In the ever changing world of digital marketing, it’s easy to get distracted by new platforms and emerging technologies. But at its core, digital marketing is just that – marketing. And there are certain fundamental principles that will always deliver results, whether you are drafting a standard print ad or creating an immersive AI experience.
Attempting to incorporate each new development, be active on every social media platform and include all the available widgets on your website will only lead to a cluttered and confusing end result. As with many things in life, the key is to work smarter, not harder. Check out the 7 tips below to help streamline your focus and start achieving your goals.
1. Research
Your marketing ideas should be grounded in research, not a result of someone telling you Pinterest is a ‘good traffic driver’, or because you think virtual reality looks ‘cool’. Take time to actually find out what your target audience will respond to, and not just what you personally think might work for your brand.
2. Set measurable goals
Once you have completed your research phase and you know what your strategy is going to be, come up with a way to measure your progress with clearly defined goals. Simply trying to ‘improve SEO’ isn’t defined enough to be useful. Without a clear target it’s almost impossible to see if your tactics are working. Instead of ‘improving SEO’, try goals such as ‘double search engine referrals’ or ‘reduce cost per click by $0.30’.
3. Have a plan
Take a look at your measurable goals and brainstorm the exact steps you will need to take to achieve them. For example, if one of your goals is to increase your website dwell time, your plan may involve a UX audit, new content strategy or a site redesign. Work backwards from the end goal rather than coming up with flashy ideas that don’t serve a specific purpose.
4. Keep your eyes on the prize
Once you have started implementing on your plan, it can be easy to start veering off course. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by new technologies or other ideas. Set up a regular meeting, either alone or with your team, to review your recent work and ensure that you haven’t become sidetracked from your initial intentions.
5. Stay alert
While you shouldn’t give in to distractions that take you off course, it’s still important to keep your ear to the ground for new developments that may assist in your goals. Perhaps a new platform has been created that would help automate your social media scheduling and free up your time to work on other projects. Read industry news regularly to learn about new ideas, but be sure to assess these against your existing strategy before diving in.
6. Review and report
It’s always smart to consistently track your progress to see which efforts are taking you towards your goals and which are steering you down the wrong path. You may originally have assumed that a social media campaign would help to drive traffic, but reporting can show whether this is actually the case. If you are just growing a large social audience that doesn’t click or purchase your products, it may be time to invest resources elsewhere.
7. Optimize
If a marketing tactic isn’t helping you achieve your business goals, change it! Evaluate the results from your reporting, then move budget and resources away from the efforts that aren’t serving you. Perhaps your display ads aren’t bringing in the clicks, but your email newsletter has amazing open rates. Invest more time and energy into the channels and strategies that are proving themselves, and don’t be afraid to change your game plan.
This year, for the first time in history, US digital advertising spend will overtake that of traditional marketing . Digital marketing is a huge industry with a great deal of investment taking place and high levels of competition. Make sure you stand out from the crowd and get the most bang for your buck with these tried and tested tips.
