The world has gone digital. Almost everyone has a smartphone, laptop, or tablet within arm’s reach. You can do everything from online scheduling to video calls with doctors. The creation and dissemination of information has become so easy, really since the creation of the internet, but even more so in the last 10 years.
So, what do you need to do to create and maintain a digital presence? There is a lot that goes into this, and the seascape of the digital world is ever changing. There are several methods that you should familiarize yourself with and put to use.
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-per-click advertising is where you create ads to be placed online and pay a set amount every time the ad is clicked on. Have you ever done an internet search and noticed that some of the top listings have a tiny little box next to them that says “Ad”? That is Google Ads, one of the most common and effective types of PPC.
A lot more goes into PPC than simply paying for the ad. Placement needs to be carefully thought out and ads should be strategically created. For example, Google will give your ad a better score, or likelihood of ads being shown, if your content is optimized and relevant.
PPC gets your ads in front of thousand potential viewers immediately, making it a very effective way to go for short-term results.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization is key to having an online presence. If you want your website to show up as one of the top search results, you need to put in the effort.
Whenever someone creates an online search, Google crawls the internet and tries to find the most relevant options. There are literally hundreds of factors that Google looks at to see where to rank your site. A few of those factors are site optimization, keyword usage, credible links from other websites that point to your sites, citations (listings) of your business or brand, and of course, perceived relevance to the search query.
SEO ranking factors are constantly updating and changing, so it is important to stay up to date on how you can best increase your rankings. I would recommend looking into an agency or company that offers SEO services so you can get top-notch content and support.
Email Marketing
One of the marketing tactics that has historically provided the highest return on investment is direct mail. It is inexpensive and simple, so if even a small number of people respond, it is effective.
Email marketing is like the direct mail of the digital age. It is really easy to send emails to potential or current clients – promoting deals, sales, or just updating them on changes. The main cost lies in using a service to generate and send out the emails. It can range from very inexpensive to expensive depending on the service or agency you use. Some popular services like MailChimp have different plans to meet your needs, including a free option.
Once you get some responses, you will quickly see the benefit of effective email marketing.
Social Media
In the digital age of many services and sites, social media platforms have proved to be industry giants. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Snapchat have all become widely used services that offer a lot of help for building a brand and increasing brand awareness.
Having accounts on these sites allows you to have a public, wide-reaching voice. People can see what your business is, and get a feel for what you are about. This is so valuable as it is free to have the account and you just have to roll out quality content; see Wendy’s Twitter for a perfect example.
Placing social media ads is a form of pay-per-click where you make a post and pay for it to be shown to people. The benefit is that you can choose who you want to see it. You can narrow down who the ad will appear to by age, gender, region, interests, and more.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a very effective way to boost your brand’s relevance and demand. It is an easy way to show people why they need your product or service. Advertising can be tricky sometimes without knowing what information to include or leave out, especially when you are limited by space or time.
Content marketing can take a number of forms – a very common one is a blog. If you sell rock climbing equipment, write a blog about the best places to rock climb, the best products, safety tips, beginner’s guides, etc. When people read the blog, where will they turn when they need new ropes or chalk? You get it.