As a business owner, you know that to be successful you need to be where your customers are. And right now, your customers are online! That’s why it’s so important for your business to have a strong digital marketing strategy.
But digital marketing strategy is such a broad term. What does it even mean?
This blog post will provide you with a list of 7 digital marketing tactics, including step-by-step guidance, that you can use to grow your business online. Each item on the list includes links to helpful tools and resources that will make implementing these tactics clear and easy for you.
What is Digital Marketing?
There are many forms of digital marketing. This checklist below covers seven of the most powerful to consider for your digital marketing strategy.
Some of these will be more relevant for your business than others, depending on your niche. That said, these categories make up a comprehensive digital marketing approach that can be customized to fit the unique needs of any business.
By covering all of these bases, you can be sure that your digital marketing strategy is comprehensive and effective. But what if you don’t have the time or money to implement all of them? I recommend you start small. Choose a digital marketing category and master it, then, if you need more of a digital boost, master another one.
Ready to plan your business’s digital marketing strategy? Let’s dive in!
1. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing platforms are an important component of every digital marketing strategy, plus they are a great way to connect with your customers and create a loyal following!
Social media works best for your digital strategy when you have a well-thought-out marketing strategy in place. This marketing strategy should include goals for your social media accounts, as well as a plan for how you will achieve those goals.
If you’re not sure where to start with social media marketing, don’t worry! Refer to the steps below to get started. From there, it’s all about fine-tuning your digital marketing strategy to make sure your social media platform choices are working well for you and your business.
Steps to getting started with Social Media
Step 1: Understand the social media landscape
Before choosing your social media platforms it’s important to understand how each platform generally works. For example, Twitter, which is mostly verbal commentary, is a much simpler platform to create content for than the multi-layered editing needs of a TikTok video.
Understanding how social media channels work will make it easier for you to assess which platforms make the most sense for your digital marketing strategy. It will also help you determine which ones you have time to commit to and which ones you may need to pass on.
The industry and niche you are in will also play a part when choosing which social platforms to go with. For example, if you are in the clothing industry is it worth your time to tweet on Twitter? Facebook is okay for clothing sales, but Instagram is better. TikTok isn’t ideal, but Pinterest is perfect.
Step 2: Design your social page(s) to be tailored to your brand
Once you’ve chosen your social media platform(s), it’s time to design your page(s). Online brand management is important—your social pages should be an extension of your brand. That means they should look and feel like your website, but conform to the specs and particulars of each platform.
Your color scheme, fonts, logo, and overall style should all remain consistent across all platforms. This will help create a cohesive brand that is easily recognizable by your customers.
When designing your social pages, you should also keep in mind the tone you want to set for each platform. For example, Instagram is generally more light-hearted and fun than LinkedIn, which is more professional and serious.
Step 3: Publish content on your pages
Now that you have your social media platform(s) chosen and your pages designed, it’s time to devise a social media campaign and start creating some posts. But before you start hitting that “publish” button, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, all of your content and follower interactions should be polished and brand-driven. This is not the time to get too casual or wander too far from your brand. Have fun, but remember, your social media pages are an extension of your brand, and low-quality content will reflect poorly on your business and be counter-productive to your digital marketing goals.
Second, make sure all of your content is original. That means no reposting other people’s stuff (unless you have their permission), and no plagiarism.
Third, hopefully, your social marketing efforts include social media posts that work well organically, but you may want to place social media ads for a stronger boost.
While most digital marketing campaigns consider a social media ad budget, it is not always necessary. My recommendation would be to try an ad or two and see how it goes!
Step 4: Interact on the platform(s)
Your social media platforms should not be one-way streets. If you want to build a following and get people interested in your brand, you need to be active on the platform. That means joining groups where your target market congregates, commenting on other people’s posts, and providing helpful information and community support.
Of course, you don’t want to spam people or come across as too sales-y. But if you can provide value and help grow the community, people will be more likely to take notice of your brand.
Best practices for each social media platform:
Twitter: Use hashtags, post often, interact with others
Facebook: Join groups, post interesting content, run ads
Instagram: Use hashtags, post often, interact with others, use Stories
LinkedIn: Join groups, post interesting content, run ads
Pinterest: Use keywords, create boards, pin often
TikTok: Use hashtags, post videos often, interact with others
YouTube: Use keywords, make videos often, interact with commenters
Tools and software for social media marketing:
Content Creation Tools
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Canva
- Jasper
Scheduling
- Facebook Business Suite
- Metricool
- Hootsuite
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing refers to the creation and distribution of high-quality content that is designed to attract and engage an audience. Content marketing is a crucial part of every digital marketing strategy and can take the form of blog posts, infographics, videos, ebooks, and more. In short, all the categories in this article are components of content marketing.
The goal of content marketing is to build relationships with potential and current customers by providing them with information that is relevant and valuable. When done correctly, content marketing can help to boost awareness, build trust, and bring in potential new customers. And with AI for small business, you’ll be able to create content quickly and easily!
Steps to getting started with Content Creation
Step 1: Define your goals
Before you can create any content, you need to consider your marketing strategy. What you want to achieve with the content? Will the content work well with the digital marketing campaigns you plan to develop? What type of content will your digital marketing strategy rely on?
Bottom line, you need to know what type of digital marketing strategies you plan to implement before you can decide what type of content you will create.
Considering your digital marketing strategy, what are your goals? Are you looking to get more leads? Drive traffic to your website? Boost sales? Or to simply stay in touch and relevant with your audience.
Step 2: Define which type of content you want to create
Once you know your goals as they relate to your marketing strategy, you can start to think about the type of content that will help you achieve them.
If you’re looking to get new leads, for example, you might want to create an ebook or webinar. On the other hand, if you’re looking to drive traffic to your website, blog posts and infographics might be a better option.
Here are some ideas for the type of content you can create:
- Blog posts
- Videos
- Images
- Ebooks
- Webinars
- Podcasts
- Infographics
- Checklists
- Memes
Some of the content types above are covered in more detail in the sections below. If your marketing strategy will rely heavily on written content you can benefit greatly by learning how to use an AI writing too. AI can help you write blog posts, social media updates, emails, and more.
Step 3: Create your content or hire someone to do it for you
When creating content, lean toward what interests you and what you’re good at. For example, if you’re not a natural at writing or don’t have the time to create content yourself, maybe a blog isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you’ve decided an SEO-optimized blog is ideal for your business, it would be wise, budget allowing, to hire a marketing consultant or writer to write for you.
Before you hire out, be sure to check out the variety of marketing tools powered by AI (artificial intelligence). These can really elevate your ability and decrease the time it takes to create content. A few of my favorite AI design software tools for content creation are included in the resources below along with other content creation software.
If you do end up hiring a content creator, be sure the person you hire can produce quality work that aligns with your brand, voice, and style.
Step 4: Investigate and invest in the right tools
Much of digital marketing involves content creation. So it makes sense to invest in digital publishing power tools like Jasper that will make your job easier while being more effective and efficient. Content creation software and tools aren’t something you’ll want to skimp on, especially once you see just how effective they can be for your business success.
Tools and software for content creation
For images and infographics
- Adobe creative suite
- Canva
- Piktochart
For written content
3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is one of the most powerful digital marketing tools available. It can also be one of the best approaches to fulfilling your marketing strategy. By optimizing your website and content for search engines, you can improve your visibility, attract more traffic, and acquire more leads.
Search Engine Optimization is a complex topic, but there are a few simple things you can do to get started.
Steps to getting started with SEO
Step 1: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive.
Websites that are not mobile-friendly will be penalized by Google and other search engines.
Step 2: Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions.
When creating content, consider the search terms (words and phrases) people are likely using when looking for information related to your business. Use those keywords and phrases throughout your title and description. These keywords and phrases are what search engines use to direct people to your website.
Step 3: Optimize your website for speed.
Google and other search engines consider site speed when ranking websites, so it’s important to make sure your website loads quickly. If you don’t know how to do this yourself—and most people don’t—consider taking an SEO course or hiring an expert.
There are many other factors that go into SEO, but these are three of the most important. For more information on SEO, I recommend checking out Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO.
Tools and Software for SEO
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing tools available. It allows you to stay in touch with your customers and prospects, build relationships, and generate sales.
There are many benefits to adding email marketing to your marketing strategy. When done well, email marketing can be highly personalized and relevant to the recipient. It can also be automated, so you can send emails without spending hours writing them yourself.
Steps to getting started with email marketing
Step 1: Create a List of recipients
Create a list of people who have given you their permission to contact them via email. You can do this by having an opt-in form on your website or blog, or by using a tool like LeadPages or OptinMonster.
Step 2: Create a welcome email sequence.
This is a series of emails that you send to new subscribers when they first sign up for your list. The purpose of the welcome email sequence is to introduce yourself, build rapport, and get subscribers started with your content.
Step 3: Decide what type of content you want to send.
Email marketing can be used to send a variety of content, including blog posts, ebooks, courses, coupons, and more.
Tools and Software for email marketing
- MailChimp
- Constant Contact
- AWeber
- GetResponse
- ConvertKit
5. Video Marketing
Video marketing is a huge part of digital marketing these days. Videos can be used to create brand awareness, build rapport, and get people interested in your product or service. They can also be used to increase leads and sales.
To get started with video marketing, I recommend creating a series of videos that introduce your business and explain what you do. You can also create how-to videos, testimonials, case studies, and more.
Once you have a library of videos, you’ll have a valuable resource to draw on, not only for your current marketing strategy for future digital marketing strategies as well.
Steps to getting started with video marketing
Step 1: Choose the type of video you want to create.
Decide whether you want to create a How-to video, an informational one, an interview, etc. Be sure whatever you choose integrates well with your overall marketing strategy.
Step 2: Plan and script your video.
Planning and scripting your video is especially important if you’re doing an informational, how-to, or another recording that’s not a spontaneous social media type of video.
Step 3: Be aware of your setting.
Make sure your setting background isn’t distracting, your lighting is good, and you’re in a quiet place with minimal echo.
Step 4: Record and edit your video.
This is the fun part! Try to do well, but don’t obsess about every imperfection. People are used to various levels of production quality nowadays, so don’t get too concerned if you’re not a polished speaker.
Step 5: Optimize your video for SEO.
Include keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and be sure to transcribe your video so it can be found by people who are searching for information related to your business.
Tools and Software for video marketing
Platforms (where to share your videos)
- On your own website
- On social media platforms
- In email campaigns
- On your YouTube channel
- On sales funnel landing pages
- Place a video anywhere it makes sense to
Tools and Software
- Wistia
- Vidyard
- Brightcove
6. Podcast Marketing
Podcast marketing has rapidly become a popular digital marketing strategy in recent years. Podcasts are a great way to build relationships, generate leads, and get people interested in your product or service. They can also be used to create brand awareness and drive traffic to your website or blog.
Steps to getting started with podcast marketing
Step 1: Find a niche.
To get started with podcast marketing, I recommend finding a niche topic around your business that you’re passionate about and that you know people are interested in. Your marketing strategy will help dictate this.
For example, a wedding photographer’s revenue derives from photographing weddings, but their podcast might be about other things related to weddings. Perhaps they have a wedding planner as an interview guest, or maybe they do a podcast series on the most beautiful, photogenic wedding venues in the local area, and so on.
Once you’ve decided what you’ll focus on, create a podcast around that topic. You can use the podcast to build relationships with guests, increase leads, and close sales.
Step 2: Choose your format.
The next step is choosing your podcast format. There are three main types of podcasts: interview, co-hosted, and solo.
Step 3: Create your podcast artwork.
The third step is creating your podcast artwork. This will be the image that people see when they’re looking for your podcast on iTunes or another directory.
Step 4: Record and edit each episode.
The fourth step is recording and editing your episodes. If you’re doing an interview show, you’ll need to reach out to guests and schedule a time to record each episode. If you’re doing a co-hosted or solo show, you’ll need to record each episode yourself.
Tools and Software for podcast marketing
- Libsyn
- Podbean
- Spreaker
- Blubrry
7. Webinar Marketing
Webinars, too, are a digital marketing strategy framework that’s somewhat new. Webinars provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to connect with their target audience and build relationships.
By hosting a webinar, businesses can share their knowledge and expertise with potential customers in a way that is interactive and engaging. In addition, webinars can be recorded and then shared online, giving businesses a way to reach a wider audience.
Webinars also provide an opportunity for businesses to generate quality leads and a higher likelihood of sales. By offering a free webinar, businesses can attract potential customers who can then be converted into paying customers.
Steps to getting started with Webinar Marketing
Step 1: Choose a topic.
This should be something that you’re passionate about and that you know people are interested in. The topic should be related to your business and a cohesive part of your digital marketing strategy.
Step 2: Choose the format of your webinar.
Will it be an interview, panel discussion, or solo presentation? Solo presentations are easier in some ways—ease of scheduling, no need to coordinate with others, etc.— but more difficult in other ways. Sometime solo presentations can feel a little more formal and structured. If you are doing a solo presentation you don’t have another person to riff off or fill in thought gaps.
Step 3: Select a date and time for your webinar.
Make sure to give people enough notice so they can clear their schedules, but not so much that they lose interest as time goes by.
Step 4: Create a promotional plan for your webinar.
You’ll need to promote your webinar to get the word out. You can do this a variety of ways. Some popular methods are through email, social media, and other digital channels.
Step 5: Create a landing page for your webinar.
Your webinar landing page will be where people go to sign up for your webinar. Make it clean and straightforward, resist the urge to put other information on this page other than guiding them to sign up. The page should be branded similar to the look of your main website.
Tools and software for webinar marketing
- GoToWebinar
- Webex
- Adobe Connect
- AnyMeeting
Final Thoughts
No matter what type of business marketing ideas you come up with chances are digital marketing will play a part. By using one or more of the digital marketing strategies I’ve outlined in this blog post, you can reach a wider audience, build relationships, generate leads, and close sales.
Tip: Don’t try to take on these digital marketing strategies all at once. Start with one marketing strategy—whichever makes sense for your business—then consider adding others.
If your digital marketing campaign is going well by using one of the digital channels or approaches, you may only need that one to meet your goals. You don’t necessarily need to do them all.
Keep in mind that your marketing strategy is a living document. It isn’t something you create then “set in stone.” It can evolve and change depending on how each strategy is working for you.
Happy marketing!