Digital Marketing Strategies

Digital marketing can seem intimidating if you’re just getting started. There’s so much buzz around tactics like SEO, social media, paid ads, and more. However, the core strategies are quite straightforward. In this article, I’ll break down five key digital marketing strategies in plain English with examples so you can start implementing them on your website or business.

1. Content Marketing

Content marketing is all about creating and sharing useful information for your target audience. The goal is to attract and engage customers by providing value, rather than overtly “selling” to them. You do this through blog posts, videos, infographics, and eBooks—any type of content your customers will find helpful or entertaining. This is the best among digital marketing strategies.

For example, a landscaping company could create a blog all about different types of plants and how to care for them best in the local climate. An accounting firm may produce video tutorials on using common tax software. The content doesn’t need to explicitly mention your business or products at all. By helping people with quality information, you become a trusted resource they’ll be more willing to do business with down the road.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing allows you to regularly communicate with and nurture leads who have opted into your email list. It’s a powerful digital marketing strategy because email open and click rates are much higher than social media. With email, you have someone’s direct permission to get in front of them periodically. For email marketing, you need to build or get an email list, and then you can run a good campaign.

Some email marketing best practices include sending a regular monthly newsletter with relevant tips, news, or offers. You could promote a new product launch or seasonal sale. Surveys, contests, or giveaways are also great ways to engage subscribers. Make sure each email provides value to the reader through useful content or deals, while subtly promoting your brand, too.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media opens the door to connecting with customers where they already spend time online. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow you to share your content, answer questions, and build relationships.

For example, a restaurant may post photos of menu items on Instagram and invite followers to tag friends in the comments for a chance to win a free meal. A financial advisor’s LinkedIn profile could share infographics about retirement planning. On Twitter, a plumber could provide quick tips for basic repairs and a link to a blog with more in-depth guides. Consistency is key across all the major social networks you engage with.

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the process of optimizing your website so search engines can easily crawl it, understand what it’s about, and determine it’s a high-quality source of information on your topic. The goal is to rank highly in search results for relevant keyword phrases, bringing in more organic traffic from search engines like Google. Creating backlinks is the best way to get more traffic to your website.

Some straightforward SEO tactics include optimizing your page titles and headings to include keywords, adding descriptive alt text to images, and linking internally between high-quality pages on your site. You also want to publish new content regularly so search engines see you as an active site worth featuring. Over time, with consistent SEO efforts, you can earn top rankings for search terms people are likely to use when looking for your products or services.

5. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC advertising, like Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook Ads, allows you to target customers actively searching for products or services similar to yours. You bid on relevant keywords and, if your ad is relevant enough, it will appear in search results or on social media feeds.

For example, a carpet cleaning company could bid on keywords like “carpet cleaning services near me” to reach local homeowners actively looking for cleaners. A web designer may bid on terms like “website design company” to attract new business clients. With PPC, you only pay when someone clicks your ad, so it’s a great way to efficiently generate new leads and sales. You’ll want to monitor stats closely and optimize landing pages to maximize your return on ad spend over time.

Implementing a mix of these core digital marketing strategies takes some ongoing effort but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Focus on the basics, provide value to your audience, and measure what’s working best for your specific business goals. With consistency and testing different tactics, you’ll start seeing results in terms of increased traffic, leads, and sales from your digital presence.