FAQ SECTION
Digital marketing involves reaching out to potential and current customers using electronic devices that are connected to the internet. This could include computers, smartphones, and tablets. The main focus of digital marketing is to use channels such as search engines, social media, email, websites, and apps to connect with people.
A digital marketer is an online channels specialist who is responsible for promoting a business and its products. They have in-depth knowledge of how social media, search engines, websites, and online advertisements can generate sales leads and increase traffic to a business. They also help businesses by building brand awareness. Digital marketing roles usually require a mix of creativity, social advertising, and data analysis to help businesses be strategic about their online presence and the way they interact with potential customers.
Yes, companies in various business categories should continue to approach digital marketing with an open mind. However, if companies avoid digital marketing, they are missing out on the opportunity to connect with consumers through the media outlet that most people rely on and use at all hours of the day.
Websites that don't have any new updates or content are less likely to generate traffic or conversions. A static website is technically still a website, but it acts more like a digital brochure if there's no new content being added regularly. If you want your website to perform well and support your digital marketing objectives, you need to regularly add new content and keep it fresh.
Content marketing is a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.
Content marketing is all about building an audience through creating and distributing valuable content. A successful content marketing strategy will have several key elements, including:
- Objectives: what do you want to achieve with your content marketing?
- Audience personas: who are you trying to reach with your content?
- A value proposition: what can you offer your audience that they can't get anywhere else?
- A content marketing mission statement: what is the overall purpose of your content marketing efforts?
- A buyer journey map: how does your audience interact with your content?
- Plans for creating, promoting, and analyzing content: how will you ensure that your content is seen by your target audience, and how will you measure its success?
Your digital marketing strategy will only be successful if you're creating and distributing content that is actually useful to your target audience. Video, podcasts, and media galleries are all great options, but a blog is still the most popular way to get your content out there. Having a blog also gives you complete control over the content and how it's presented.
When it comes to what kind of content you should be creating to attract buyers, the most important thing is to make sure it's relevant and useful to them. Some of the most popular types of content that fit this criteria include blog posts, articles, ebooks, infographics, microsites, videos, courses, case studies, newsletters, visuals and various forms of interactive content.
Short-form content has its place on social media, where audiences are scrolling quickly and taking in lots of information. However, long-form content performs better on search engines and gives your blog more substance to help establish your expertise.
Your headlines need to be attractive and attention-grabbing to get people to want to read, watch or listen to your content but after a while, your reputation will play a part too. I always say “The aim of your content shouldn’t just be getting people to come to your website once, it should be getting them to subscribe so they keep coming back!” Therefore, you need to make sure you’re consistently putting out quality content and be respectful of your audience - this will make them more likely to want keep up with what you’re saying.
Search engine optimization is the process of using both onsite and offsite tactics to improve the chances that your content will be presented by a search engine. When executed properly, SEO can result in an increase in the quantity and quality of traffic to your website.
A greater degree of commercial intent is generally possessed by those that come to a website through search engines, as opposed to other channels. This is because the majority of web traffic is generated by the search.
Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online properties for searches based on location. For example, if you sell products or services, local SEO will help you promote your business to customers who are searching for what you offer in their area. This is done by optimizing your website and other online properties for local search keywords and phrases, as well as making sure your business is listed in local directories and on maps.
The words and phrases that internet searchers use to find relevant information are called keywords. Search Engine Optimizers (SEOs) take keywords into account when they're creating or editing content so that it is more likely to show up when people use those keywords to search.
The ranking factors for achieving a high search engine ranking are diverse and complex, and they are also subject to change. This is because search engine companies such as Google do not disclose how they algorithmically generate their rankings. However, experts generally agree that relevance and authority are two of the main contributing factors. The best way to achieve a high ranking is, therefore, to create a web page that is thoroughly relevant and authoritative for a specific keyword or topic.
PPC, or pay-per-click, is an advertising model in which advertisers are charged a fee each time their ad is clicked. Search engine advertising, the most popular form of PPC, allows ads to be shown alongside related search results. However, numerous other channels, such as Facebook, now offer PPC ad models as well.
Native advertising can be a great way to get your message in front of your target audience without being filtered out by ad blockers. Native advertising is a form of paid media where the ads are designed to blend in with the surrounding content on the platform where they're placed. While technically PPC and social media ads could be considered native advertising, most people think of native advertising as articles that are published or promoted on editorial sites. Native advertising has grown steadily in recent years because people are less likely to ignore it than they are traditional display ads.
You may remember advertorials - that is, editorial style content that was paid for by an advertiser. Sponsored content is a modern relative of advertorials. It's content published on behalf of a sponsor, and it tends to be in a native format. The creative content for sponsored articles may be produced by the publisher or by the brand. Many publishers have divisions that are devoted to writing and designing sponsored content - from articles and videos to infographics and microsites.
A buyer persona is a representation of your ideal customer based on market research and data. Personas generally include customer demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, and goals. They should reveal insights about the buyers’ decisions including attitudes, concerns and criteria that drive buying decisions. Having this information will help you better understand what your customers want and how they make decisions so you can more effectively market your product or service to them.
The term "inbound marketing" was coined by HubSpot, so they would be the best source to ask for a precise definition. However, generally speaking, inbound marketing is focused on attracting customers through relevant and helpful content. Potential customers can find you through channels like blogs, search engines, and social media.
At every stage in the customer's journey, you should be adding value. This could take the form of helpful blog posts, informative videos, or even just providing answers to common questions. By being genuinely helpful, you'll build trust and goodwill with your potential customers, making it more likely that they'll do business with you when they're ready to buy.
Outbound marketing is often compared to inbound marketing, but the two are quite different from each other. Inbound marketing does not need to fight for potential customers’ attention because it is already focused on them. By creating content that is designed to address the specific problems and needs of your ideal customers, you will attract qualified prospects who are more likely to trust and do business with you.
Marketing automation software is designed to streamline and automate marketing processes, campaigns, and tasks across multiple channels. By doing so, it ineffective lead generation, segmentation, lead nurturing, lead scoring, measurement processes, and more.
An effective marketing automation tool will help you identify your target audience, create content that resonates with them, and automatically trigger actions based on their behavior. In other words, it's the perfect way to scale your marketing efforts without sacrificing quality or alienating your customers.
Data-driven marketing is all about understanding your customer's needs and desires by leveraging data. When you have a complete understanding of how your customers respond to your marketing efforts, you can make more informed decisions that will result in a better customer experience. An effective marketing automation tool can help you identify your audience, create the right content, and automatically trigger actions based on customer behavior - making the process easier and more streamlined for you.
Performance marketing is a type of advertising where businesses pay for results instead of simply paying for ad space. With performance marketing, businesses only pay when a customer completes a specific action, such as clicking on an ad, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. In order for performance marketing to be effective, businesses need to have access to precise tracking tools so they can measure their conversions. An effective marketing automation tool can help identify your audience, create the right content, and automatically trigger actions based on customer behavior.
The marketing funnel is a model that helps visualize the journey a potential buyer takes from their first interaction with your brand to becoming a paying customer. The funnel metaphor is relevant because it narrows as it progresses, which means that the likelihood of making a sale decreases at each stage of the funnel.
The goal of conversion rate optimization (CRO) is to increase the percentage of users who take a desired action on your digital property - whether that's subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form, or making a purchase. You can improve your site's conversion rate by testing different elements and tactics to see what works best for your audience. Keep in mind that CRO focuses on driving prospects further down your marketing funnel - so the tactics you use should be aligned with that goal.
Interactive content is more engaging than static content because it requires the audience to do more than just consume the information passively. With interactive content, participants have a direct hand in shaping the outcome of what they see, making the experience more personal and tailored to their specific needs. Answering questions, for instance, helps guide individuals to results that directly address the problems or challenges they face.
Chances are your target audience is active on one or more social media networks where they interact with friends, family, and brands daily. As a business, harnessing the power of social media marketing can help boost awareness of your brand, drive traffic to your website, interact with customers, drive sales, build customer loyalty, and win advocates.
Before creating social media content, it's important to consider which platforms will be most effective in reaching your target audience. The five social media platforms with the most active users are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Of these, determine which ones your audience is most active on and tailor your content accordingly. Consider also the demographics and behavioral patterns of the users when crafting your content strategy.
Your brand is now a part of the conversations your target audience is having. You can't exactly "control" what's said about it, but you can participate in these conversations, show that you're invested in your customers, and add value to the discussion.
Personal branding is the process of marketing yourself as an individual professional through both online and offline channels. In the digital age, personal branding has become increasingly important for all types of hiring and purchase decisions.
A lead magnet is a free offer you make to a potential customer in exchange for their email address (and possibly additional information). The purpose of a lead magnet is to inspire your target audience to sign up for your email list by offering something of value. Examples of lead magnets include an ebook, guide, report, assessment, cheat sheet, tool, template, webinar, course, or a coupon.
Email is stronger than ever. It’s more popular than any social media. It’s more private. More personal. More reliable. Most people rely on email and check their inboxes multiple times each day. If you want to communicate directly with people who actually grant you permission to market to them, email marketing is essential.
Purchasing email lists is generally discouraged as most email service providers don't accept purchased lists and it can end up causing more harm than good. It's much better to organically grow your email list by providing something of value like a lead magnet in exchange for an email address. A small list of high-quality prospects is worth more than a large list of strangers any day.
Lead nurturing is the process of marketing to potential customers, usually through email, to build relationships and keep them engaged with your brand. By consistently interacting with leads at key points during the sales process, you will improve conversion rates and drive sales.
As a marketer, you should be sending out regular updates to your subscribers with news about new content, products (or improvements), events, etc. However, don't expect your email list to expand rapidly just because you offer a newsletter. Instead, focus on delivering quality information that your subscribers will find valuable and worth reading.
There are many reasons why marketers love using video as a format for their content. Firstly, online consumers love it. More than a billion hours of video are consumed on YouTube each day, so it's clearly a popular choice. Secondly, video is a flexible and engaging content format that's easy to share across multiple platforms. Smartphones and digital editing have made it much easier to create video content, so the potential for a high return on investment is great.
A call to action is an instruction to the viewer to take the desired action, usually given as a command. In digital marketing, a CTA usually appears as a button or link.
The answer to this question may seem complex, but it's actually quite simple: create value. You need to identify and communicate a promise to your customers that resonate on an emotional level. Start by asking yourself this question: how can we improve the lives of those we serve?
Professional marketing requires a professional copywriter. The role of a copywriter is more important than ever in the content-driven digital media world. Well-written copy not only builds brands, but it also connects with the reader and inspires action.
Google Analytics is a powerful yet free website analytics tool that provides users with key insights into their website's performance. With Google Analytics, you can track your website's ROI, review vital metrics and make more informed decisions about your online marketing strategy. The majority of Google Analytics data is categorized into acquisition, behavior and conversion rates.
A practical approach to marketing metrics should include establishing which key performance indicators (KPIs) are most important for the growth of your brand. Consider metrics that reflect your progress regarding traffic generation, conversion, and marketing costs, and create a dashboard to track them monthly. This will give you valuable insights into your brand's progress and help you make necessary changes to improve your marketing strategy.
While paid digital marketing programs create results immediately, other programs such as content marketing, email list building, and search engine optimization require more time and patience to see any significant results. You might see some results within a few months, but it could take up to a year to realize some of your traffic and conversion objectives.
Facebook? Aim for once a day and definitely no less than 3 times a week.
Instagram? Once or twice a day.
LinkedIn? At least twice a week and no more than once per day.
Twitter? This one is a bit more varied but generally anywhere from 3-30 tweets per day is good.
If you want to be successful with social media marketing, you should focus on the platforms where most people are active. The most popular social media platforms, in order, are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Once you know where your target audience spends their time, you need to learn about their demographics. What are their behavioral patterns? What kind of content do they prefer? How does social media influence them as a consumer?