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Digital marketing strategies are designed to help you reach the massive potential audience that lives and works online. If you’re wondering how to get started, try these top ten techniques:

1. Establish and Clarify Your Goals

It all comes down to a simple question: what do you want your digital marketing campaign to achieve? Increased followers and likes? Engagement? Awareness? Conversions? Lead gen? Top ranking in the Google search results pages?

Your primary goal will inform the strategies you use in your campaigns and give you a set of targeted metrics with which to track progress and refine your digital marketing techniques.

2. Laser In On Your Target Audience

You don’t need to reach ten million random people; you may only need to reach a million, a hundred thousand, a thousand… depending on your business model and goals. Find your niche. A few conversions can be a game-changer for high-ticket B2Bs, for example. What kinds of people are searching for the products/services you offer? Conduct market research to learn more about their needs, desires, ages, incomes… you name it.

This insight allows you to craft digital marketing campaigns that zero in on this select audience.

3. Dig Deeper with Buyer Personas

Create a detailed description of your target buyer: what do they do for a living? How old are they? What’s their income level? What is their family situation? What do they like and dislike? What are their problems? What do they look for and need in a solution? What are their online habits? Where do they spend their digital time?

Market research can help you answer these questions, as can customer questionnaires and help from a digital marketing agency. Personas should be as full of detail - and life - as possible so you can develop digital marketing strategies that appeal to them.

4. Work Out Your Budget

Digital marketing has the advantage of being less expensive than traditional methods (e.g., television spots). Still, it is an important, and significant, investment in your business. Establish a budget strategically. For example, say your goal is to make $10,000 a month from a Google search ad. Your product margin is $100. The ad will need to lead to 100 sales. Base your budget on your target profit margin.

5. Target the Right Channels

The channels (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, email, YouTube, etc.) that will deliver optimal results depend on your business, your target audience, and your goals. Choosing a targeted combination can help you maximize your reach and your conversions.

6. Conduct SEO and PPC Keyword Research

Optimize both your website content and your PPC ads with keywords. The key here is utilizing keywords that reflect what your target audience is looking for - rather than what you think they’re looking for. This promotes greater visibility in the search results and ensures that when people are looking for the types of solutions you offer, they find you.

SEO is designed to generate organic - or non paid - traffic, while PPC, of course, is a pay-per-click model. Using both paid and unpaid search engine marketing techniques can boost your results.

7. Get Social

Social media marketing channels, chosen with your target audience and goals in mind, are an effective way to reach out and drive awareness. Taking it to the next level with paid advertising enhances your click through and conversion rates. You can also take advantage of retargeting techniques. If someone shows interest in or visits your site, for example, you can select them specifically to see ads.

8. Stay Social

Don’t create profiles and then let them wither away. While posting frequency depends on the platform, as well as your audience, you should aim for at least 3-5 times a week on each of those you have selected. Always answer questions and respond to comments - especially those that are negative. You can get ahead of bad “press” and turn disgruntled folks into happy customers with the right response.

Engage with your followers, and reach out to them. Include them in your community, and they’ll become advocates.

9. Don’t Neglect Email Marketing

Email marketing may seem antiquated compared to other digital marketing strategies, but marketers rank it as one of their most effective channels. Creating a trigger strategy is important: that is, after prospects and customers complete a specific action, it “triggers” an email response (automatic - yet personalized).

For example, when they download an eBook, you send a “thank you” message. When they make an inquiry, you follow up with an answer and, ideally, a link or two to relevant content that you have created on the topic.

10. Create Original Content

Content marketing is one of the most buzz-worthy digital marketing techniques to come on scene in years. It is no passing trend either; as consumers become more savvy in their research for products/services, they want information and educational content - not hard sells. This draws them to your business - which is why it’s known as an “inbound marketing” strategy. They will essentially sell themselves on you.

Digital marketing strategies can seem overwhelming to plan and to implement. Get in touch with the THAT Agency team to accelerate your efforts - and to see the results you need.