All businesses, no matter how small, must have a digital marketing plan to compete and survive in today’s marketplace. It is well established that most shoppers will have looked at your web site or conduct online research for an item before they purchase. Failure to maintain a digital presence that is current and active is seriously hurting your business. Here are some best practices to use when developing your digital marketing strategy.
Social Media Practices
Social media is critical in today’s world of mobile devices and digital searching. Here are some best practices for major social media platforms.
Facebook — Two billion people use Facebook every day. That doesn’t mean that businesses are doing it correctly. Here’s what to remember about Facebook — know your market, be approachable, be current, and be creative. Facebook users are perhaps a bit older than other platforms, but that shouldn’t stop you from a creative and interactive presence. Take time to communicate with potential customers rather than just posting information and ignoring any interaction.
Instagram — Don’t believe that Instagram is not worth your time. Perhaps 800 million users are checking daily, and about a third of them are adults. Take advantage of tools such as linking your Instagram account to Facebook. Also learn how to utilize hashtags to your advantage, such as using #shoplocal or #smallbusiness to help your business gain visibility. You can also take advantage of Stories and IGTV to help market your business.
Twitter — Millions of people use Twitter every month, and you need to have a presence there. Try to decide on a short but effective catchphrase or marketing message, then promote it regularly. Once again, the use of effective hashtags can bring attention to your business.
In all platforms, you need to engage your visitors. Consider using polls, video content about your business, blogs that link to your e-commerce platform, and perhaps 360-degree video content if it’s relevant to your business to help describe your products.
SEO Best Practices
SEO is Search Engine Optimization, and it’s what helps the search engines find you and place you in search results in a positive way. But don’t think this means filling your site with keywords about your business or products. Google and other search engines don’t look kindly on “keyword stuffing” and you will be penalized for it.
Successful use of SEO involves keeping your website current with the keywords occurring naturally within the content. An active blog is another way to look fresh in the eyes of the search bots. We will discuss blogging more in a moment.
Email Best Practices
An email newsletter is far different from a sales or marketing newsletter. The latter can get you labeled as a spammer if you aren’t careful. But newsletters are a very effective way to keep your business in front of customers who have requested that form of communication.
Your newsletter can’t overwhelm people with sales information, but rather it’s a tool to focus on how one of your services helps people or provides education about your products. Offer photos of your products being used rather than a tutorial. Keep the format uncluttered because a complex design will quickly be ignored by readers.
Blogging
Finally, don’t ignore blogging or think people don’t bother to read your blogs. Blogging not only keeps your website active and fresh, but it’s a natural way to include those SEO keywords into your site without overwhelming readers with them. Not sure what to write? Think about how your products or services are used in the marketplace, then give people tips on how to improve their business using your services.
If these best practices seem overwhelming, DigiSphere Marketing has the expertise to manage them for you. We understand SEO and how to drive customers to your site. We have talented copywriters who can create unique and engaging blogs to keep customers coming back for more. Call us at 941-803-4141 to learn more about how DigiSphere Marketing can help grow your business.
