Thinking about starting a business, in the process of doing so or already have? We know just how stressful & exciting it can be. From idea conception to having your product or service ready to go, marketing plays such a vital role. Marketing is the component of business that promotes and sells your products or services to your customers. Promoting your products and services in the digital realm is non-negotiable, with 65% of the world’s population using, interacting and purchasing from the internet today. This can be challenging but we are here to help! This is our blog on digital marketing basics that we’ve created for the beginner (or intermediate) business owner. 

Understanding the Digital Marketing Basics

Of course, the steps to success are to learn, practice, fail and learn some more. The same goes for learning the digital marketing basics. Not everyone sees massive growth after their first campaign but having a good understanding of digital marketing and its value will most certainly give you a greater chance of success. There are an infinite amount of resources on the internet today about what digital marketing is and the different digital marketing channels and solutions available, as well as ample certifications that can be done. Spending real time and effort to expand your knowledge in these areas will benefit your business immeasurably. 

Create your brand

The next step to knowing the digital marketing basics is to create your brand. Your brand is more than just your business’s name, designs, logo, symbols or products. A brand encompasses how your customers & audience perceive, experience and value your brand. It is your promise to your customer. Creating a definite identity for your business helps to provide a who and why to your customers. It often pays to find a professional designer or marketer to help you develop your brand style and create a solid and consistent message to communicate to the world. Consistent and strategic branding increases your brand’s equity, this is the value added to your company’s products and services which allows you to charge a particular price to a particular market. This value comes often in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. Several steps you can take to develop your brand are:

1. Develop your company mission statement and decide on what goals you’d like to achieve.
2. Define the benefits and features of your products or services.
3. Research and create an in-depth definition of how you would like your customers to view your brand.
4. Develop a logo, tagline, voice and style for your brand and integrate them into all aspects of your business. Think about how you want to sound and look when customers see any content or elements from you. 
5. Be true to your brand and self. Don’t promise what you cannot deliver. 

Strategic Planning: The Backbone of Digital Marketing

A robust digital marketing strategy serves as a roadmap, guiding your marketing initiatives. Advance planning allows you to foresee potential hiccups, maintain organisational coherence, and sustain consistency across various platforms. This strategy should include which channels to utilise, frequency of content release, and types of content to be shared. Continuous refinement of your tactics is vital to keep your strategy effective.

Choosing the right channels for your business

Choosing channels that are From websites to social media, blog posts to email newsletters, mobile apps to search engines, the digital marketing sphere is large and ever-growing. Digital marketing strategies consist of many components but most, if not all, should incorporate five key areas. Digital marketing can be time-consuming and complex, if you are unable or don’t have a dedicated employee to handle the job, experienced marketers will have all the knowledge, tools & experience to help you focus on growing your business. 

1. A website is the foundation of a digital marketing strategy. This is where traffic will be directed, leads collected and useful information provided to your customers about your company. A website does not have to be an expensive or stressful ordeal and a simple and effective website will help you build credibility, communicate your brand message consistently and boost sales.
2. Social media has quickly become one of the most effective digital marketing channels. Sharing content on your social channels and linking it back to your website increases engagement and traffic to your site and blog. Social media provides a direct and easy way to communicate with your existing and potential customers. 
3. It takes time to build a good quality mailing list, but email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing solutions. Creating a good template, actively encouraging sign-ups across platforms and collecting and reviewing metrics aid you in your email marketing success.
4. Search engine optimisation plays a huge role in your digital marketing success. SEO ensures that your business is positioned well in Google and other online searches. If the content you create and share is not optimised well, you will struggle to get the right people to see you at the right time. Choose the right keywords, use SEO tools and collect and review data to improve. 
5. Search engine marketing is a strategy used to increase your website’s visibility in search engine result pages. It includes paid search advertising and pay-per-click. SEM has become a vital online marketing strategy for increasing reach, improving rankings in organic search results and reaching consumers at the exact right time without interrupting their tasks or being intrusive. It is possibly the fastest way to drive traffic to your website. 

Optimise your content

The next digital marketing basics step is to optimise your content. You’ve done some research, understand a bit more, decided on your brand & strategy, now it’s time to create content that not only is eye-catching & relevant for your audience but contains vital information for your audience that is engaging. Content is the vehicle for driving value in any digital marketing campaign. Content should be created to increase your website traffic and brand awareness, as well as get new customers to purchase for the first time & old customers to purchase from you again. Identify what content your audience needs by doing some research and decide on the type of content you will produce for a particular digital platform. A good content plan is a key to success and your plan should be realistic, taking time and budget into consideration. Take time to learn how best to optimise your content for multiple platforms to minimise wastage & leverage the value of your content more.

Consistency is key

Whether it be your brand style, design of content, frequency of posting or just your general business atmosphere, consistency is the key to planning, creating and executing a successful digital marketing campaign. Consistency across your brand and digital marketing strategy ensures that your brand is clear, instantly recognisable and creates an unspoken promise and trust that your brand will meet the standards of your audience. It also ensures that the relevant content is fresh and exciting and is shared frequently enough. 

Maximising Business Growth: The Strategic Advantage of Partnering with Something Social Marketing

At Something Social Marketing, we understand the dynamic nature of today’s digital commerce landscape. Our mission is straightforward: to propel your business growth through bespoke marketing strategies. Our services span a wide range, including Social Media Marketing, Paid Advertising, SEO, and Website Development and Design, all aimed at maximising your ROI. Our unique blend of creativity and analytics sets us apart; we handle everything from audience engagement to crisis management in social media, freeing you to concentrate on your core business activities. In Paid Advertising, we’re committed to ensuring that your budget works as a strategic investment. We meticulously research and conduct A/B testing to lower your Customer Acquisition Cost while boosting your Customer Lifetime Value.

We also excel in SEO, ensuring your business maintains a strong online presence. Our expertise extends to Website Development and Design, focusing on creating user-friendly, engaging websites that enhance customer retention. What truly differentiates us is our emphasis on actionable results. We steer clear of vanity metrics, focusing on meaningful KPIs, and provide transparent reporting to empower you with the insights needed for data-driven decisions. If you aim to not just keep up with digital trends but to lead the field, we are the strategic partner that can drive your business towards unprecedented growth.

Understanding, creating and implementing the digital marketing basics and strategy doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With some time, patience and effort, our digital marketing basics blog will help even beginner business owners ace their campaigns and see the returns they wish for. Contact us today to see what customised solutions we can offer you.🌿