We have mentioned quite a few times how important digital marketing is to all brands. The majority of your customers are online, and this isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, technology will only continue to expand and you need to make sure your business is not missing out on the potential.
If you do not have a large marketing budget, this is all still do-able. It may just require a little extra time and work on your behalf. Today we are going over the 5 important digital marketing investments your brand should be making.
- Website Design / Development: This is definitely somewhere you don’t want to skimp on cost. A professional looking website is crucial for your brand. While it may be tempting to use a free template online, this can cause more harm to your brand. Especially if you have an online shop! Work with a web designer on an amazing website and get it done right the first time. A web designer will make sure your website is fully optimized and running smoothly. Remember: going with the cheapest quote isn’t always the best option. Make sure you choose a company that makes you feel confident in the outcome.
- Social Marketing: This is definitely something you may be able to do yourself or with the assistance of a digital marketing company. However, social media marketing does require some investment of not only time, but money. You will need to place some ads to reach your audience, but the good thing is that you can start this on a small budget until you can expand what you spend on ads. Social media marketing is not as simple as just posting status updates and photos. You will need a strategy and you will need to measure your metrics to evaluate what works and what doesn’t (this is why hiring someone to manage this tends to be easier for a brand). It takes time to create, edit, monitor and share quality social content daily. Yes, you need to do this daily.Use the social media platforms that work best for you and where your target audience can be found. You can refer to our previous post: Choosing Your Social Media Marketing Platform By Demographic. Also, don’t forget to include any Influencer marketing in a budget (even if it is a smaller “trade product for a review” budget) Working with influencers can be very beneficial to brands. For more information about this you can read our previous post: How To Work with Micro Influencers & Why It Is Beneficial.
- Content Development: Your content (including a blog for your brand or YouTube videos) is very important. Make sure you are not only updating your company’s blog regularly, but also making sure you are paying close attention to things like SEO. Having a professional help you with this can definitely make a difference, especially if you don’t understand the complexities behind SEO (which can get confusing for anyone). Having your content updated regularly and correctly will get your page on the map and found (and hopefully on the first page of Google!)
- Mobile marketing: Everyone (yes, everyone) is on mobile now! Even more than their PC’s. There is no shortage of opportunity in creating mobile ads, mobile web designs, marketing campaigns etc. Hiring a professional to create optimal and functional mobile website and ads is beneficial and will cost you less in the long run (get it right the first time). Design, quality and functionality must be a huge focus for mobile. The great part is, your favorite web designer can do this for you. Don’t be afraid to ask them for their suggestions!
- Digital Advertising: Again, the world is on the internet. People are even preferring to watch TV online than via their TV’s. Don’t forget to include digital advertisement in your plans! For best results, these ads will require SEO knowledge, great graphic design, Analytics monitoring etc. A professional can help you target your campaigns to get the best bang for your buck and ROI.
Staying on trend when it comes to digital marketing is crucial. Make sure your are investing in your brand, especially in any of the above categories you may not be too confident in. You will find that doing it right the first time can actually save you time and money in the long-run. You will also have an optimized system in place to reach your target audience and get more sales!
Let us know your thoughts about how digital marketing is changing the game! What do you love about it? Or, what do you not love so much about it? And, of course, If you would like assistance with any of these, feel free to contact us!