In today’s digital world, no business can survive without focusing on digital marketing. Proper digital marketing strategies allow business owners to get discovered online and boost their sales.
Many business owners still seem hesitant when they hear of digital marketing. According to popular belief, it’s hard to create an actionable digital marketing strategy and get results from it. But the truth is that you can easily create and scale your digital marketing strategy to achieve your business goals.
Keep reading to find eight actionable and essential digital marketing strategies that will help you supercharge your business.
Table of Contents
1. Search Engine Optimization
What is the first thing people do online when they want specific information? Almost every single internet user writes a phrase on the search engine address box to find relevant information about a topic or a product.
The search engine has algorithms that decide which websites will show on SERPs when a person does a search. You have to ensure that your website shows up on top of SERPs if you sell something online.
For example, if someone is looking for “Shoes in Boston,” then your website should rank on top of search results if you want to make more sales. A proper SEO strategy enables your website to rank higher.
The SEO itself can be divided into three branches:
a. On-Page SEO
On-Page SEO comprises all the practices that you can adopt to make your webpages friendly for search engines. Common On-Page SEO strategies include adding images and keywords to your website content.
b. Off-Page SEO
Off-Page SEO includes the set of practices that are done outside your website but impact the rankings of your website. Backlinks are the most important part of any Off-Page SEO strategy. In simple terms, backlinks are mentions of your website on some other website that help you rank higher on SERPs.
Building authoritative backlinks can take a lot of time and effort. Therefore, most businesses rely on a links building agency to get backlinks in a short amount of time.
c. Technical SEO
Technical SEO defines the use of technical tactics that help a website meet the technical SEO standards set by search engines. Common technical SEO practices include the creation of content structure on a website and using proper SEO tags in content.
2. Email Marketing
It’s a common misconception that email is “dead,” and people no longer rely on the email channel. However, contrary to popular belief, research showed that around 55% of people check their email before going to work – showing how effective email is for the people.
For that reason, email marketing can be a highly effective and is one of the essential digital marketing strategies. If you want to increase your sales online, then you must reach out to your audience through the email channel. Sending emails to your target audience allows you to build a stronger connection with people and strengthen your brand.
Emails can be divided into several categories:
- Promotional emails
- Email newsletters
- Acquisition emails
- Lead generation emails
- Survey emails
You can send any of these emails mentioned above according to your business needs.
One of the biggest reasons why business owners don’t get started with email marketing is the presence of challenges. It can become challenging for you to create your email lists and send emails to people at the right time.
However, things can get easier for you once you set up your email marketing campaigns. You can get help from a marketing agency if you struggle with establishing your email marketing strategy, so you don’t keep trying yourself without getting any results.
3. Social Media Marketing
It’s hard nowadays to find someone who doesn’t use social media. One of the biggest reasons why social media has become an integral part of our life is that it allows people to stay connected and share their opinions.
In terms of marketing, social media can help you generate sales online faster than you might think. The good thing about marketing your products and services on social media is that it allows you to build a deeper connection with your prospects and makes the sales process easier for you. Therefore, social media is an essential digital marketing strategy.
Here are some ways social media marketing can help your business:
- Strengthen your brand
- Get positive reviews
- Understand your customers
The best thing about social media marketing is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on it. You can get started with social media marketing even if you are on a tight budget. Other than that, tracking the results of your social media campaigns is also easy.
Kickstarting your social media strategy is not difficult at all. You can get started by creating your accounts on different social channels. After that, you can identify where your audience is the most active, and you can spend more of your time on that specific platform.
4. Influencer Marketing
As mentioned above, social media has become an integral part of our lives. One of the reasons why people stick to social media in the presence of social media influencers. In simple terms, influencers are people who have a sizable online audience.
Working with these influencers can help you sell more products online. A specific influencer who is famous in your target audience can encourage your prospects to buy your products and services.
Here are some benefits of influencer marketing:
- Influencers help you build a strong brand.
- Influencers encourage people to buy your products.
- Influencers make it easier for people to use your products.
Getting started with influencer marketing can be difficult for you if you are on a tight budget. Keep in mind that you will have to “pay” influencers in exchange for the posts they publish on their social handle.
Therefore, you should only get started with influencer marketing if you have a proper budget. Make sure you only work with those influencers who have experience working with other brands in the past and can stick to the commitment they make with you.
5. Video Marketing
Video marketing certainly deserves a mention when speaking about essential digital marketing strategies. The statement “content is king” still holds to this date. However, one should not forget that video content is more powerful than written content. Therefore, businesses must create video content if they want to close more sales and strengthen their brand.
Getting started with video marketing is comparatively more difficult than writing content for content marketing purposes. When it comes to writing content, all you need is a laptop and a stable internet connection. But the hardware requirements change when it comes to creating video content.
You will need a high-end camera, a computer for editing, a team of creatives, and a powerful script to create good video content. But let’s not forget that video content can pay dividends in the future years to come.
Here are some of the essential benefits of video marketing:
- Video helps you rank higher on SERPs.
- Video content strengthens your online brand.
- Video allows you to showcase your products and services.
The sooner you realize the importance of video content, the better it will be for you. Make sure you allocate a budget and establish a team so you can get down to creating videos for your marketing needs.
6. PPC Advertising
The acronym PPC stands for “Pay per click.” PPC is an online advertising model that requires you to pay for your ads only if someone clicks your ad and visits your website. The good thing about the PPC model is that it allows you to run ads online without spending a ton of money.
One of the biggest benefits of the PPC model is that it helps you claim the #1 position on top of SERPs. You can get started with PPC ads if you don’t have time to wait until you get results from your SEO efforts. Other than that, PPC also helps you prove that you run a credible business.
Learn more about PPC in our article on Search Engine Advertising.
7. Native Advertising
If you are new to the online industry, then you should try to build credibility first before you move on to content creation. The easiest way you can build credibility is by getting started with native advertising.
A proper native advertising plan allows you to get featured in top publications. For example, if you sell clothes online, native advertising can help you get featured in fashion magazines like GQ. Being represented in the top publications allows you to win the trust of your target audience in no time.
Keep in mind that native advertising requires a lot of money. You can only get started with a native advertising strategy if you have allocated a budget for marketing.
8. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest strategies you can adopt to boost your online sales. This makes it one of the most essential digital marketing strategies. In the affiliate model, you offer a fixed commission to any sale that is made through the affiliate link. Affiliate marketing experts promote your product online and earn commission by selling your products.
Getting started with affiliate marketing is not difficult at all. Several platforms allow you to get listed as a seller, and then you can find affiliate marketers who have experience selling products in your target industry.
Conclusion
Creating and implementing a digital marketing plan for your business is not as difficult as you might think. Make sure you compare the marketing strategies mentioned above and pick the one that suits you most.