This is the era of information technology and artificial intelligence. Today, an online or digital presence is crucial for every business.
When everything around us seems to be connected to the internet of things, opting for digital marketing over conventional marketing makes sense.
The scope of digital marketing continues to grow over time, and the trends keep changing. Familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of digital marketing for 2020-21 to overcome the competition that gets tougher by the minute:
Do Customize and Personalize Content
Digital marketing has become a mainstream channel for advertising products and services worldwide. It is estimated that up to 50% of all advertising will become digital by the end of 2021.
While there is a lot you can learn from digital marketing strategies employed by Fortune 500 companies and popular brands, it is necessary to stand out.
Potential clients and customers will appreciate a unique approach; identify and understand your audience, so that you can customize and personalize content accordingly.
Don’t be Deceptive or Inconsistent
Staying true to your brand or slogan is integral to gain support of the audience. Deceptive or confusing content will offend people and damage your market reputation.
For instance, if you are running a blog that emphasizes on ‘green living’, stick to promoting products that are eco friendly.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to monetize your website, but make sure that it doesn’t contradict the core values of your business.
The product/service you deliver to customers shall correspond to what you promised in your digital ad/catalogue.
Do Invest in a Business Blog
Blogging is probably the most cost effective form of digital marketing. Blogs can be used to publish content that mentions or suggests your service/product to readers.
You can also use the literature to explain your work to the audience and show what your company stands for.
Whether you are trying to revolutionize the fashion industry or expand a catering business, you need to tell your story to grab attention.
Compelling and informative blogs get the most clicks, engage users, and reward you with SEO points.
Don’t Ignore SEO
Don’t be one of those business owners who don’t care about SEO. The advanced Google analytics and algorithms readily filter out irrelevant links and spammy content.
If you want to increase website traffic and gain a higher position in search engine results, you will have to implement sound SEO practices.
Copied, plagiarized, and misleading content will earn you a negative score.
Do Prioritize Customer Service
A business cannot be successful unless it generates enough sales to fulfill a quota; therefore, customer satisfaction is nonnegotiable.
Whether your website/channel makes money from views or via Ecommerce, you need to please the audience.
You have to answer questions, respond to complaints, and resolve issues efficiently. Digital communication makes it easier for users and consumers to reach out to you.
You may employ Chatbots to help them access basic information and cut down on waiting time; you do not have to pay robots for providing customer service or worry about worker’s compensation benefits.
Don’t Miss the Point of Digital Ads
Using paid traffic to supplement organic traffic is an effective tool of digital marketing.
Many businesses make use of Google Ad placement and search engine marketing through PPC (pay per click), CPM (cost per thousand impressions), and CPA (cost per action) ad campaigns.
These digital ads are only beneficial if they are targeted towards the right audience and the landing page in authentic; otherwise, you will be losing a lot of money quickly.
You need to check the ROI (return of investment) of your paid ads over time; if the conversion rates remain poor, you may have to discontinue or modify your ads.
Do Focus on Aesthetics and Visuals
Seeing is believing. A picture is worth a thousand words. While literature is powerful on its own, visuals make it at least ten times more appealing.
The more beautiful a post, page, or presentation is, the better is the feedback. If you want to go bigger, make a video!
The public loves videos; 90% of your audience will prefer to watch a video tutorial rather than reading a step-by-step procedure.
Whether you are marketing on your personal website, social media platforms, or other hosting sites, make your ads interactive with original photos and videos.
Don’t Overdo Social Media Campaigns
Social media is where digital marketing is birthed and bred. The variety of online social platforms gives us ample space and opportunities to market stuff worldwide.
While the idea of promoting your stuff on every single social media website sounds promising, it is not even remotely practical.
Most startup entrepreneurs do not have the time, energy, and resources to manage multiple accounts or keep them active simultaneously.
You don’t have to be everywhere, but make your presence count in the places that matter most.
For instance, if you are trying to sell customized cakes, Snapchat, Pinterest, and Facebook are recommended; Twitter or LinkedIn would not be of much use.
You can also select your social media channel, based on the targeted age group. Facebook is most popular among Generation X and Baby Boomers.
On the other hand, Instagram and Snapchat are a hit among the kids, i.e. Generation Z.
Do Enhance Website/Application Accessibility
Your website or mobile application is the waterway to your audience, so eliminate all possible hindrances.
A website should be accessible on all sorts of digital devices by everyone; if it does not adjust to the screen of a smartphone or tablet, the user will immediately reject it.
If the content of your web page or app takes too much time to load, you lose audience. People are accustomed to the fast life; waiting for something beyond a few seconds is painful and it really tests their patience.
Almost 25% of the population suffers from some kind of disability, so a read-only medium may limit your reach. Rumor is that civil litigation related to web compliance is a thing now (shocking!).
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Email
If you think email marketing is obsolete or outdated, you are delusional. Email is still the primary source of communication among the working force.
It is the preferred medium for exchanging official documents and maintaining record for professional conversations.
People who work are the moneymakers, which make them the ideal audience for pitching a product or service. Promotional emails account for almost 40% of leads generated by Ecommerce platforms.
Do Call in Professional Help
Digital marketing is a multifaceted commodity, which is why it can be a bit too much for newbies.
Rather than relying on guesswork and putting your business at risk, you must obtain the input of a professional.
An expert or experienced freelancer can help you organize and execute an optimum marketing plan.
Don’t Pick Quantity over Quality
Advertising is large volumes is a good strategy to reach a wider audience, but it proves ineffective if the quality of delivered content is not up to certain standards or expectations.
When you focus on quality, your creation speaks for itself and word spreads automatically.
For best results, quality and quantity must go hand in hand; if you have to pick one, always choose quality.
