What to know
You have been marketing your business the tried and true way, but you aren’t getting the results you want. If that sounds like your situation, read on. It’s time to add digital marketing to your overall marketing strategy. Digital marketing encompasses your total presence on the web: website, advertising and blogs. Here’s a short course on what you need to know about digital marketing.
The beauty of digital marketing is that your information is available 24/7. It will never be discarded in the recycle bin with everyone else’s print marketing. Further, when you place your digital marketing across pc’s to include tablets and mobile devices, your marketing goes everywhere your customers go. Sound good? Let’s start with your customers.
Customers, Customers, Customers
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Millennials AND Baby Boomers
If you assume that only the younger generation lives on social media, you would be wrong. Millennials have grown up, and they now have greater buying power. They embraced social media and that’s the best way to reach them.
Baby Boomers have become the largest group to join the social media bandwagon. Don’t discount any generation! Whoever your customers are, you need digital marketing to reach them effectively. Believe us, they are all online.
The key to capturing your customers is targeting them. Unlike print media, which typically blanket a geographic region and everyone in it, digital media can find your specific demographic wherever they live and speak directly to them.
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Customer Service in the Digital Age
As a business owner, you have services and products to sell. However, your digital marketing strategy needs to focus on your customers.
- How do customers browse online?
- How do customers move from desktops to tablets to smartphones?
- How does your marketing meet your customers’ needs?
Find out what your customer is looking for first.
- Do they need basic information? Perhaps the difference between engineered hardwood and laminate flooring. Give them information first. Then direct them to your product or service.
- Develop an engaging online persona. Your personality needs to connect with online users the same way you connect with customers who walk into your business.
Then point them to your service or product. When you do, that pop up ad will be a pleasant surprise rather than an annoyance.
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The Costumer Is Always Rite
Capitalize on your spelling-challenged customers! Of course you want to include properly spelled keywords to draw potential customers to your site. But let’s face it; texting has changed how we communicate. We abbreviate. We make typos. Do your less-than-perfect customers a favor and take the many ways they misspell into account when they are conducting a search. Including commonly misspelled keywords in your digital marketing plan can increase your chances of finding new customers.
Content, Content, Content
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Small is Beautiful
First, keep your content focused. Be brief. Your customers don’t need to know everything there is to know about your products or service. They need just enough to know whether you have what they’re looking for. Get to the point quickly. You aren’t writing Moby Dick. You’re writing a haiku. Keep it short and sweet.
Second, think niche. Is your product or service truly for everyone? Consider what is special about your customers. Narrow your content to draw them in. Consider what is special about your product or service. Highlight what sets you apart from your competitors. You don’t want to get lost in the millions of hits that a broad search can bring up.
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Keep it Real
People are easily distracted. We have short attention spans. More than ever, content must be relevant. Good, solid content can capture your customer’s attention and hold it there. That’s no small feat given the information overload we all experience when browsing online.
For example: typing “storage ideas” creates a dropdown search menu with targeted phrases. Scroll down and highlight “storage ideas for small closets.” You get this: about 1,130,000 results in less than one second! Your digital marketing plan has to help you stand out in a crowded field.
Your first temptation might be to do something outrageous in an attempt to go viral. That route can get you a lot of clicks, but relevant content will bring browsing customers back again. Today’s viral phenomenon is a faded memory tomorrow. Your content needs to leave a lasting impression.
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Video Killed the Radio Star
Digital marketing is not the same as print marketing. Exploit the difference! Content can be more than words on a page. Add photos. Add video. It’s a great way to engage your customers. Frankly, what’s good for your customers in this case is even better for you!
Ever notice how searches now highlight video? That’s because Google owns YouTube. Google is video friendly and rewards the use of video content. Capitalize on that connection! Translate your written content into video and you’ll capture new customers. It isn’t as difficult or expensive as you might think.
Byting off More than You Can Chew
Does all this still sound good? You are confident you can come up with a marketing plan:
- You know who your customers are.
- You know what sets your business apart.
- You have plenty of ideas for content.
However, how do you put all your brilliant ideas into a digital marketing plan? It isn’t the what or why of digital marketing that has you stymied. It’s the how!
You are no different from other online junkies. You use social media constantly yourself. However, moving from user to behind-the-scene web master scares the bejeezus out of you. You are not alone. Nathan Chen makes landing a quad look easy, but you know your skill on the ice won’t ever get you that far.
You need to turn to an expert with the technical know-how to turn your ideas into virtual reality.
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Who can you call for help?
What you need to know about digital marketing is who to call for help. Please don’t call your sixteen-year-old nephew on the misguided notion that kids are all tech-savvy! We’re talking about your business—your livelihood.
Solutio’s expertise is in providing digital marketing solutions. We have years of experience and a track record that shows we know what we’re doing. You can be sure that your digital marketing campaign isn’t our first one. We are seasoned professionals.
If you still think you don’t need an expert, consider this: Some websites promise simple do-it-yourself templates. However, those turn out cookie-cutter look-alikes. Solutio will focus on tailoring your digital marketing campaign. You and your business are unique and your marketing campaign should be one-of-a-kind.
Solutio takes the time to get to know you. We will listen to what you want. We’ll design a campaign for you based on your needs. We’ll help your business get noticed in a good way.
Another reason you shouldn’t go it alone is this: knowing the basics isn’t enough. Do you know the difference between SEO, SEM, and SMM? Trust Solutio to know the difference and know how to apply theses digital marketing modalities to your business.
It’s our business to keep up with trends and technology in digital marketing. You can rest assured that we have the technical know-how to implement your strategy. That’s what you really need to know about digital marketing. Call us or stop in to our offices and have a cup of coffee.
Links:
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