Aspiring digital marketers, please pull your chairs a little bit closer. This article is for you. We will share four things you should keep in mind when starting digital marketing.
And, let’s start by saying this. You are in for an interesting ride. Want to know why? Digital marketing opens up tons of opportunities for brand building. Yet, therein lies challenges that you must overcome.
See, if you don’t get it right, it will be like running around in circles. All you will get out of it is dizzy spells. And, worst of all, zero ROI for all your efforts.
We set out on a journey to discover how to start digital marketing on the right foot. Here are some interesting insights and tips to get you started.
1. Digital Marketing Can Be Challenging
It may look odd to start the conversation with the less appealing side of digital marketing. But, it helps to have clarity on what to expect. So hang in there, the good parts will follow.
There are many advantages of digital marketing for hours. Some of them include:
- Access to a broad audience base
- Flexibility with what you can do. The teams can customize and change the content whenever they feel like
- Strategies galore to reach audiences. These include articles, how-to tutorials, CPC ads, affiliate marketing, videos, and posts.
- Tons of savings, especially if you compare it to analog methods
- Multiple platforms for generating brand visibility. These include social media and websites.
Digital marketing opens you up to a lot of competition, no matter the industry. Whether you are marketing for nonprofits or corporations, you are all on one playing field. All the brands are shouting at the top of their voices.
They all want a share of voice, hoping to reach the audiences. Yet, audiences have so much content available that they can’t decide where to look.
You must have the right strategies to capture and keep their attention. Do you want to know how challenging digital marketing is? We will share some interesting statistics.
- Only 61% of marketers believe in the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies.
- 40% contend that proving ROI is a significant challenge.
- Audience segmentation and targeting present major difficulties for 58% of marketers.
- 80% say that their lead generation efforts are largely ineffective.
But, don’t let these statistics above scare you. We will explore other things that can simplify your way of starting digital marketing.
2. Learn from Web Design Agencies
It doesn’t hurt to seek expert help from a web design and development company. Do note, reputable agencies have dedicated digital marketing arms. They are in a good position to advise on everything you need to know.
Web design agencies smartly incorporate elements of digital marketing. They do not only ensure the website design will translate into conversions but, they can also guide on how to go about the processes well.
Think about it this way, who can give better advice than the experts.
3. Always Start With Clear Goals
Look at any marketing 101 manual. The one point that stands out is the need to have clear goals when developing any marketing strategy. What are you hoping to achieve with digital marketing?
There are so many goals, depending on the business needs. It could be:
- Branding
- Increasing brand visibility
- Selling products or services
- Lead generation
- Showcasing industry expertise, and so on.
Follow the simple SMART principle to set actionable goals.
4. Think About Disruption
When you hear trolling, what comes to mind? For many, it may resonate with sneaky or stalker behavior. But, what you may not know is that it is a very effective digital marketing strategy.
But, and, this is a big BUT – you must do it the right way. You see the aim of trolling is to generate a buzz and help the brand go viral. Yet, it could backfire and make you go viral for the wrong reasons.
At this point, you’re wondering, why you should even consider this strategy. Well, we go back to the point of competition and clutter in the online space. Only the brave brands have a higher chance of breaking above the noise.
So look for ways to disrupt without damaging the reputation of the company. Here is how to go about it:
- Troll the competition to see what they are doing. Identify gaps in their communication and turn them to your advantage. Think about how Pepsi went against Coca-Cola with some provocative ads.
- Troll the public to get a reaction. Wendy’s responded to a tweet from someone who wanted directions to the nearest McDonald’s in an interesting way. They answered with a simple trash can. In another campaign, they went after Burger King by calling their food edible as opposed to the junk from the competitor.
Check out the public trolling ad from Spotify below.
Do weigh the risks and benefits before engaging in such strategies though. If your brand persona is playful, and your audiences understand this, then it works.
You can also check out the internet for tons of safer disruptive ideas.
5. Brush Up On Your Knowledge of Free and Paid Advertising
As a digital marketer, you will need to brush up on your knowledge of free and paid advertising. The advantage of the online space is you can save a lot of money. Content marketing, for example, is effective without taking a huge chunk out of your marketing budget. Some content options to consider include:
Content should be relevant and respond to an identified need. Search engine optimization is another critical skill digital marketers should have. Good rankings improve the chances of driving organic traffic to the site.
Consider the following statistics on why good content is critical. 47% of buyers will read up to five pieces of content before engaging with a brand. Videos are the leading strategy for content marketers. Over 82% of marketers use content marketing.
Want to know why? Simple, really: it works.
Paid advertising will boost the free strategies. With proper planning, you can achieve a lot on a small budget. Some avenues include Google Ads, PPC advertising, and boosting social media posts.
Conclusion
Digital marketing is effective, efficient and can save the company tons of cash. The trick lies in getting the strategies right. Define your goals as they will guide all the activities you undertake.
Understand the audiences because it will determine how you communicate with them.
There are a lot of brands competing for a share of voice in the online space. Finding a way to break above the clutter is critical. Good content can give you a push in the right direction.
Audiences have a lot of content online. That means their attention span is very limited. The digital marketer must find a way to capture and keep their interest. So, it does not hurt to cause a little disruption. But, it is a strategy that requires careful consideration and careful implementation.
Author Bio
Dan has hands-on experience in digital marketing since 2007. He has been building teams and coaching others to foster innovation and solve real-time problems. Dan also enjoys photography and traveling.
