Digital marketing has transformed over the years and continues to change in 2018, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an effective tool to help your business succeed. In fact, some of the most successful brands today wouldn’t be here without it. Here are 10 ways you can use digital marketing to help your business succeed.
1) It’s easier than you think
Anyone can learn how to succeed with digital marketing. All it takes is a little know-how and some time on your part—which you probably have in spades! To be honest, there are hundreds of ways you can get started with digital marketing, but we’ve narrowed it down to 10 of our favourites. The most important thing you can do? Just start! And who knows, you might just find a new way to surprise yourself along the way.
2) It can be done at a low cost
Digital marketing has proven itself more effective than other types of marketing for a number of reasons. For one, it can be done at a low cost, meaning you don’t have to spend a lot of money in order to see results from your digital campaigns. This makes it much easier for anyone—even smaller companies or start-ups—to grow their business and compete with large corporations on an even playing field. Digital marketing also allows you greater access to your target audience, which means that your message is likely to resonate better than it would through traditional forms of advertising.
3) There are lots of opportunities
One of digital marketing’s major benefits is that it presents a ton of opportunities for both large and small businesses. If you want to try your hand at digital marketing, but don’t want to start from scratch with an in-house team, find someone that specializes in these services. From there, you can leverage other companies—like Vista print or Design Pickle—to help grow your business and achieve more success as a result. There are plenty of options out there if you know where to look!
4) All you need is a plan
Successful marketing is all about strategy. Even if you have a great idea for your business, it will be a waste of time and money if you don’t have an effective plan for turning that idea into a profitable venture. Your marketing plan should include concrete goals and metrics that are keyed to increasing sales. Only with strategic planning will you be able to maximize your efforts, improve your results and grow your business.
5) Do it yourself if you can
If you’re going to do digital marketing, I’d urge you to do as much of it yourself as possible. If your time is worth $50/hour and you have an easy-to-use platform that costs just $5/month, then it’s a bargain. Sure, if you’re doing SEO or running Facebook ads, there are people who will charge big bucks because it’s challenging and time-consuming for them (it’s not for everyone). You should consider those options too. But if all you need is someone who can help create great content or even a regular email newsletter, skip the middle man. Learn how to code yourself or hire a freelancer on up work.
6) Get help when you need it
We are so used to doing everything on our own these days that it’s difficult for us to even consider seeking help when we need it. However, you should remember that in business, no one is an island. You can learn a lot by talking with others, not only about their experiences but also about how they feel when they made mistakes and how they overcame them. It’s okay to make mistakes while learning a new skill. The key is in knowing what mistakes you have made and what kind of consequences those errors might have on your business overall. When you find yourself stuck at any point along your digital marketing journey, seek out some outside help: whether it be from fellow marketers or other entrepreneurs who are going through similar challenges.
7) Enjoy the journey
You’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed by all of your responsibilities and feel like you’re in a hurry to accomplish everything. Sometimes, it’s so easy to get stressed out over our tasks and commitments that we forget how quickly time passes us by. Instead of looking at your calendar with dread and worrying about how much work you have left, try slowing down and enjoying every moment as it passes. Sure, you still need to get things done but it doesn’t have to be a dreaded or stressful experience.
8) Learn from others in your niche
It’s much easier to succeed with digital marketing when you learn from others who are already succeeding. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions and don’t be afraid to get on social media and tell them you want their advice. You can also check out forums in your niche and post that you need help. People will often respond with advice if they know that it will help someone else in your industry, too. Asking questions is a great way to gain knowledge because people love talking about their experiences when they feel like they’re helping someone else grow their business!
9) Be clear on your target audience
Who are you writing for? When I’m creating a piece of content, I will use different pieces of content as inspiration. This allows me to evaluate what that person wants, how they communicate, and what’s already out there on that topic. You can also try Buzzsumo or Google’s Keyword Planner. Both are great ways to research what your target audience is talking about most. If you have an existing site with data, you can look at your site analytics and see which posts have been shared or receive lots of traffic so that you know which topics have garnered interest. You can even go a step further and use Qualaroo surveys if it makes sense for your business!
10) Use automation where possible
Companies are quickly realizing that it’s no longer feasible for them to handle all aspects of their digital marketing efforts on their own. Today, there are so many options for automated processes and tools that allow you to quickly build and execute a successful digital marketing strategy that takes very little effort on your part.
