Inspired by this week’s Mom’s Making Six Figures Podcast episode with Holly Tillman, founder of Holly and Co., who is a creative marketing strategist, and communication professional helping to make marketing online well-known, simple, and available to everyone.
If you’re a business owner, there’s no denying the need to dip your toe into the pool of digital marketing to grow your reach. But where do you even start, and what exactly is digital marketing? We’re here to break down the basics and help you to make the most of your marketing this summer by finally taking the plunge!
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing refers to any form of marketing that utilizes an electronic device of the internet. Marketing strategists, and business owners alike, use various platforms like search engines, social media, email, and websites to connect with their current and future customers.
Why should I use it/invest in it/hone my skills or my team’s skills for it?
Unlike traditional forms of marketing where you’re essentially taking a shot in the dark as to whether or not you’ll have a true ROI, digital marketing allows you to place the ads where your audience already exists, and tailor your content to them specifically. For example, your LinkedIn audience and customer is likely very different, in a multitude of ways, than your Instagram audience and customer. Digital marketing meets your clients where they already are!
Due to its nature, digital marketing allows for real time data for you to track the success of your various campaigns and marketing endeavors. If the money you’re investing isn’t yielding the results you’re expecting, you can divert those dollars into the platform that is giving you a significant ROI.
Or maybe more David and less Goliath, digital marketing levels the playing field of traditional forms of marketing. Your reach as a small business owner can be just as impactful, if not more so than a large corporation, when you start a social media campaign with a handful of influencers who stand behind your product and your vision.
There are countless more benefits to developing a strategic digital marketing plan, and investing in its development. Look at this helpful overview for more information: “The Who, What, Why & How of Digital Marketing” by Lucy Alexander.
Where do I even start?
If you’re still holding onto the wall of the pool, here is a helpful strategy to get you started in developing or evaluating your current Digital Marketing Plan. Begin with a SWOT analysis; this framework allows you to evaluate your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats as a business before you begin making any plans. Consider this the water safety course of swimming lessons.
SWOT Analysis from: we are marketing
What now?
If we’ve convinced you of the value of digital marketing and you believe in its ability to attract, convince and convert your customers and clients to fall in love with your product or service, now it’s time to make a plan and begin brainstorming your strategy. Begin by establishing SMART goals for each of your Digital Marketing goals. Ensure your goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound.
Now that you’ve taken the lay of the land using the SWOT analysis (your water safety course), and you have developed some SMART goals (you’ve let go of the wall and you are treading water beautifully), it may be time to call in additional resources and experts.
Here is a helpful, more in-depth guide to help you further develop your own digital marketing strategy by we are marketing, “A Step-By-Step Guide to Structuring a Digital Marketing Plan”.
If you came of age without your new sidekick of the Internet, and you can still remember the sound of AOL connecting with eerie clarity, you may be surprised to know that the internet is still growing in its audience consumption. According to Pew Research, for the last three years in a row, adult usage of the internet continues to increase steadily by 5% each year. Offline marketing just isn’t as effective as it used to be, and it certainly doesn’t bring the crowds to Open Swim hours; it’s time to leave the water wings behind and work on those strokes once and for all. The best news? There are lifeguards and swim instructors to help you along the way.
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