Now that you’re settled into your new role at Clayton State University and you’ve gotten used to the idea of working remotely, it’s time to take advantage of the tools you need to grow your online presence.
As the university’s online marketing coordinator, it’s my job to help you take full advantage of the many platforms available to reach students, faculty, and staff across the globe. Whether you’re looking to grow your blog, create YouTube videos, or develop an e-commerce store, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s get started. In this article, you’ll discover the essential online marketing tools you need to succeed as an administrator at Clayton State University. You’ll also learn how to get the most out of each tool so you can build a solid foundation for your remote administration role.
The Need For A Website
I know what you’re thinking. A web browser, Gmail, and WordPress are all you need to get online. While it’s true that those are the most popular and most commonly used platforms in the world of online marketing, it doesn’t mean that they are the only platforms available to you.
If you’ve ever shopped at Nordstrom, you may have noticed that the department store has a mobile app as well as a website. There’s also Shopbop, which allows users to browse products and makes it easy to find what they’re looking for — whether that’s clothing, accessories, or a home decoration.
You might be wondering if a retail store would use an online marketing toolkit to grow their business. The answer is yes, and it’s likely that your own university is also using digital marketing to drive traffic to their website. A website is the best starting point for any online marketing campaign because it’s the first point of contact for users.
Think about the last time you needed to contact your university. Maybe you sent an email to the admissions office seeking more information about a program or a course. Maybe you called the main number, talked to an admissions officer, and then decided to read more online about the university. Most likely, you started your search on the institution’s website.
The fact is, whenever you have a question or want to find out more about a university, student life, or anything else, you’ll turn to their website first. A well-designed website is an integral part of any successful digital marketing strategy.
Blogs And Social Media
If you’ve ever spent any amount of time on social media, then you know that brands can use platforms like Twitter and Facebook to connect with customers, potential employees, donors, and more.
These are all examples of blogs, which are a type of website that’s focused on publishing content regularly.
As an online marketer, it’s your job to build and maintain an audience on blogs and other content-based websites. Once you’ve got an audience on a blog, you can use the platform to launch your own products or services and become a digital marketer.
If you’re looking to grow an online presence through social media, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s look at each platform in detail.
If you’re on Instagram, then you know that it’s a popular photo-sharing app that allows users to post photos and videos on a variety of themes. Instagrammers can also feature photos and videos from businesses in their stories.
This is where I would recommend starting your Instagram account if you’re looking to build a following. You can use these stories to feature content relevant to your niche, whether that’s beauty, fitness, art, or food. Posting content frequently and consistently will help build your following and prove to potential customers that you’re an experienced and talented professional.
Twitter is another popular social media platform, and it’s a bit of a mix between a blog platform and a social media platform. You can use it to:
- Post brief messages called ‘tweets’ (usually around 140 characters or less)
- Link to other websites and blogs that you’ve read or that are relevant to your niche
- Interact with other users with the ‘retweet’ function, where someone will re-post your message. (As a brand, you can also choose to ‘like’ a tweet and have it displayed at the top of your Twitter feed.)
- Follow the tweets of people and brands that you respect
The best part of Twitter is that it’s relatively easy to use and anyone can do it. If you’re looking to build a following, then Twitter is a great option. Just remember that building a presence on this platform is a bit of a challenge because you need to consistently post quality content to stand out among your audience.
LinkedIn is a business-related social media platform that allows users to connect with other professionals, view company and job descriptions, and research career paths. (For a comprehensive list of the different types of content you can post on LinkedIn, check out their blog.)
While you don’t need to have a LinkedIn account to do your job as an online marketer, it’s an excellent tool for professional development and getting the word out about your skills and experience. Plus, it’s free! If you do decide to create an account, be sure to use the free trials of the various premium packages to familiarize yourself with how the platform works. (You can also use the free trial for WhatsApp to get used to the feel of using instant messaging on a larger scale. Just remember that you need a microphone to use it effectively.)
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video platform in the world, and it’s one of the most popular choices for online marketers. You can use YouTube to:
- Post videos – ranging from six seconds to one minute in length — featuring a company, product, or event you’re promoting. (Brands can partner with YouTube creators to promote their products in videos.)
- Create playlists of bite-sized videos to fit different metrics and platforms. (YouTube playlists are a great way to organize and highlight content that you think will be of value to your audience. Playlists can be viewed by anyone, meaning that even if you don’t have a huge audience on YouTube, anyone can still find your content. They can also be shared with others, driving more views to your channel. Creating a playlist can also help you find the right content to post on your blog or social media platforms later on.)
- Use Google Analytics to track the performance of your videos (and other content) and determine which content is performing best and where you should focus your efforts (i.e. video vs written content).
- Interact with and respond to your audience via the comments section of your videos.
- Curate content for others: create tutorials or FAQs that other content creators can use to answer questions, and be sure to include a call-to-action at the end of each answer.
- Upload marketing documents such as flyers, brochures, or invitations for sales events.
- Establish yourself as an expert in your field. Create YouTube Channels for different brands and businesses that are interested in partnering with you. Designing a logo for a brand or creating a video explaining the ins and outs of a product or service can both be considered expert content.
If you’ve got a knack for design or video editing, then you can take advantage of this platform to grow your business.
E-commerce
As a professional in the field of online marketing, it’s your responsibility to keep up with the latest trends and technologies that can help your clients grow their businesses. One of the most prominent trends right now is e-commerce, which stands for “electronic commerce”. When someone clicks a product link or buys something from your website, that’s considered e-commerce.
If you’ve got a retail website or store, then you’re in luck because e-commerce is one of the most popular topics covered on this platform. (Remember: you can use Shopify to easily set up an online store.) You can use e-commerce to successfully sell your products to people all over the world, no matter where you are.
Keep in mind that creating a retail store isn’t as simple as creating a blog or Twitter account. You have to consider a lot of different details, including payment processing, shipping, and customer service.