Author:   Nola Young   Date: March 22, 2016

Navigating and understanding the web and social media opportunities for marketing your business online is increasingly difficult in the ever-changing digital landscape.  How do you keep up with all of the changes and how do you know which direction to go for your business?   Here are some basic steps you should consider when determining your online digital presence and marketing goals.

Step one:  Determine the end result(s) you want to achieve.

• Online presence
• Promote your brand
• Present product or service information
• Generate new business leads/sales
• Increase website traffic
• Keep top of mind with clients
• Event notifications/invitations
• Calls to action
• Company updates, Press releases, Newsletters, Blogs
• Contact info
• Education resources
• Calendar of events
• Recruit new staff

 Step two:  Choose Platforms based on target market/audience

Signing up for social media accounts is free of charge but if you want to promote yourself and achieve results with specific target markets, you will have to spend time and money for paid promotions, and  for creating and maintaining results-oriented online marketing campaigns.  For example, some sites will let you buy followers or paid likes.  The key to understanding this, is that digital media platforms will give you marketing opportunities that you would not get from traditional print advertising.  The difference is in its ability to be instant, repetitive and interactive, meaning you can engage your audience, gain trust and credibility by communicating one-on-one or to groups as a whole.  Online digital messages to your audience is more direct, personal and less generic than its print-media counterpart.  Here are some digital platform examples and audience opportunities:

• Website: global reach, subscripted users, clients, potential clients
• Facebook pages:  links to family, friends and targeted market groups in business ads,
• LinkedIn: links to business associates, clients, known associates, global reach with posts
• Twitter: global reach, links to followers
• Google+: global reach, links to followers
• YouTube Channel: global reach, searchable, links to followers
• Instagram: searchable, links to followers
• Pinterest: global reach, searchable, links to followers

Step three:  Create your online digital marketing campaign(s) strategy

After determining your objectives (end results) and platforms you intend to use to distribute your message, the next step is to develop a marketing campaign(s).      A couple of strategies to follow are:

• Know about your audience before you start or do some research to know what kind of campaigns resonates with them.
• Determine their needs? These can be derived from a variety of sources, including blog comments and from your customer support logs.
• Figure out what you can deliver that will give them value. Content is king when it comes to delivering messages that resonate with your audience and compel them into action.
• Before you launch your campaign, create dedicated landing pages so that you have somewhere to take the user once you have inspired them to take action. Make sure they know what they can get here.
• Consider adding a video to the landing page to quickly answer the question every potential customer has: “what’s in it for me?”.

KW Digital Solutions is here to assist.   We can create your digital sites, your strategies, your campaigns and deliver and maintain your online digital communications.  Call us for a free evaluation of your online presence and sign up for our free E-BIZ newsletter and keep up to date on the latest trends and tips for achieving and maintaining your strategic Internet marketing goals.

 Step four:  Deliver your online marketing campaign

There are a variety of software that make this process easier, such as Hootsuite, Nimble, Mail Chimp, Constant Contact etc., but there are costs involved and a steep learning process.    If you have staff on hand that are dedicated to your web and social media marketing efforts then you are off to the races, however, if you are in need of a helping hand, KW Digital Solutions is here to assist.  We can create your sites, your strategies, your campaigns, and deliver and maintain your communications for you.

Step five:  Maintain your communications and relationships

Marketing your business online is not a one-time event.   If you look at it this way then your sites will just become stagnant, and your company will rank lower in the search engines thereby giving way to your competitors to make faster advances on your potential clients.    Don’t forget to nurture your leads, and keep them coming back for more.   You will need to track your audience activities and maintain a database of their contact info and interests.

Conclusion

KW Digital Solutions can help you determine digital media marketing strategies that will maximize your investment and make it easy for you to achieve your online goals.

• Call us for a free evaluation of your online presence at 519-741-7641.
• Sign up for our free E-Biz newsletter and keep up to date on the latest trends and tips for achieving and maintaining your strategic Internet marketing goals.