The days of a business doing great without a website are long gone especially if it is a new business. Most people who are thinking about purchasing a product or service from a business tend to take a look at their website first. A lack of website can make a business look like a scam or that it is not well run as websites are far more affordable to design than in the past. Digital marketing has exploded with consumers using their smartphones and other devices to search for the best restaurant or specific business in the area. The following are ways that a company can get the most out of their digital marketing investment.
Define Goals Clearly
The one thing that many startups make a mistake with their digital marketing campaigns is not setting clear goals. Trying to hit bases like lead generation, brand image, brand recognition, SEO, and other areas might not be possible with the budget allocated. Goals being defined will also allow a marketing department to realize when something needs to be changed. Milestones should be set up with deadlines to make sure projects are hitting deadlines and the numbers are looking good for ROI of the campaign.
Produce Engaging Content
Producing engaging content on every platform possible will be the most beneficial to a company whether it is a startup or corporation. Too many brands waste money on generic content that has been written hundreds of times before. Social media content can help establish a company as a thought leader so do not just brush this off to an intern but rather have an experienced social media manager. Try a few different forms of content whether it is written, video, or even a podcast. Great content comes in many forms and can appeal to very different segments of a company’s customer base.
Utilize Free Platforms For Promotion
Social media is the best form of free promotion that there is available to businesses. The ability to reach a certain demographic through hashtags and being a part of certain groups can help spark engagement. Consumers like brands that interact instead of lacking personality and giving generic corporate approved answers to every question. This does not mean to be reckless but make sure that the company account is talking with people instead of talking at people. The Money Alert notes that even though social media is free it can lose a company money if mismanaged as it can hurt brand image.
Outsource Certain Areas
Running a business can be tough enough without having to manage all of the aspects of a digital marketing campaign. Experts in areas like PPC can be expensive to hire in-house and so can experts in design for those companies making interactive media for the marketing campaign. Outsourcing areas has to be done carefully as there are things like click fraud that are used by some companies that do not have the best interests of their clients in mind. If you get a referral from a business contact this is one thing but do not blindly trust an outsourced service as you could spend money without yielding real results.
