You wouldn’t build your house without a blueprint, would you? Sure, contractors know how to put up drywall and lay flooring, but no one likes guesswork. The same is true for your digital marketing efforts—you need a strategy.
Between SEO, advertising, social media, content and email there are many ways to get your message in front of potential customers. But how do you know which ones are right for you?
It Starts with Your Goals
Every marketing effort should tie back to a measurable goal. Want 30 more leads this year? Great! How are you going to accomplish that? No matter what your goals are, make sure they’re realistic and measurable. That way, you can tell if your efforts are actually working—and what adjustments you may need to make to improve results.
Pick Tactics That Work for You
We get it – this is the hard part. There are a thousand ways to market your business, so how do you know what will work and what won’t? The short answer is you don’t. But there are ways to ensure you get the most out of the marketing tactics you choose.
When choosing tactics like SEO or social media advertising, it’s important to keep a few things in mind:
- What can your team realistically accomplish?
- Who is your audience?
- Do the tactics align with your goals?
These will keep things in perspective, and help you choose the right marketing channels for your business.
Align Your Efforts
People like consistency. Pushing out separate messages on Facebook and your website will cause confusion and deter potential customers. We like to think about each month or quarter as a campaign, where all marketing efforts (even the non-digital ones) align and work towards the same goal. This strengthens the effectiveness of each tactic, and helps you accomplish short term goals that lead to long-term success.
Pairing your email with a corresponding social media post and a landing page on your website will create a consistent experience for your customers and drive them to action.
Know When to Say No
Shiny new marketing ideas come up all the time. And yes, jumping on the latest trend can sometimes lead to success—but it might not be right for you or offer the results you’re looking for. Having a strategy allows you to critically evaluate how this shiny trend aligns with your goals.
Measure Your Results
Tools like Google Analytics make it easier than ever to know if what you’re doing is working. Are your landing pages converting? How much traffic did those Google search ads really drive? This data is at your fingertips, so take advantage of it.
Consistent measurement allows you to build on what’s working and change what’s not. This data-driven refinement will help you improve your strategy and better meet your goals. Interested in learning more about building a digital marketing strategy? Let’s talk
