It’s that time of the year. Time for determining New Year’s Resolutions and setting business goals for 2016. As you do both, make sure that this item is on both lists: Allocate Time, Staff, Money and Resources to Your Digital Marketing Strategy. Of course you have a marketing strategy, but has your organization enhanced that strategy to encompass a digital strategy? You may very well have an active social media presence and may have developed a mobile app for your customers, but were these created as part of an overarching plan or in departmental silos? Having a digital marketing strategy that everyone buys into will help your company grow, strengthen your brand and ultimately, bring in revenue.
There was a time when a key part of a company’s marketing strategy was the glossy brochure describing the company’s mission, goals, products and services. Today the glossy, yet static, brochure is pretty much a thing of the past, replaced with a dynamic, interactive company website. But just like the brochure was only one component in a company’s marketing strategy, the same is true of the website. It’s probably the strongest element, but it’s only one of many marketing tools that should make up your digital marketing strategy.
In 2015 mobile devices accounted for more than 50 percent of internet searches.1 And recent research shows that 84 percent of consumers do research on company websites.2 That’s huge and you know that those numbers are only going to go up. So while your’re busy planning for the new year, let’s take a look at four key components of your digital marketing strategy.
Content
Is someone in your company tasked with creating content for the company website
as well as providing content for the
company blog?
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This is actually more important than you might realize. When you add new content to your site and/or to your blog, you are keeping your website current. Not only that, you are helping with your website’s rankings and by doing that you are helping increase the traffic that comes to your website through various search engines. Did you know that search engines use algorithms that look for new content?
When they find it, it increases your rankings.
The converse is also true. When you don’t
have current content your rankings fall.
By investing time in content development
you’ll improve your SEO (search
engine optimization).
Mobile
Is your website mobile optimized? Have you ensured that you have a responsive design, making the viewing experience the same across multiple devices? This is critical. Because if the functionality of your website doesn’t work or your website isn’t easy to navigate, your viewer will likely move to your competitor’s website rather than remain on yours. And of course when that happens, you will not see any revenue from that
potential customer.
Have you developed a mobile app for your customers? If so, take the same
things into consideration. The app has to be easy to navigate and easy to use. Frustrated customers are not happy customers.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is another piece of the digital marketing strategy puzzle. It’s quick and easy and lets you deliver the message you want in the most effective way to the target audience you want.
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With 56 percent of emails now opened on mobile devices,3 are your emails mobile-friendly? With so many people viewing their emails on the go, make sure you are optimizing the viewing experience.
Social Media
Do you have a social media presence? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc? If you answered no, correct that immediately. These are additional ways to connect with your customers through different channels and to convert new customers. If you answered yes, are you using each channel in a different way? Each social media app has its own unique traits which is why you do not want to take a one-size-fits-all approach to what you post/tweet/pin/share on these sites. Make sure all of your activities are being directed by your all-encompassing digital marketing strategy. In 2014, Hubspot reported that 92 percent of marketers felt that social media marketing was important for their business. Of those, 80 percent believed that their efforts had increased their website traffic.4
Having a social media presence allows you to build your brand recognition and improve brand loyalty. By being visible on multiple channels, you afford potential customers more ways to find you, connect with you and learn about your company. In a report by Texas Tech University4 it was reported that when brands participate in social media, they benefit from high customer loyalty.
As 2016 unfolds there will certainly be more tactics to employ to enhance your digital marketing strategy. Take a look at where
you are today, set some goals, make some resolutions and see where they take you
in the new year.
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