Digital Marketing: Where do I start?
Digital Marketing is like launching a rocket into the unknown, so it’s understandable if the very prospect of starting is daunting. And like rocket science it seems very complex, but it doesn’t have to be! Remember one step at a time.
Start with your customer
As with most things in your business you want to think about your customer and make your offering as appealing to them as possible. So, who is the audience for your product? Demographics, likes/dislike etc. Compile all the information you can about them and then use it against them… just kidding… after you have your information the picture should be clearer of how they like to consume content and what sort of content they like. For example, if it is a teen audience you might go down the influencer marketing route on any number of social channels including Instagram.
Appraise your resources
Do you have lots of time? Have you allocated a budget for your marketing? A comprehensive marketing strategy will consume one of these (and can consume both but it doesn’t need to).
Where should you focus your efforts?
Are you here for a good time not a long time? If you want quick gains then advertising is your best avenue – some great design showcasing your offering to the world, or should I say because you know your customer, showcasing your offering to your highly specified targeted audience, will have you seeing fairly immediate results. Advertising can be anywhere be it ATL (above the line: traditional sources like print media and radio) or across the digital landscape: be it native, search, display networks or social media.
If on the other hand, you want to play the long game you could curate your audience through solid content creation. This would normally align with a blog and lots of great social posts. To get noticed you should have your own voice, you may think everything has already been written but there is always an area or viewpoint that is unique and there are always new developments in every area so there will be lots to canvas. Consistently great content will get shared you can also guest post on other popular avenues that have viewership that you want to target. This content will also help with that dreaded acronym SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
The wisest option is a little from column A and a little from column B – advertising once it’s finished is finished and you see less and less residual effects but a great content strategy can be fruitful long after the work has been done.
(More) Research
Now it’s almost time to put the plan into action, research is the key to start off on the right foot. Research your competitors – what they are doing and what they aren’t doing. What they aren’t doing can help you know what not to do but it can also lead you to a niche area that you could quickly establish yourself as a thought leader in.
So the check list is:
- Know thy customer
- Know where they are (digitally speaking)
- Know what strategy is best for you
- Know what content you will produce
- Hit the play button
As we said at the top, any new endeavour can be daunting but if you are ready and willing the time to start is now. If you need guidance drop us a line for free consultation.
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