps to Improve Your Digital Marketing Strategy
The digital realm is constantly changing and your digital marketing strategy should be evolving in sync with it. An online strategy is not effective when you set-it-and-forget-it, it requires constant upkeep.
With the broad scope of the internet and the intricacies of PPC, online media, email marketing and analytics, along with new technologies emerging by the minute, it’s easy to become overwhelmed when revamping your approach. When evaluating your digital marketing strategy, follow these steps to simplify the process.
Determine your objectives
For most businesses, conversions are always at the forefront of our minds. We want to generate more customer interest, increase web traffic and generate more revenue. However, influencing a purchase decision doesn’t consist solely of a call-to-action button.
Relationships must be carefully managed throughout the entire conversion funnel. Brand awareness, visibility and engagement all contribute to how your property fares when it comes time to convert a person browsing your site into a purchaser.
Create objectives that address each level of that conversion funnel, and in turn, you will be able to hone in on clear ways to achieve them. These objectives should be S.M.A.R.T. – specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and time-bound.
For Example:
- Increase brand awareness by growing your following on Facebook
- Expand mobile visits by 30 percent by having an effective and responsive website.
- Increase responsiveness by implementing a marketing automation platform.
- Boost brand loyalty – clearly understand the needs of your customers
And most importantly identify your Audience!
Disseminating your message to people who simply do not care is not only detrimental to gaining their future business; it also hurts your marketing budget. Consequently, segmenting your audience and identifying their exact communication needs is key to an effective online campaign. Along with your objectives, your audience will ultimately determine the methods you will use to accomplish them – including where, how and when to distribute your message. Fortunately, there are analytics tools available to ensure you reach the right people at the right time in their planning process.
Choose your tactics
Examples of strategic tactics for the aforementioned objectives:
- Your social media presence is crucial to your business. Occasional competitions asking users to follow or share to win a prize are an effective way to generate excitement about your business. Maintain that following by engaging with your guests – respond to messages and comments, be emotive and creative, and show your brand’s personality.
- Google has confirmed over 50 percent of searches are from mobile devices. If you’re not capitalizing on this, you’re missing a huge portion of the market. Target mobile users by creating an Accelerated Mobile Page (AMP) site and optimizing local search.
- Email marketing is a great way to connect with previous customers. Send newsletters with informative and relevant content to nurture those relationships and encourage a return visit. Email is also inexpensive and the ROI on a carefully designed, properly coded email with personalization can be astronomical.
- Personalization, in general, has become an overarching trend in online marketing. As you gather more data on users, you can tailor their experience with your brand, and consumers expect this. Personalization allows you to replace or add content based on the visitor’s information. You can feature a special offer or event. The ability to display more relevant information will increase engagement and drive quality conversions.
Evaluate and improve
Your goals aren’t static and will grow as your business does. Ensure your message is reaching the intended audience. If your goals required action from the consumer, monitor if your message was effective enough to accomplish this. Also, revise the KPIs (key performance indicators) you’re tracking and if they’re providing the metrics necessary to determine your success. Continuously review your progress to identify any strengths and weaknesses of your marketing strategies.
Need help with your digital marketing strategy? Southern Tide Media’s team of Digital Marketing Experts have the tools and knowledge necessary to get you set on the right path. Give us a shout, and we’ll help you define new ways to accomplish your business’s goals through effective digital marketing strategy that will fit your budget.
