If you’re like most small business owners, you know that digital marketing is a must in today’s world.
But what exactly is digital marketing? And how do you go about it? In this blog post, we’ll give you a simple introduction to digital marketing – including the different types of digital marketing and how to get started. So whether you’re just starting or you’re looking for a refresher course, read on!
1. Content Marketing
If you’re looking for new customers, you can’t go wrong with solid content marketing. It takes time, effort, and determination, but if done properly content marketing provides the most genuine method of digital marketing.
If you aim to provide valuable, informative content that helps your audience solve a problem or learn something new you can’t go wrong.
The key to content marketing is to create truly valuable, relevant, and engaging content. This can come in the form of blog posts, infographics, ebooks, digital courses – anything that provides actual value to your audience.
What better way to attract potential customers than to provide them with something (for free) upfront. Content is an excellent addition to any inbound marketing plan or campaign.
And when done well, content marketing can be an extremely effective digital marketing strategy. One study showed that companies who blogged multiple times per month saw a nearly 400% increase in traffic over those who didn’t blog at all. So if you’re not already blogging, now’s the time to get started!
But where to begin? Blogging can certainly feel overwhelming – but I’ve found the key is consistency, and to stay consistent, you need a plan.
Here are some simple steps to get you off on the right foot:
- Know what your audience is searching for (keyword research)
- Generate blog post title ideas (I like to create 30-40 headline / title ideas)
- Stay consistent, and post regularly!
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of optimizing your website for Google search to earn higher web traffic levels and improve your digital visibility.
To do this, you’ll need to make sure your website is optimized for both on-page SEO and off-page SEO. This means ensuring that your website’s architecture, content, tags, and images are all optimized for Google search. And it also means building high-quality backlinks to your website from other relevant websites.
As well as generating more clicks to your website, SEO helps to establish the credibility of your business – sites that rank more highly on Google are typically considered to be higher quality and seen as more trustworthy.
The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help you with SEO. And if you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking out SEM Rush’s SEO basics for a kickstart.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy in which you use email to cultivate relationships with your customers and generate leads.
This means sending out regular, valuable content – such as blog posts, digital courses, or coupons to your email list.
The key to email marketing is to provide value, rather than sell. This way, you build trust and credibility with your audience, and they’re more likely to buy from you when they’re ready.
Some say email is dead, but what other marketing mechanic exists where you can send a push notification to your audience’s smartphone (via their mail app) whenever you want? This helps drive traffic back to your website, this is why it’s important your website has an optimized experience for mobile devices.
Regular and valuable email marketing is an excellent way to stay top of mind with your audience and generate leads.
Several platforms offer email marketing services, such as MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Drip. If you’re just getting started, we recommend checking out Convert Kit’s free plan – it’s an excellent way to get your feet wet without breaking the bank!If you’re not sure how to get started with email marketing, Convert Kit also offers an excellent Email Marketing Guide.
We also have an excellent playbook that will help you build your content over time and position your business for an excellent email marketing strategy.
What about Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising?
PPC advertising is a digital marketing strategy in which you pay for each click on your ad. This means that you’re only paying when someone takes action – such as clicking on your ad or visiting your website.
PPC can be difficult to get started. It’s important to understand your target audience, so as not to waste those marketing dollars on customers who aren’t likely to convert.
When done correctly, PPC can be an effective digital marketing strategy – especially if you’re looking to build brand awareness.
Some platforms that offer PPC advertising are Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and LinkedIn Ads. If you’re not sure where to start, we recommend checking out Neil Patel’s step-by-step guide to Google ads. Neil gives an excellent rundown of how to be effective with PPC, how to ensure return on investment, and how to avoid common and costly pitfalls when tackling ads.
While PPC can be an effective digital marketing strategy, we recommend getting the fundamentals right to begin – A solid website with engaging content that pulls your audience in.
So there you have it – a simple introduction to digital marketing! We hope this has given you a better understanding of the types of digital marketing and how they can be used to generate leads and grow your business.
Don’t forget to check out our digital marketing services if you’re looking for help with your online marketing. We offer a wide range of services, from SEO to PPC to email marketing and more. Contact us today to learn more.
