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The Golden Rules of Digital Marketing According to the Experts
Digital marketing is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small. And though the rules of digital marketing may seem simple on the surface, there are a few golden rules that should never be forgotten. Here are the top four rules according to the experts.
Make Use of All Available Tools
When it comes to digital marketing, you cannot count on one strategy or tool alone. Each platform is different and has its advantages and limitations. While you may be familiar with the big ones like Twitter and Facebook, there are thousands of excellent social media sites and online tools you can see more here that can be used to connect with your target demographic online. These tools were created specifically for businesses who want a wider reach, so take advantage of them!
Build an Authentic Community Around Your Brand
An active community is invaluable when it comes to digital marketing. By building a community around your brand you will have a group of people willing to share information about you online, which leads to free promotion via word of mouth or blogging. But ultimately, your community should strive to create authentic relationships with people that go beyond just the brand itself. Sharing is a key part of an authentic community, so don’t overlook it when you are trying to create one. An easy way to incentivize sharing is by offering something for free in exchange for promotion on social media or email (and make sure to send your referral traffic somewhere useful like our article about finding work online ).
Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
The world went mobile at the end of 2011 and now more people access the internet via smartphones than anywhere else. This means if your website isn’t designed for mobile users (or at least redirects them to a mobile version), you will be losing out on potential customers. And if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you are likely losing out on conversions as well. So if you haven’t already, start taking advantage of responsive web design to ensure your site is compatible with all devices.
Develop A Smartphone App For Your E-Commerce Site
Smartphones are everywhere these days, with an estimated 2.5 billion in use all over the world. So if you have a business that sells products online, it is important to have a smartphone app so people can shop from anywhere at any time. This tool will benefit users as well because rather than having to read about your product on a small screen, they can simply browse via their phone and make a purchase directly from it as well. By creating a direct download link for your app, you enable anyone who wants to install it right from their home screen without going through any other steps first.
Offer A Clear Call To Action
Almost every business has a call to action on its website or social media page. It could be subscribing to an email campaign or following them on Twitter, but whatever it is you want people to do, make sure it’s clear what they are supposed to do next. Using the words “sign up” instead of “subscribe” can increase conversion rates by 19%, so use language that fits with what your customers would normally expect from leaving your site. Your call to action should also stand out visually and be at the very top of each page so it’s impossible to miss.
Consider Long-Term Goals
While a lot of digital marketing focuses on short-term goals, experts agree that your focus should be long-term. This means drawing up a longer-term strategy and making sure everything you do is moving towards that goal. It also means being open to opportunities that may not have anything to do with the immediate success of your business – like networking with other professionals in your industry online. When it comes time to make decisions about what aspects of your business deserve more attention, always go back to these long-term goals when considering the pros and cons of each option.
Determine A Budget
If you don’t establish a budget for your digital marketing campaign, it will be impossible to track its success and make any necessary adjustments. This is why experts say it’s important to determine what your business can afford and how much you want to spend on specific tasks like purchasing ads or blogging. Make sure not to go overboard with what you are willing to invest in because sometimes less money means more success. The key here is just being honest about the limits of your resources so that you have an idea of where your focus should be.
Measure Everything You Do
Many people forget that no matter how small their business may seem, they are competing against big brands with huge advertising budgets – so everything they do online needs to be measured in some way. When creating a strategy, don’t just focus on boosting social media popularity or blog traffic. This may be impressive in the short term, but if your goal is long-term growth, then every aspect of your campaign needs to be measured and evaluated so that necessary adjustments can be made when needed.
Focus On Organic First
We’ve all seen the Facebook ads that have been appearing in our news feeds for years. But what you may not know is that these types of ads are notorious for being ineffective at best and a complete waste of your money at worst. For this reason, experts recommend focusing on organic efforts before starting any paid campaigns. Organic social media outreach can have huge benefits for your business if done well – it allows brands to reach out to their target audience without paying anything extra and it helps establish trust between customer and brand. Paid advertising should never be abandoned completely, but it isn’t always the most effective option.
Digital marketing is an integral part of any business plan. Whether you are investing in online advertising or blogging, every element should be carefully considered based on your long-term goals and budget. By tracking everything you do with a specific strategy in mind – instead of just focusing on getting the most “likes” to your Facebook page – you will be much more likely to see results that last.