Digital marketing is overwhelming. From content marketing to Google Ads, blog writing, Google My Business, organic social media, SEO and more, there’s always room for improvement. However, there’s not always time, particularly for small business owners. We get it.
We’ve compiled our top, easy tips to improve your digital marketing strategy. Whether you’re starting with a basic website, or already have a dual paid and organic strategy, these simple tips can help you achieve the results that matter to you.
Read on to learn more about:
- Using data to your advantage
- Leveraging a multi-channel strategy
- Targeting all stages of the marketing funnel
- Being organised
- Investing in a digital guru.
1. Using Data To Your Advantage
In a world where nearly every business advertises online, guessing or hypothesising your digital strategy just won’t cut it. Using data and analytics to your advantage is critical (and so easy!).
The benefit of digital is that you can collect data from nearly every online platform, but we recommend starting with your social media accounts and your website. Don’t worry, social media and Google Analytics do all the work for you. Here’s how to access your data insights:
To Access Insights on Facebook and Instagram:
Visit your business’s profile and tap the Insights tab on the right-hand menu bar.
Here, you can view your Insights overview, Results, Content and Audience. Use the time range tab to change which period you’re viewing. We recommend comparing last month’s data to the month prior so you can clearly see which metrics have improved or declined.
To Access Insights on LinkedIn:
Visit your business’s profile and tap the Analytics tab in the menu bar. From here, you can explore insights into your page Visitors, Updates, Followers, Competitors, and Employee Advocacy.
Use the time range tab to change which period you’re viewing. Again, we recommend comparing last month’s data to the month prior to allow you to compare performance over time.
To Access Insights on your Website:
Visit your Google Analytics dashboard or install Google Analytics now. Google Analytics is a free, easy to use platform that gives you the full picture on how your site is performing. For more information and help with installing, check out SemRush’s Beginner’s Definitive Guide to Google Analytics.
From your dashboard, you have every possible metric at your fingertips. We’re talking real-time tracking, Audience, Acquisition Behaviour and Conversion Insights, and more.
Use the time range tab to change which period you’re viewing. Google Analytics will only track data from the time it’s installed, but if you’ve been using it for a while, we’d recommend looking back at your website data over a longer period (1-2 years) so you can view any seasonal changes.
Why Is Data Important In Digital Marketing?
So, you’ve got plenty of data to work with, but why is it important? The insights your data provides are essential for shaping your business decisions and ongoing digital marketing strategy. Let’s take a closer look.
Understanding Your Target Audience
Data helps you understand who your primary customers are, which channel they interact with your business on, and when and where they do it from. Discover all the basics on your Google Analytics Home page:
- What traffic channels you acquire users on
- Month on Month total user comparisons
- What country your users are from
- What times of day your users visit your website
- What pages your users visit
- How your active users are trending over time
- The device your users visit your website on
- How well you retain users
This information is crucial for guiding how you communicate with your target audience. For example:
- If they’re primarily Australian, consider using Australian slang and holiday-related content on your social media.
- If they’re primarily visiting your website during the evening, keep posting on social media during the evening to encourage your followers to join them. Also post in the morning to keep your business top of mind.
- If the majority of their sessions are on mobile, ensure your website is mobile friendly and easy to use and read from a smaller screen.
- If your most popular webpage is for a specific product or service, focus on this in your organic social media posts, Facebook Ads and Google Ads.
Social media platform-specific data reveals similar insights that can be applied to your digital marketing strategy.
For example, your Instagram account may receive higher engagement and traffic than your Facebook, and have a majority audience of females aged 18-24. In order to reach and engage with this audience, focus your marketing efforts on Instagram. Use trendy content, such as TikToks, Reels, unique and aesthetic imagery, and emojis.
Alternatively, you may find your Facebook or LinkedIn receives more traffic than your Instagram account, and has a majority audience of males aged 45-54. To engage with them, you may need to pivot your content to include traditional and direct messaging, high-quality images, clear call to actions, and a darker colour palette.
Know your audience, understand what engages them, and pivot your digital presence to align.
Target High-Value Keywords
Google Analytics data can reveal what users are searching for to find your website, and therefore guide which keywords you should focus on to increase web traffic.
We recommend using the Google Ads Keyword Planner. It’s helpful for discovering which keywords are relevant to your business, learning which receive the highest search volume, and what they cost to bid on.
Your target keywords and search terms should be used strategically throughout your website to improve your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). By including relevant keywords in your metadata, H1 headings, blog posts and product pages, this will help Google understand what your website is about and help you rank higher for users searching for those keywords.
Understanding Your Sales Channel
Data insights also help you understand the process through which your customers interact with your business, and eventually convert. By understanding which points in your sales channel are the most influential or problematic, you can pivot your strategy to capitalise on the good and problem-solve the not-so-good.
To view the journey customers take through your website, visit Google Analytics’ Behaviour Flow report under the Behaviour tab on the left-hand menu bar. Here, you may discover that a particular blog post drives traffic to a specific product page.To boost sales for that product, you could promote the blog post on your social media or feature it on your website’s home page.
On the other hand, you might see a certain landing page doesn’t drive traffic through to other pages on your site. You should reassess the landing page to optimise whatever is inhibiting its performance. This may include adding a clear call to action, internal links to product pages, testimonials or product information.
2. Leveraging a Multi-Channel Strategy
Consumers are spending more and more of their time online, which means you have more opportunities to showcase your brand, products and services.
According to the marketing rule of seven, potential customers need to interact with, or see content from, a business at least seven times before purchasing. This could include:
- An organic Google listing
- A paid Google Ad
- An organic social media post
- A paid Facebook/Instagram ad
- Reading newspaper article or magazine mention
- A direct email
- Word of mouth
- Reading or watching a review about your product or service
- Seeing you exhibited at an event
- Traditional print advertising – posters, flyers, billboards, business cards
- Discount codes
It’s hard to stand out from the crowd in an over-stimulated digital world, which is why encouraging repeat interactions is important. Repeat interactions are easier to achieve if your digital presence spans across multiple channels. Repeat interactions are important for:
Keeping Your Brand Top Of Mind
Your potential customers are more likely to notice and remember your brand if they frequently see your content. By marketing across multiple digital channels, you have more opportunities to grab their attention, target and re-target them.
For example, they may receive a direct email with a discount code in the morning, see Google Shopping ads during the day and an organic Instagram or Facebook post in the evening. Your potential customer is clearly more likely to remember your brand over another that only posts one organic Facebook post every other day, and doesn’t advertise on any other channels
As they become familiar with you, they develop trust, intrigue and desire for your product or service.
Potential Customers Who Trust Different Platforms
As we’ve discussed, different audience demographics trust different digital platforms. Therefore, if your digital strategy is limited to a singular website or social media platform, you could be missing out on a significant number of potential customers.
It’s no secret that as generations progressively get older, they’re less proficient and trusting of social media. Pew Research Centre found 84% of those aged 18-29 use social media, compared to just 45% of those 65 and above. Although the older demographic may not trust social media, they’re more likely to be convinced by a high-ranking, user-friendly website. To reach both demographics, your website should be optimised for SEO and user-friendliness, with links to your Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. Add in email marketing and Google Ads, and you’re bound to gain the trust of various target audiences.
Make Conversions Easier
Keeping your business top-of-mind and targeting your audience on different digital channels means it’s easier for potential customers to interact with your business. This helps them develop trust and perceive credibility, which leads to a stronger desire to want your product or service in their life.
So, where should you start?
87% of consumers start their search on a digital channel, and 54% use social media to research products. We recommend using free digital channels, such as social media and SEO, to your advantage before diving into paid marketing, like Google and Facebook Ads.
Social media is particularly important, because consumer behaviour is quickly moving towards research and shopping through channels like Facebook and Instagram. Social media is a public forum for others to leave genuine reviews and recommendations. These sorts of reviews are generally more influential than a brand’s own messaging when potential customers are choosing between multiple options. As we’ve discussed, one social media platform will often be more valuable to your business than the others, but it’s important to be active on as many as possible to extend your reach and target new users.
3. Targeting All Stages Of The Marketing Funnel
Every piece of content you create is an opportunity to connect with your target audience and bring them closer to making a purchase. Unfortunately, selling products or services online is easier said than done. It requires a clear understanding of your customer’s purchase journey and what influences their decisions at certain points throughout. This will influence the content you produce for them.
Consumers are smart. They will investigate a brand and product on various platforms, deliberate their decision and consider competitors before moving to the next stage of the journey. By curating different content that nurtures potential customers at each stage of this journey, you’re more likely to convert leads into paying customers. This is referred to as ‘The Marketing Funnel.’
What Is The Marketing Funnel?
The Marketing Funnel outlines your customers’ theoretical journey from brand discovery to purchase. It is divided into three distinct phases – top of funnel (TOFU), middle of funnel (MOFU), and bottom of funnel (BOFU). As potential customers make their way from the top of the funnel to the bottom, they learn more about your business and what you have to offer, and are more likely to convert.
The Marketing Funnel is useful for breaking your target audience down into smaller audiences, so you can curate content for a more targeted group. When potential customers are at different stages of the funnel, they require different information and cues to encourage them to continue their journey to the bottom, where purchase occurs.
Top Of Funnel
Top of funnel content is focussed on building brand awareness and attracting as many new potential customers as you can. It’s often the first impression someone has of your business. It’s not particularly conversion-based, however, the wider your TOFU audience is, the larger potential audience you have to nurture through the funnel.
Every piece of TOFU content you create should:
- introduce your brand
- immediately show the value of your product/service as a solution to a problem
TOFU content includes:
- Organic social media posts
- Shareable, high-volume keyword blog posts
- Keyword-rich website pages
- Shareable videos
- Prospecting social media marketing campaigns
Middle Of Funnel
Middle of funnel content is focussed on building credibility and trust with your potential customers. Here, they are still comparing your brand with competitors and weighing up the factors which contribute to their final decision. This will range from price to customer service, quality, brand values, reputation, value for money, and the actual product or service.
To win over prospective customers in this stage of the customer journey, you need to prove your brand is better than your competitors by developing value and credibility.
MOFU content includes:
- Case studies and testimonials
- Customer reviews
- Direct email marketing
- Downloadable resources (templates, guides, toolkits, ebooks, check-lists, reports)
- Keyword-rich, high-intent blog posts
- Retargeting social media marketing campaigns
- Webinars
- Free podcasts
Bottom Of Funnel
Bottom of funnel content is solely focussed on conversions. As the final phase in the customer’s journey, they’re ready to make a decision about whether they’ll purchase from you or go with a competitor. Your content should clearly prove how your product/service will solve their problem. It should resonate with them and offer high value. It’s your final chance to win them over.
BOFU content includes:
- Coupons and discount codes
- Free trials
- Early access to sale for subscribers/members
- Detailed product/service overviews & videos
- Consultation offers
- Product spec & comparison guides
- Case studies & testimonials
- Competitive product/service comparisons
- Retargeting social media marketing campaigns that emphasise deals, such as shipping offers or first-purchase discount
4. Being Organised
It’s hard to keep up with the rest of the industry and execute an effective digital marketing strategy when you’re focused on running your business. Simply put, digital marketing is overwhelming, so being organised is essential. This involves staying across your platforms and channels in real-time, as well as planning for the future.
Keeping Tabs On Your Platforms & Channels
If you’ve taken a cross-channel approach, your digital marketing strategy will involve many moving parts. Naturally, this increases your workload. You’ll have to make sure your content and branding aligns across all platforms, that you’re frequently optimising accounts, adjusting budgets, and staying up-to-date with updates from providers such as Google and Facebook. It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s important.
Make these tasks as easy as possible to ensure they get done. Find a system that works for you, and an organisation system that makes it easy and maintainable.
For example, you could set a daily recurring calendar or phone reminder to check in on your organic social media. Set a 10 minute timer and work uninterrupted to go through your various accounts. Set another reminder once or twice a week to check your Ad accounts.
Here are some of our other favourite ways to organise our account maintenance tasks:
- Create recurring Google Calendar reminders
- Create a folder on your bookmarks bar with quick links
- Create a spreadsheet and tick tasks off when you’ve completed them. This helps you track past and future work, plus nothing beats that dopamine hit!
- Divide and conquer. If you have the capacity, assign different tasks to different individuals in your business.
- Write a to-do list at the beginning of everyday
- Put a reminder sticky note on your computer screen when you clock off for the day
- Set a timer and try achieve all your check-ups within that time
Planning For The Future
This is your sign to stop chasing the industry! Be organised, plan ahead, and reduce that last-minute stress.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, we’ve compiled the ultimate 2022 planning calendar. From International Women’s Day to Black Friday, it covers all notable eCommerce and seasonal events during the year. We recommend putting all of the important dates in your calendar now, and planning your overall business strategy for the calendar year around them.
Will you do Mother’s Day, EOFY or Black Friday sales? What events align with your target audience and offer the opportunity to engage new customers? What channels will you promote them on, and how? How can you ensure you have stock, creative assets and internal resources ready ahead of time to execute the events at a high standard? These decisions will inform your digital marketing strategy.
There are also many excellent tools to help streamline your future planning. Our favourite is Hootsuite, a social media marketing management tool that lets you create organic social media posts and schedule them to be posted automatically. It integrates with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and more. We love time-blocking our social work for the week on Hootsuite – it saves precious time, and prevents those awkward dinner interruptions to post a picture at prime-time. It does cost a little per month, but is so worth the time and stress saved!
It’s no secret that the more organised you are, the less stressed you are in the future when the event comes to pass. You’ll have more time to produce high-quality content that engages your target audience and stands out from the crowd. You’ll feel more satisfied with your work, and you’ll see results.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy all the hard work your past-self has put in. Then keep planning ahead!
5. Investing In A Digital Guru
If you wanted, you could spend all day on your business’s digital marketing. Believe us, we do!
The digital landscape is ever-changing. Trends, platforms, updates and best practice is hard to keep up with, especially as you expand into new channels. Let’s just say, Google Ads isn’t as easy as it might seem at first glance. It’s refreshing to have a trustworthy individual or agency checking up on, and optimising your account.
Finding a trustworthy professional is easier said than done. Do your research and read reviews. We appreciate that small businesses can only invest so much, which is why we make sure our services are affordable as possible, without skimping on quality delivery. We avoid all confusing fees and structures and work off a weekly or monthly investment.
Click here to take a closer look at what our Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (Google Ads), and Social Media Marketing services include.
Ready To Kick Your Goals?
We’re always geared and ready to achieve incredible results for our clients. Reach out to our team today to get your digital marketing strategy looking slick.