Did you know last year there were four billion internet users from across the globe? That’s an insane amount of people!
However, unsurprisingly, not all these users will convert into customers.
Yet, it’s inevitable your ideal clients will be somewhere in and amongst the billions of people using the web; it’s just up to you to find them.
This is where digital and social media marketing comes into their own. With that in mind, let’s dive into how you can utilize these resources to boost your business!
What’s Digital Marketing?
Put simply, it’s when you use any kind of digital channel to promote your brand.
If you want to execute a comprehensive digital marketing plan, you should focus on the following.
Search Engine Marketing: this involves optimizing your content and web pages for SEO, as well as paid ads utilizing Google Adwords.
Mobile Marketing Promotions: submit an app that complements your business to both the Google Play and Apple Store.
Email Marketing Campaigns: this is where you build trust with your audience by providing them valuable information, and the occasional promotion of products.
Once you have the above components figured out, you can use social media to complement them. The aim is to harness all the digital platforms to complete one united goal.
If you’re not familiar with all the jargon listed above, consider outsourcing a few of these tasks; this will save you a ton of time!
What’s Social Media?
Social media is a specific kind of digital marketing.
If you’re a small business owner, it’s essential to swot up on the subject. Below is a list of a few of the most popular platforms:
- Google+
- YouTube
It’s almost impossible to become an expert in all the above. So our best advice is to pick two or three, to begin with, and really focus on them.
A Quick Guide to Social Media Marketing
When you’re crafting your social media marketing campaign, think carefully about the questions below:
1. What Do You Want from Social Media Marketing?
Do your research and work out how each social media platform can help you achieve your business goals. Write down what you want to succeed, and take it from there. For example:
- More sales?
- A larger audience?
- Greater authority in the industry?
Whatever it is, look into how social media could bring you closer to achieving your aims.
2. Strategy Is Key
Like any marketing plan, a clear strategy works best:
- Use apps like Buffer to schedule your content
- Prioritize the platforms your audience virtually ‘hang out’ on
- Work out when the optimum time is for posting for your niche
These are just a few ideas to help get the ball rolling!
3. Reputation Management Is Crucial
Use social media to build a relationship with your following. Publish positive reviews, respond to comments people leave on your photos, showcase examples of your recent work, etc.
Cultivating a positive reputation online is of paramount importance. It does wonders for boosting your credibility and trustworthiness.
You should also heed the two pieces of advice below:
- Use social media to get a feel for how the public perceives your brand. What kind of comments are you getting, and how can you improve them?
- How do people perceive your industry, on a broader level? What are their objections, and how can you help them overcome these barriers?
Knowledge is power, so make the most of these resources!
4. Think About What You’re Communicating
Continuous communication is necessary. However, this doesn’t mean spamming your following morning, noon, and night.
Instead, offer them valuable information they actually want.
Top Tip: always build credibility on these platforms before you attempt to sell anything.
5. Utilize Best Practices
It doesn’t matter which platform you use, each of them has a unique set of characteristics, so do your homework before you publish anything.
Always abide by the necessary etiquettes and best practices. Otherwise, you could damage your reputation.
For example, it’s generally considered poor practice to send a prospect a personal message to their Facebook inbox unless they’ve asked you to contact them.
Digital Marketing vs. Social Media
When you compare digital marketing against social media, there are a couple of critical things to note.
A digital marketing campaign includes all methods of online marketing, including email marketing and paid Google ads. On the other hand, social media campaigns refer explicitly to the use of social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. to promote your business.
Typically, social media is associated more with content marketing methods, i.e., you craft a valuable resource. For example, a video, a blog post, an infographic, etc. and then you share it with your audience using social media.
This is a fabulous way of promoting your content and bolstering traffic!
To find out more about the online marketing sphere, please feel free to click on the link!
Did You Enjoy This Article on Digital and Social Media Marketing?
If you found this feature on digital and social media marketing interesting, then we’re confident you’ll love the other pieces on our social media for businesses blog.
We discuss everything from the different types of Facebook ads you should utilize to advice on crafting a social media marketing campaign that’ll yield results. Enjoy!
Alternatively, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to either email us or send us a letter. We’d love to hear from you, speak soon!
