Sonder Marketing

What Sort Of Digital Marketing Is Best For My Business?

Okay, sounds good. So what types of digital marketing are there?

I’m glad you asked! Just as there’s more than one way to peel an orange, there’s also a variety of digital marketing tools out there which aim to increase your audience reach. For the best results, it’s generally a smart idea to use multiple avenues to create a well-rounded marketing strategy. As for the orange, my advice would be to invest in a bag of easy-peelers and go on with your day.

Look, the important thing to remember is that every business is different. What proves successful for one company might not necessarily hit the mark for another. Shall we look at a few of the most widely-used digital marketing strategies and see how each individual approach might suit your business model?

Content marketing 

Content marketing covers the production of valuable written content, most commonly high-quality blog posts, but also includes how-to videos and any other instructional material that might prove useful to your target audience. The aim is to make connections between you and a potential customer by answering questions, and importantly, positioning yourself as an authority in your industry. 

For best results, and to give your web pages the best fighting chance of ranking for those all-important keywords, content should be published often with a target user in mind. Ideally, your brand would become a trusted voice within the industry by publishing quality, reliable content which hits all those keyword markers you’ve outlined within your content plan. This will ensure your audience finds your website first when searching for industry-specific content. Content marketing can also act as a solid foundation from which other digital marketing efforts can grow, including social media outreach and SEO marketing.

The challenge

The biggest obstacle on the road to a successful content marketing plan is the high competition in the digital space, which makes it challenging to rank organically for target keywords. Achieving top rankings can take time and requires a consistent, high-quality content production effort. It's vital, then, to meet the customers' needs while aligning the content with branding and business goals. Staying updated with the ever-changing search engine algorithms is essential to maintain the effectiveness of your content marketing strategy.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

We’ve all heard the term, but what on earth does it actually mean? SEO, or search engine optimisation, is a tried-and-tested strategy of optimising content in such a way that search engines will rank your page high on the search engine results page, or SERP, if you’re looking for another fun acronym to put in your notebook.   

Google, in all its infinite, robot wisdom, uses algorithms to determine how relevant your page is to the keyword the user is searching for. These algorithms are updated regularly, so it’s crucial that your strategies evolve with the ever-changing SEO battlefield. Ultimately, a successful SEO plan will boost your page towards the top of the SERP and rope in lots of delicious organic traffic.

Indeed, another major tick for SEO is its ability to enhance brand visibility, allowing businesses to reach a broader audience organically, compared to that of  pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

The challenge

Success in SEO depends on both content and technical aspects of the website, making it a complex process that requires ongoing efforts and expertise. As mentioned, the frequent changes in search engine algorithms can pose a significant stumbling block, as strategies must adapt regularly to remain effective. Also, SEO is no quick-fix solution, and it takes time for the efforts to show noticeable results, which can be a drawback for businesses seeking immediate outcomes.

Search Engine Marketing/Pay-per-click

Hoo-boy, now we’re cooking. Some more acronyms. Search engine marketing, or SEM, uses paid advertisements that appear at the top of the SERP. The overall cost of these ads will generally depend on the number of clicks the link receives: pay-per-click.

When you invest in these top SERP slots, the ‘Ad’ or ‘Sponsored’ label will appear next to your URL. While users know that these artificially high-ranking links are ads, many still click, so it can be a powerful digital marketing strategy. Unlike organic methods, PPC allows for immediate visibility on SERPs; an effective shotgun approach that can yield quick results, ideal for businesses looking for instant exposure and increased website traffic.

The challenge

One of the main concerns is the potential cost associated with targeting popular keywords. Competition for these keywords can drive up the bidding price, making it expensive for businesses with a limited budget. Meanwhile, some users may be sceptical of ads in search results and prefer to click on organic search results, which can affect the overall click-through rate of PPC campaigns. How often do you quickly scroll past the first bunch of adverts at the top of the results page? There you go.

Social media marketing

Social media apps can be installed onto a smart device in less time than it takes to tie a shoelace. And, since we are rarely without a phone or tablet throughout the day, the ability to open communication lines between business and customer can be as simple as a swipe of the finger. 

With this fundamental marketing tool, social media platforms are essentially used as a digital marketing channel. Ads can be bought to connect with new audiences; or you can generate business profiles, on which to create posts, advertise new products, direct users to your website, or produce high-quality published content.

Exactly which social media platform you use will be determined by the type of audience you’re aiming to reach. As a general rule, for example, Instagram is typically more effective at engaging with audiences between the ages of 25 and 29, while those 65+ can be best accessed through Facebook.

Social media marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience on various platforms. It offers high conversion rates and rapid multiplication of efforts through likes, comments, and shares. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide advanced targeting options, allowing businesses to reach specific customer pools and convey their messages effectively.

The challenge

Constantly changing algorithms on social media platforms and the introduction of new content formats require consistent updates and strategic planning from a social media expert. Although it might sound simple enough to post on social media, it requires strategic planning and the dedication of enough time to do it consistently and with any degree of artistry. We’ve all seen what bad social media looks like.

Email marketing

If someone has taken the time to click on your website, and is seemingly interested in the products or services you have on offer, there’s a good chance they might want to hear more from you. So why not invite them to join an email subscriber list? With their permission, you can then send carefully curated emails about sales, special events, or product releases. 

The most crucial feature of this avenue of digital marketing is that your emails or newsletters should provide value to your target audience. Exclusive offers or sales, early product releases; any information or advantages that they couldn’t receive anywhere else. Email marketing is a powerful method of building a mutually beneficial relationship that will increase brand loyalty.

Email marketing is a reliable and independent digital marketing channel that remains unaffected by changing algorithms. By staying in regular contact with an email list, businesses can strengthen relationships with their audience and increase brand recall. When done right, email marketing can yield high returns on investment.

The challenge

Not all customers open marketing emails, which can affect the overall effectiveness of the campaign. Businesses need to continuously find ways to add value and keep their subscribers engaged to prevent them from unsubscribing. Strategic planning and dedication are essential to maintain a successful email marketing strategy.

Start seeing the results

There is no single right answer when it comes to building an effective digital marketing plan. Each business has its own unique requirements, budget, and target audience to consider, and it’s important to keep all those factors in mind when trying to create the best-fit strategy.  The best advice we can give is to get in touch with our crack digital marketing team, and we’ll find the right solution.

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