Most businesses are now realizing the power of digital marketing and how crucial it is to have a thriving business online. Although many big brands have large in-house marketing departments, small to medium businesses can still perform some of the functions of a digital marketer (think: SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing). The good news is you don’t need to be limited by big brands and you can take charge of your own digital marketing destiny.
What is the difference between an online marketer and a digital marketer? An online marketer is generally someone who promotes brands or products online. To be more specific, an online marketer typically creates marketing material (e.g., ad copy, social media posts, emails) for others. For instance, a fashion brand might have an online shop and an online marketer might write the retailer’s product descriptions and monitor social media for mentions of the brand.
A digital marketer, on the other hand, creates inbound marketing materials that attract, engage, and convert consumers into buyers. Inbound marketing is all about creating marketing materials (e.g., videos, infographics, web content, etc.) that enable potential customers to discover your brand or product and engage with you.
Which Type of Marketer Should You Hire?
Just like any other professional field, there are good professionals and there are poor professionals. Similarly, there are great online marketers and there are poor ones. Just because someone is an online marketer doesn’t mean they are going to be effective for your business. Just like any other professional, you can be sure of getting what you pay for.
One of the important things to look for in an online marketer is experience. You want to make sure they have enough real-world marketing experience to be able to deliver on their promises. Even though you might be paying them to do the work, you still want to make sure they have the ability to get the job done.
Additionally, make sure you interview them to find out what their marketing strengths and weaknesses are. You don’t want to hire someone who is great at marketing but who is wearing a bad hat (e.g., poor communication, bad organizational skills, etc.).
Where Do I Start?
The first step to creating a successful marketing strategy is knowing what you are trying to achieve. Are you trying to generate more traffic to your website? Do you want to increase your social media presence? Are you looking to grow your email list?
The next step is to consider the type of content that will be most effective for your target audience. This includes looking at what your competitors are doing and determining what kind of content will give you a distinct competitive advantage.
You want to hire an experienced digital marketer who is familiar with the fashion industry and has the capability to understand and analyze your competitors’ actions. With this information, they can craft unique content that will draw more traffic to your site.
Now, it is important to consider your budget and how much you are willing to spend on this project. Just because you have a limited budget doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to hiring incompetent marketers. You can still get excellent results with a little budgeting and creativity. Plus, it’s never good to burn your precious resources just to get what you want.
How Do I Find The Best Marketing Strategies?
If you’re searching for a marketing agency or consultant, consider asking friends, family, and coworkers for recommendations. It’s also a good idea to look at previous clients to see how they rate the experience and if they would recommend the agency or consultant to others.
Do your own research online too. There are many positive reviews for reputable companies, making it easy to find the best independent consultants and agencies. Plus, you can find online marketers who focus on specific areas such as eCommerce, affiliate marketing, SEO, and content strategy.
If you know in advance what area you need help with, it makes it much easier to find the right professional for the job.
How Do I Choose The Right SEO Company?
The SEO industry is large and varied, making it difficult to know where to start when searching for an SEO agency. First, make sure they have the required experience. Next, look at their portfolio to see if their previous work is comparable to your own. Then, get a consultation to find out what they can do for your specific business.
As a minimum, you should look for an SEO company that offers basic SEO techniques or tools, as described in my last blog post. In addition to this, you should look for an agency that can provide you with content for your website, social media accounts, and emails. The content should be engaging and informative, promoting your product or service in a way that is natural but not overly promotional.
For instance, if you are an eCommerce store selling women’s clothing, you may want to consider an SEO agency that specializes in eCommerce. This way, you can be sure that everything is done for you, including the setup of your online store and the optimization of your content.
How Do I Determine The Best Email Marketing Agency?
The best way to find the best email marketing agency is to look at their previous work. If you are unfamiliar with email marketing, review this blog post from the KISSmetrics team, which explains the basics of email marketing.
As a general rule of thumb, look for an agency that has a proven track record and is a member of reputable organizations such as the BBB, DMA, and NAPRA. In addition to this, you should consider an agency’s size and how advanced their technological infrastructure is. Larger agencies typically have greater resources, allowing them to provide more services to their customers. Similarly, larger agencies usually have more advanced technology, enabling them to develop and deploy cutting edge campaigns quickly and efficiently.
Technology can be a major deciding factor when selecting an email marketing agency. You should look for a company that is up to date with the latest web technologies, has state-of-the-art hardware and software, and up to date with the latest security standards. This way, you can be sure that your personal information is safe and that your business will be treated with the respect it deserves.
How Do I Find The Best Social Media Marketing Agency?
The same rule of thumb for email marketing applies here. Look at their previous work and consider their size. If you are unfamiliar with social media marketing, review this blog post from the KISSmetrics team, which explains the basics of social media marketing.
As a general rule of thumb, look for an agency that has a proven track record and is a member of reputable organizations such as the BBB, DMA, and NAPRA. In addition to this, you should consider an agency’s size and how advanced their technological infrastructure is. Larger agencies typically have greater resources, allowing them to provide more services to their customers. Similarly, larger agencies usually have more advanced technology, enabling them to develop and deploy cutting edge campaigns quickly and efficiently.
If you are looking for a social media agency, make sure you consider their size and how advanced their technological infrastructure is. For example, if you are a small business with no social media presence, it might be best to hire an individual specialist to help you set up a social media account for your business. Alternatively, a small social media agency could be effective in terms of cost and delivery. The delivery might mean that you have to be present during the planning stages and the implementation stages (i.e., you have to be available to help during the hours of operation).
Which Type Of Marketing Agency Is Right for Me?
Once you’ve found the best SEO agency, it’s important to determine if they are right for you. First, are they a member of the BBB, DMA, and NAPRA organizations? Next, consider their portfolio of previous clients and look at their reviews to see how others rate their services. Then, get a consultation to find out what they can do for you, your business, and your desired outcome. Finally, consider their overall cost and ratio of sales to cost.