Digital marketing continues to evolve. Strategies that were effective yesterday might not be so beneficial today. In the fast-changing online environment, it’s important for marketers to learn the right techniques to succeed.
An effective digital marketing strategy is essential for any online business to take advantage of its many marketing opportunities. Many businesses fail to get ahead of their competition simply because they don’t know how to adapt to the ever-changing world of digital media and what tactics to apply to their marketing campaigns.
In our latest SEMrush Chat, we discussed effective digital marketing strategies with our chat participants and our special guest Craig Campbell, a consultant with 14 years of experience in SEO and other areas of digital marketing. So let’s figure out what tactics will help your business thrive in today’s online space.
If your company doesn’t have a digital marketing strategy, it’s time to get one! A solid strategy will help you make the right decisions to achieve success. But where should you begin? Let’s find out.
Regardless of how much digital media changes, the basics of developing a digital marketing strategy remain the same. It’s important for any business to research their market and its main players. With effective market research, you can discover a wealth of information about your competitors, the latest market trends, your customers’ spending habits and other important things.
A1: Researching your market & competitors, doing a mix of different marketing strategies and using the correct tools are key ! #SEMrushchat
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
One of the first steps for developing an effective marketing strategy is setting goals. A clear plan and measurable goals will help you prioritize and focus on the most important elements of your strategy. When setting your goals or key performance indicators (KPIs), be specific and limit your goals in both scope and duration.
A1: Identify your goals and create a plan to help you achieve them. You have to know what you're working towards. #semrushchat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 6, 2016
Tim Capper @GuideTwit points out that, when defining your company’s digital marketing goals, you should pay attention to your clients’ business objectives: “Your clients’ business goals are the first step towards defining their digital marketing goals.”
Bill Slawski shared a whole list of important steps for creating a good marketing strategy. First of all, the more you understand your audience’s needs and wants, the more you can help them.
Evaluate your company’s current online performance and marketing efforts. Think about what makes your business stand out from your competitors’ (we will return to this topic a bit later). Schedule a brainstorm session to come up with new ideas for your digital marketing strategy. Also, don’t forget to review your marketing plan on a regular basis in order to keep it fresh, relevant and based on current trends.
A1 Understand your audience;brainstorm your efforts; communicate your plan; determine measurements; execute; review efforts #SEMRushChat
— Bill Slawski (@bill_slawski) July 6, 2016
When developing a marketing strategy, you should clearly understand what problems you can solve with this strategy. If you are at a loss for answers, maybe you should rethink your plan.
@semrush A1 Always start with the question "What problem will I solve with this strategy?" #semrushchat
— Robert Katai (@katairobi) July 6, 2016
Finally, before you do something, ask yourself why you are doing it and whether or not it will help you achieve your desired goal. Sometimes taking a step back and asking yourself the right questions can help you make the right decisions.
A1: I'd say among the what, how and why in your dm strategy the Why is a prerogative #semrushchat
— Olia Kudanova (@LoloLoyalty) July 6, 2016
Let’s sum it up!
Research your audience, set goals, plan your strategy, implement it and measure your success. Don’t limit yourself to just a few tactics, use a combination of digital marketing strategies and tools.
We believe that the ability to succeed in the competitive digital media environment depends not only on effective marketing strategies, but also on a few key daily practices. We asked our chat participants to name some habits that a highly effective marketers should possess.
A great marketer always has a plan and is ready to change it if it stops working for the company. It’s important to consistently track your progress and analyze your rivals in order to stay ahead of the competition.
@semrush A2: Analysing competition, continuing to learn, have a plan, use the correct tools, keep up with new trends ! #SEMrushchat
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
Our special guest and our other chat participants reminded us about the importance of learning. Rokusek believes that a marketer’s education is never complete. The digital media world changes constantly, and some tactics become outdated. An effective marketer should be able to adapt to all the changes that occur in their industry.
A2: Knowing your work and education is never finished. Be adaptive and ready for changes in trends. #semrushchat
— Rokusek (@rokusek) July 6, 2016
Dawn Anderson also says that marketers should always plan, review, and repeat their actions. She recommends subscribing to reliable industry blogs for their daily roundups. There’s no way you can stop learning in the digital marketing world.
A2) Plan, do review, repeat. Subscribe 2 major industry (+ reliable) new blogs 4 daily roundups (+ read). Always b testing #semrushchat
— Dawn Anderson (@dawnieando) July 6, 2016
Dawn Anderson explained that a good marketer should always be prepared to make mistakes, review strategies that aren’t working and change them. Today’s marketers have to be agile. Jim Yu described the agile skill sets of a highly effective digital marketer in his article posted on Marketing Land. He believes that to succeed in the competitive digital environment, marketers should possess a few key hybrid skills.
Another essential daily habit of today’s successful marketers is checking analytics. If you do this on a regular basis, you can identify what is working for your business and what is not. Then you can focus your efforts on the strategies that meet your company’s needs and goals. “Check analytics, focus on where the money is, and be inspiring – talk to your team,” recommends Arnout Hellemans @hellemans.
Besides checking analytics and planning, Daljeet Kaur recommends interacting with influencers and building relationships. And I couldn’t agree more. Industry influencers have credibility in their community. If you can build long-term relationships with influential experts, they will help your brand connect with its target audience.
@semrush A2: checking analytics, planning, reading, finding new tools, interacting with influencers & building relationships #semruschat
— Daljeet Kaur (@DaljeetkKaur) July 6, 2016
Finally, a great marketer, as well as any other specialist, should remember to take a break every now and again in order to avoid burnout. Time off is good for your health and productivity at work.
#semrushchat A2 Be organised, Be flexible, set goals & measure. remember to take a break!
— David Sayce (@dsayce) July 6, 2016
Be sure to check out the recap to learn a few other daily habits of an effective marketer.
An effective digital marketer understands the importance of analytics, is not afraid of failure, keeps up with the latest industry trends and technologies, adopts new tools, and never stops learning.
Digital marketers are always looking for innovative ways to attract new online visitors. They’re always trying to find out which channels can bring them larger audiences and higher conversion rates. We asked our guests to share their experience and name digital marketing channels that have proven to be the most effective for them.
As you might expect, many experts answered that it all depends on your specific industry, your content, where your audience is, and a few other aspects. And some of our guests explained how certain digital marketing channels are working for them.
SEO remains an effective channel for earning new clients. Many people use search engines to find information about various products, services, brands, and other things. Solid SEO can get you noticed and help you attract new visitors to your website.
@semrush A3: SEO is still no1 , but Linkedin works really well, using it properly brings leads, interaction with others & sales #SEMrushchat
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
Dawn Anderson also commented that organic search, supported by paid search and amplified by social media, has proven to be most effective for her clients.
A3) Organic search is most effective for my clients. Supported by paid search as nec + amplified by social. All work 2gether #semrushchat
— Dawn Anderson (@dawnieando) July 6, 2016
Different channels can work together quite well. As for PPC, will see results faster than with SEO. “A combination of SEO and PPC works well for us. Clients are often fans of the quick results that PPC can yield,” Medium Blue @MediumBlueSEM explains.
Just like many other experts, WooRank suggests that you should be where your audience is. For example, practically all age groups spend large amounts of time on social media. With SMM, digital marketers can increase awareness of their brand and reach out to their potential customers.
Events are a great way to get your company in front of a like-minded audience. That’s why they can also be an effective marketing channel. Industry events and conferences offer face-to-face interaction and engagement.
A3: Events, social media & newsletters are effective digital marketing channels, be where your audience is! #semrushchat
— WooRank (@woorank) July 6, 2016
Twitter remains an important marketing channel for many companies. Netvantage Marketing points out that Twitter chats are a great opportunity to learn from other people in your industry, as well as to exchange experience and expertise.
A3: Twitter is our usual go to. Twitter chats are also great to learn from everyone in the industry. #semrushchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 6, 2016
Email marketing is still one of the most effective digital channels, and it can yield a high ROI, if done correctly. A well-crafted email has significant potential to deliver your desired results.
A3: I do not want to admit but: email :-( Email boasts an incredible ROI and it's so easy to track and measure. #semrushchat
— Omi Sido (@OmiSido) July 6, 2016
Rokusek @rokusek believes that emails allow for personalization: “Any channel that allows for personalization (like email) is great. That one-on-one contact is crucial to content distribution.”
With so many digital marketing channels available, how do you pick the best one for your business? We would love to hear about your experience!
In the digital marketing age, it’s essential to measure the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy because it’s an indicator of your success. How can you determine if your digital marketing activities are effective? Which marketing metrics should you pay attention to? Unfortunately, some companies don’t know how to answer these questions properly.
Let’s find out how to identify the right metrics and measure the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy.
Identify your target for each KPI, as Hardik Oza recommends. Knowing your KPIs and understanding what is working and what is not should be an indispensable element of your marketing strategy. Otherwise, you won’t be able to identify your business’ potential weaknesses and improve upon them.
@semrush A4. ✔ Identity target for each KPI ✔ User Behavior ✔ Note KPI ✔ Goals ✔ Business objective identification #SEMrushchat
— Hardik Oza (@Ozaemotion) July 6, 2016
Our special guest recommends monitoring your website traffic and sales. Monitoring your traffic allows you to know who is visiting your website, where they are coming from, and what they’re doing on your website. Having sales statistics will help you track your progress and focus on your goals.
@semrush A4: Monitoring traffic and sales works for me! Analytics tools provide you with all you need to measure effetiveness #SEMrushchat
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
Tim Capper suggested that Google Analytics is a good place to start measuring the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. With this tool you can keep track of metrics that are critical to your business. Goals enable you to measure how well your website fulfills your target objectives.
A4 ) Results should be measured against the defined Goals of the campaign. Google analytics is a good place to start #semrushchat
— Tim Capper (@GuideTwit) July 6, 2016
Pay attention to both your quantitative and qualitative results, as this information can be combined into a mixed research methodology. While quantitative analytics is a way to look at actual numbers, qualitative analytics is more subjective. You can use quantitative analytics to understand how people behave and turn to qualitative analytics when you want to figure out why they behave that way.
A4 Results are quantitative AND qualitative. If you are exceeding conversions but skimping quality, that's not winning. #semrushchat
— Katie Mullins (@katiemuffins) July 6, 2016
A great way to determine whether your marketing efforts are beneficial is to understand whether or not your website visitors are happy with your site. Invite them to take a survey to discover whether or not they are satisfied with the solutions and outcomes you offer.
A4: Survey your site visitors. Are they happy with the journey? Are they happy with proposed solutions and outcomes? #semrushchat
— Andy Drinkwater (@iqseo) July 6, 2016
Also, Andy Drinkwater recommends communicating with your customers: “Never be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to your clients. Don't be afraid of criticism – it's how we learn.” You can learn a lot from your clients; try to understand their major pain points.
Track your customer lifetime value, ROI, conversions, sales and other important metrics. Keep track of what is crucial to your business based on your goals.
In today’s competitive business environment, keeping up with your rivals can be a real challenge. Together with our chat participants, we made a list of several key ways to help your company stand out among other market players.
Communicate with your customers and educate them
Communicating with your clients is essential. But it will be effective only if you do it properly. Your every sentence should be as clear and efficient as possible. Don’t use technical jargon in order to avoid misunderstandings. Explain specific terms and concepts frequently employed in your niche before discussing them, because your customers simply may not know them.
Educate your clients. The more your customers understand, the easier it will be for them to tell you want they really need. As a result, it will be much easier for you to work with them. “Educate as well as inform. Tell them the “what” behind the “why.” Give them what they did not know to ask for,” as Marianne Sweeny @msweeny recommended.
@semrush A5: No technical jargon, simplify reporting, educate clients and communicating regularly works well to help stand out. #SEMrushchat
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
Be honest
Being honest and transparent with your customers builds loyalty. Do it out of respect for your clients and they will appreciate it. They deserve to know what you are doing and why you are doing it.
@semrush A5. Be transparent and honest, collaborate so that client voices are part of the way you push the brand #semrushchat
— Monica Karpinski (@monkarpi) July 6, 2016
Learn how to listen
Companies shouldn’t just talk, but also know how to listen to their clients. Ask them the right questions to know what they are really thinking. Ask them for feedback to gain insight into how they feel about your company. This wealth of information can help you improve your business processes. “Use a voice your audience relates to. Talk less about what you do. Show why you are the best with proof points and trust statements,” advises Joe Martinez @MilwaukeePPC.
A5. LISTEN to clients and prospects. Answer their questions honestly. Provide what they are looking for. #semrushchat
— Reva Minkoff (@revaminkoff) July 6, 2016
Be good at what you do and always improve
Show people that you are an expert in your industry and prove it. InteractOne @InteractOne shared their experience: “For us, it's about showing we are thought leaders in our industry. Authoritative and helpful content goes a long way.” Also, know your competitors and learn from them. This knowledge will help you beat your rivals. And never stop improving!
A5: Ensure the quality of your product is evidently equal to or better than your best competitor. #semrushchat
— Omi Sido (@OmiSido) July 6, 2016
Be creative
Digital media provides multiple opportunities to stand out among other businesses in your industry. Use the latest technologies, test new tactics, be creative and try to think from new perspectives. “Be creative and open-minded when it comes to trying new technologies and systems. It's good do something different!” as Traffic Jam Media @trafficjammedia recommended.
A5. Be creative by thinking outside of the box and having open communication with your audience. #semrushchat
— Village Print&Media (@vpm_nyc) July 6, 2016
Check out a few other tips from our guests in the following recap!
We all have competitors, and sometimes it can be difficult to stand out. Be good at what you do, provide your customers with real solutions to their problems, and make them happy. All these tactics will make your business stand out in the crowd.
We’ve already discussed various effective digital marketing tactics, so now it’s time to look at real-life examples. At the end of our chat, we asked everyone if they could name a company that has a nearly perfect digital marketing strategy.
Craig Campbell believes that big companies have more staff and resources to compete with more marketing digital strategies, so it’s difficult to answer this question.
@semrush A6 : Hard question to answer as big companies have more staff and a much higher budget to compete with more Digital Strategies
— Craig Campbell (@glasgowseo03) July 6, 2016
Many of our chat participants agreed that nobody is perfect and there is always room for improvement.
A6 is a really hard question. There's always something to be improved. And you never know effectiveness without seeing data. #semrushchat
— Reva Minkoff (@revaminkoff) July 6, 2016
If a company ever stops learning, optimizing its marketing strategies, and improving its business model, it will stagnate, and it can easily be outshined by younger businesses with fresher ideas.
A6: Nobody can be perfect, especially in an industry that changes as rapidly as digital marketing does. #semrushchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) July 6, 2016
All brands are unique; all companies have their strengths and weaknesses.
.A6 "Perfect" is subjective since all brands are sooo different. I'd say it will depend if the goals are being achieved. #semrushchat
— Kiki (@Typ0Queen) July 6, 2016
Nevertheless, some of our chat participants provided examples of companies that, in their view, have brilliant digital marketing strategies. For example, Chris Desadoy @EliteYouTubePro mentioned Old Spice, a brand of male grooming products, and Red Bull, a company that sells energy drinks and is also known for sponsoring a range of sporting events and teams.
ZenContent @ZenContent also named Old Spice, as well as ThinkGeek, an online retailer that caters to computer enthusiasts, and ModCloth, an online retailer of vintage-inspired clothing, accessories and decor: “Old Spice, ThinkGeek, and ModCloth really understand their audiences and produce great content that engages!”
We hope that all the tips from this post will help you improve your digital marketing strategy and achieve your goals.
Thanks again to Craig Campbell and our other chat participants for this productive discussion and some valuable tips!
Innovative SEO services
SEO is a patience game; no secret there. We`ll work with you to develop a Search strategy focused on producing increased traffic rankings in as early as 3-months.
A proven Allinclusive. SEO services for measuring, executing, and optimizing for Search Engine success. We say what we do and do what we say.
Our company as Semrush Agency Partner has designed a search engine optimization service that is both ethical and result-driven. We use the latest tools, strategies, and trends to help you move up in the search engines for the right keywords to get noticed by the right audience.
Today, you can schedule a Discovery call with us about your company needs.
Source:
