Since the reopening of the economy and the advent of social distancing, people are doing their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. More and more Colorado businesses are shifting their marketing budgets to online marketing, especially since it’s so much easier to do from home. With fewer people in the office; there’s less foot traffic and therefore, less opportunity to spread the virus. Additionally, more and more people are ditching their travel plans, which means fewer people are going to destinations where the virus is still spreading. As a result, online marketing in Colorado is becoming extremely popular, as the following statistics will prove.
The Rise of Online Marketing In Colorado
According to HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report, 68% of marketers plan to increase their spend on online marketing in the near future. This is a significant increase from just 24% in 2019 and 18% in 2018. Additionally, the report forecasts that by next year, 65% of marketers will have increased their spends on digital marketing, compared to 20% who plan to increase their travels and 10% who plan to spend more on print ads.
Why Aren’t More Businesses Embracing Online Marketing In Colorado?
Although more and more businesses are putting money into online marketing, not all of them are enjoying the benefits. According to HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report, only 28% of businesses polled said they were “extremely effective” at using the internet for marketing, compared to 48% who said they were “effective.” Additionally, fewer and fewer businesses are turning to traditional marketing methods, such as radio ads and billboards, because of the pandemic. Due to the economy shifting to online marketing and shopping, businesses that do not have a strong online presence will struggle to sell their products and services.
The Advantage Of Online Marketing
Due to the nature of the outbreak, the world has shrunk to just those within a few feet of a computer screen. With fewer people around, those who can utilize the internet to market their products and services have a distinct advantage. As more and more Coloradans are staying home, bored and wanting to spend their time effectively, entrepreneurs who can provide them with helpful information via a website or mobile app usually have a market share over competitors.
Top Online Marketing Techniques In Colorado
While many businesses are adapting to the new normal and shifting their marketing budgets to online marketing, some are still trying to figure out what works best for them. As a result, businesses are employing a variety of online marketing techniques, some of which may be more effective than others. Here are the top online marketing techniques in Colorado.
1. SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the process of increasing a website’s rankings in the search results for specific keywords. Although SEO has become quite popular during the pandemic, it is not a new concept. In fact, many large businesses and brands use SEO heavily to draw in customers from all over the world.
During the pandemic, SEO becomes even more critical, as people are searching for answers online and clicking on the first few results to land on a website. With less competition and more people looking for information, SEO is a simple and effective way to gain a competitive advantage.
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing is all about creating and distributing valuable, entertaining, and informative content that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight online audiences.
Similar to SEO, content marketing has been around for a while, but it has only become popular in the past two years. Due to the content marketing boom during the pandemic, those who can create and distribute useful information have a distinct advantage over competitors.
3. Email Marketing
While SEO focuses on drawing in customers via organic search results, email marketing targets a customer’s inbox and aims to get the person to click a link, open an email, and either buy a product or service, or confirm their email address.
According to HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report, over 50% of marketers plan to increase their email marketing budgets in the next year. More and more businesses are realizing the power of email marketing and are taking advantage of the opportunities that it provides.
4. Social Media Marketing
If you have a business page on social media, you are already doing social media marketing. But did you know that you can use social media to target and engage with customers even when they are not on your platform?
Many businesses miss out on a lot of business just because they don’t have a social media presence. However, this could be changing, as 72% of marketers plan to increase their spend on social media marketing in the next year.
Not only does social media enable businesses to engage with customers without needing to be online but it also provides a way for businesses to track the success of their campaigns and engage with customers across different platforms.
5. PPC (Pay Per Click)
If you’re spending a decent chunk of change on advertising, you might as well maximize your investments by using pay per click (PPC). With PPC, you pay only when someone clicks on a link and lands on your website. So if someone clicks on a PPC advertisement and lands on your site, you’ll know you’ve earned a few dollars. Just make sure you track which advertisements work the best and keep re-evaluating your strategy as your finances permit.
According to HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report, 40% of marketers plan to increase their spend on PPC in the next year. And, 72% of those are planning to spend more on retargeting, an element of PPC that enables a business to target and engage with past customers even when they aren’t on your site.
6. Influencer Marketing
If you have an influencer in your niche who would be willing to promote your product or service, you can greatly benefit from an influencer marketing campaign. An influencer is often someone who is famous in their niche, or has a large social media following, who promotes and inspires others to become interested in your product or service.
According to HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report, 39% of marketers plan to increase their spend on influencer marketing in the next year. While influencer marketing is becoming more popular, it remains largely within the talent and brand marketing communities. As more businesses shift to digital marketing and the power of social media grows, the influencer market should expand and enable more businesses, particularly those who can afford it, to gain a competitive advantage.
7. Blogging
Blogging is a fantastic way to produce and distribute content while also engaging with and gaining access to an audience. Similar to content marketing, blogging has been around for a while but in a more informal manner. However, in the last two years, as the COVID-19 pandemic came into full swing, bored individuals and entrepreneurs took to blogging in droves, as seen in the following quote from HubSpot Blogs’ 2020 Marketing Industry Trends Report.
In 2020, blogging will be more important than ever to marketers. Over half of respondents (51%) plan to increase their spend on content creation and distribution in the next year, while only 22% are planning to spend less. As the world reopens and people want to get back to work, companies will need content to attract, engage, and retain customers.
Although blogging remains a popular technique, those who can create and distribute useful information will have a distinct advantage over competitors.
Where To From Here?
While many businesses are taking the time to learn what works best for them during the pandemic, they can still engage with customers and potential customers via various platforms and channels. Many businesses are simply adjusting their marketing strategies to fit the new normal while still aiming to provide good service to their customers. However, as the economy reopens, many businesses without a strong digital foothold will struggle to sell their products or services, leaving them at a distinct disadvantage.