The Internet is filled with an abundance of information about everything under the sun, and the subject of digital marketing is no exception. Because of the digital nature of web marketing, articles, blog posts, white papers, and social media posts are filled with opinions, studies, and ideas regarding the latest and greatest ways businesses, managers, and owners can get their brand, product, and message across the inter webs.
Differentiating the latest digital marketing fad from must-have efforts and plans is vital to creating stability in one’s marketing plan while growing and transforming with the constantly changing online marketing climate. By understanding the purpose and successes behind some of the top digital marketing efforts, business owners and decision makers can help insure their message and brands stay front and center among competitors.
SEO: Slow and Steady
Business owners are often bombarded by businesses claiming they can use SEO to push web presence to the top pages of the most popular search engines; search engine optimization is no joke when it comes to the extensive effort required to improve and maintain search presence. Content, link building, directories, sharing, and consistent effort is required to help move a website up in terms of keyword search placement. Previous short cuts by businesses and marketing firms alike have proved to sometimes have detrimental effects as search engine algorithms experience constant updates to offer web surfers the best possible experience.
Pay-Per-Click Campaigns
Pay-per-click may seem obvious to consumers: highlighted. But despite the obvious nature of pay-per-click campaigns from the perspective of marketing professionals and business owners, consumers are still clicking on such ads and PPC campaigns are successfully promoting lead generation and traffic for many businesses and websites. In addition, the difficulty and time involved in improving a site’s SEO efforts makes PPC a great way to keep a brand and site at the top of results while that site climbs the major search engines. Keywords that are more competitive and difficult for businesses to rank organically are great options for PPC campaigns.
Social Media: It’s No Magic Wand
Social media is not the be all end all many marketers may have claimed it to be, but it’s one of the best ways that businesses can convey who they are on a more personal level while offering two-way communication with consumers. Consumers have increasingly been using social media to communicate with businesses and uncover more about their favorite brands and what they stand for. Additionally, social media offers businesses a way to highlight their efforts in their communities, which gives a face to their brand and increases likeability. Social media may not directly drive leads, inquiries, and traffic, but it can signal major search engines that a site’s content is relevant and important to searchers.
Email Marketing: Message Delivery Directly to an Audience
Email marketing may seem like it’s going by the wayside along with other media that may have overwhelmed consumers and web audiences. Spam may have given email marketing a bad name, but consumers are still in their emails often. Creative content, titles, and targeting those who may or may not receive such emails are all vital components that can help differentiate a successful email campaign from one that fails to reach the target audience or drive traffic.
While the digital marketing climate is always changing as technology and improvements emerge, understanding how to take media that has been successful in the past and tailor it to meet current marketing needs while reaching a target audience can help improve brand awareness, site traffic, and lead generation.
