It is no secret that Google owns search. What is a secret is the fact that there is more than one search bar. In fact, there are three. The first one is the standard search bar. The second is a mini search bar that appears at the top right corner of the screen, and the third is the voice search bar, which is located at the top left corner of the screen. All of these bars exist so that the user can seek information from anywhere. This is why Google’s motto is ‘Organic Search is Life.’ Without good organic search rankings, you are doing battle with the algorithm. In other words, your business can struggle to gain any real traction in the online world.
While everyone seems to know how important SEO is, not many people know exactly how to go about doing it. If you are looking to take your digital marketing knowledge to the next level, then this post is for you. Here, we will discuss the elements of digital marketing as laid out by the experts. More importantly, we will cover how you can put these elements to use so you can start seeing results today.
Keyword Research
The number one most essential element of digital marketing is Keyword Research. Why? It is quite simple. Without good keywords, your efforts will go to waste. You will not be able to pull in relevant traffic to your website through organic search results. As a matter of fact, Google puts a lot of emphasis on the fact that its algorithm is constantly changing and evolving. This means that if you are not keeping up with the changes, you are quite literally, leaving money on the table. As a beginner, you will only have access to free tools to do your keyword research. However, this will not do. You will need an expert to help you find the right keywords for your niche.
There is a lot more to keyword research than just picking the most popular keyword variations for your niche. You will need to perform thorough research into the various keywords and their global search volume. Bear in mind that the goal is to find the right keywords that will drive traffic to your site but will not yield excessive search volume.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing has become a popular buzzword over the past few years. Many marketers understand its importance and strive to implement it into their daily workflows. However, few truly understand what it means and how to go about doing it. Think of content marketing as creating and distributing useful, informative, and entertaining content that will engage and resonate with your target audience. This content could be in the form of articles, case studies, how-to guides, videos, etc.
If you are looking to take your marketing knowledge to the next level, then content marketing is the perfect place to start. Not only will you be bringing in relevant and useful information that will strengthen your brand, but you will be actively engaging with your audience through digital channels.
Analytics and Reporting
Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track and analyze traffic to your website. Its widespread usage means that there is data available for everyone. You will not need a statistician to help you interpret the numbers. Simply follow the steps laid out in the instructions to set up your account and get to work. You can then start seeing the value of this tool in your dashboard.
Reporting is even simpler. You will need to create a dashboard that aggregates all of the data from various sources (e.g., Google Analytics, Social Media, Website Traffic, etc.). Then, you will simply need to export this data into a single report and send it to your boss or the person responsible for marketing.
Local Search
If your business is based in London, then you will need to take care of a few legalities and operations before you can start advertising. First, you will need to register your business with the City of London. Second, you will need to obtain a permit from the London congestion charge. Third, you will need to pay a yearly license to the local council. Finally, you will need to register your website with the local Internet registry so that you can claim ownership of the domain name. With so much red tape, it is no wonder that local search has become so important.
Taking care of these legalities and registering your business with the various governing bodies will not only allow you to market your services in London but also anywhere else in the UK. Similarly, if you are a business owner looking to expand your reach online, then you should consider registering your website with Google for Business. In this case, you will not need to secure a permit to use the Google logo on your website.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing and still one of the most useful. With every other form of digital marketing becoming more saturated, email marketing continues to grow in popularity. Regardless of whether you are looking to promote a new product or service, an upcoming event or just want to stay in touch with your customers, email marketing is still one of the best ways to go about it. If you want to take your email marketing knowledge to the next level, then you can look into automating your email campaigns with tools like HubSpot or MailChimp.
Social Media Marketing
The popularity of social media platforms makes them a crucial part of any marketing plan. These platforms allow you to connect with interested parties and allow your business to grow. While maintaining a social media profile is quite easy, engaging with your audience and encouraging them to take action is much harder. In other words, you can set up a Twitter account for your business, but unless you have some engaging content, you are wasting your time. The same goes for your Instagram account. To be able to succeed as a business owner on social media, you will need to put in the time and effort to build a following.
Content Planning
The structure of your content is even more important when writing a marketing plan or executing a content strategy. If you have a piece of content (e.g., an article) that you would like to promote, then you will need to break it down into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces will become building blocks that you can use to create something greater. For example, if you have an article on how to write a business plan, you could use this for inspiration and write an article on how to develop a marketing plan. The structure of the first article would then become the basis for the second. Before you know it, you have a completed business plan that you can send to potential investors or the person reviewing your application for a franchise.
You should also look into the future of content and how the ever-changing algorithms of the big G will impact your business. To best position your business for the future, you will need to be thinking about video content, voice-overs, and other interactive tools. Not only does this help to attract the right audience, but it also gives you the opportunity to engage them on a deeper level.
Creative
Creative is another one of those buzzwords that everyone seems to know the meaning of but few people know how to go about using it effectively. In a nutshell, creativity helps to bring life to your content by using a variety of tools, technologies, and techniques. The best way to understand the role of creativity in marketing is to look at some of the best websites and blogs out there. Unless you have a strong creative streak, your marketing materials will fall flat. To be able to effectively use creativity, you will need to look into things like digital marketing design, typography, video editing, and more.
Pricing
Pricing is always an important consideration when marketing any product or service. Just because your product or service is popular does not mean that you should throw around absurd pricing figures. Before you do anything else, take some time to benchmark the market value of your product. In some cases, you might need to adjust your price based on how long it will take to make a profit and how much you will need to spend on advertising and branding. Also, remember to factor in your costs so that you do not end up in the red.
Scheduling
Scheduling is quite simply the process of planning activities or meetings that you will need to attend throughout the year. This is quite a common necessity for any business or person involved in some sort of marketing activity. The beauty of scheduling is that it allows you to plan things that you need to do and to set specific deadlines for yourself.