Does our business have a visible presence online? If not, why not? What can social media marketing do for my business? What are we waiting for?
Those are just a few of the important questions every savvy business leader should be asking, regardless of industry. Now more than ever, consumers and potential business partners are searching for information online as a first step to making decisions about where to shop, who to work with, and what professionals services to book. If you don’t have a digital marketing strategy, chances are that your organization is virtually invisible — or worse, misrepresented by false or unflattering information floating around online.
Just take a moment to consider. Use of the internet hasn’t somehow leveled off, and isn’t some fad you can outlive. We continue to see growth among all age groups in the use of internet for everything. According to Pew Research Center, Facebook is used by more than three quarters of U.S. adults. More than 9 in 10 young adults have an Instagram account. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial digital iceberg.
Think about your own experiences, and the need for a digital marketing strategy becomes even more obvious. Our friends post online information about where to go out to eat, movies to see, and events to attend. We share information with our professional networks through our social channels about events, opportunities, and industry developments. We crowd-source online information about which doctors to visit, mechanics to use for car repairs, and insurance agents and services to check into.
Ever “Google”-d anything? Those search results matter when we’re looking for options. And we can’t help but check out online reviews when trying to establish the credibility of a business, or compare options we’re not familiar with at the beginning of a search.
Now that you’re thinking about all of the ways you use the online landscape, it’s easy to realize that there are a ton of ways to get involved in the digital marketing space. But it doesn’t have to be complicated! For most organizations, there are three primary ways to automatically improve their visibility online and have the maximum impact. Read on to learn more.
Three Foundational Digital Marketing Strategies
- Social Media. Every professional in every industry needs a solid social media presence. You can choose the right social media outlet for your organization, but you need to have at the very least one channel that gets your name out there and gives people a sense of who you are and what you do. This piece is especially important if you don’t have a website. Think Facebook and/or Instagram for business to consumer products and services, and LinkedIn for business to business networking.
- SEO. This piece of the puzzle is necessary to put your website in the running to be found online. A good website is often the first source of information people will turn to decide whether or not they’re interested in your services. But moreover, did you know that if your site doesn’t show up in the first two pages of search results, most people won’t find you at all? You need a Google listing, an optimized website, and content that builds both credibility and visibility.
- Paid Advertising. This is the final piece of the puzzle to boost your visibility online, and give you an edge. You can advertise on social media, through Google, or even with ads on e-commerce sites. You can target your advertising to a specialized audience, and maximize that the right people find you.
Conversely, not having those three digital marketing basics in place can leave your organization vulnerable. Your organization is in danger of (at best) getting lost in the shuffle, or (at worst) developing a poor reputation with your consumer audience.
Want to learn more about digital marketing? Every wondered, “How can I increase my brand awareness?” You’re asking the right questions. Now, let the experts provide you with the answers you need to improve your online visibility and resonance with your audience. That’s what we do. Learn more about it at mybigsocial.