For any business, operating an online presence is critical. Simply put, if you’re not online, you’re not really existing. Furthermore, the vast majority of consumers now prefer to research products and services before purchasing them online. This trend makes it even more important for businesses to have an effective online marketing strategy.

However, for many companies, the idea of putting together a solid online marketing plan can feel overwhelming and intimidating. Moreover, not all businesses are built equal when it comes to digital marketing. Some companies are naturally more equipped to take advantage of the internet than others.

To help small businesses navigate the daunting world of online marketing, we have compiled a list of five tips that can effectively put you on the right track to creating an effective strategy.

1. Build a brand

To create an effective strategy, it’s first important to build a brand. A brand is an identity that represents a business or product and has the ability to attract customers through a memorable and consistent experience across all marketing platforms.

For instance, when a consumer searches for restaurants in Nashville, they will eventually arrive at your site. At that point, you can either serve them a delicious meal or you can offer them information about your business and products. Your brand will determine the type of content you offer and the medium through which you disseminate that content. Furthermore, when you establish and embrace a clear brand identity, you will become that identity across all marketing platforms- including SEO, content marketing, and social media. This consistency will help to establish trust with your audience and to make your marketing message more memorable. When someone clicks on your site, they should have a clear idea of what they’re going to get. If not, then you’re losing out on the potential of a customer who could have otherwise become a highly valuable asset.

2. Identify the right target audience

Once you’ve built your brand, it’s time to identify your target audience. Your target audience is the group of people you intend to serve with your content. To find these individuals, you can begin with the demographics that are currently most likely to be interested in your product or service. Once you’ve found this audience, you can continue to narrow down the list based on your previous research or browsing history on the internet. For example, you may decide that your target audience is composed of affluent, single, men in their 30’s who like to eat fish.

There are several ways to identify your target audience, and you should choose the one that feels most natural and productive to you. Moreover, you want to keep in mind that not all members of your target audience will necessarily be interested in your product or service. Therefore, it is essential to understand who your target audience is before you start creating content.

3. Create content

Once you’ve found your target audience, it’s time to create content. This content can be anything from a landing page to an in-depth blog post, and it can serve multiple purposes. Ideally, you want to create content that will encourage people to make a purchase or to take some sort of action. When someone visits your website, you want them to have a clear idea of what your business is and what you offer. Moreover, you can use content to establish a connection with your audience and to make your website more memorable.

When someone is searching for an online store in Nashville, your landing page or blog post will emerge as the first piece of content they encounter. Therefore, you want to make sure that this content is both engaging and informative. If you’re truly looking to differentiate yourself from other online stores, then you can take this opportunity to educate the consumer on the benefits of your products or services.

4. Measure the results of your content

To track the results of your content, it’s important to set up a digital marketing campaign. A digital marketing campaign can be as simple as a landing page with a call to action or it can be a more complex series of emails involving different landing pages and piece of content. Once you have a formalized strategy in place, it’s important to track how each piece of content performed. This includes things like –

• page views
• social shares
• shares of content on Twitter
• clicks on links
• likes on Facebook

To determine the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaign, you will need to perform A/B testing. This involves randomly assigning groups of people to different versions of a landing page or content piece and then measuring the difference in results. For example, let’s say you’re trying to determine the optimal way to promote your organic food delivery service. To do this, you could create two versions of a page. The first would simply contain the Call to Action and be completely focused on delivering the service. The second page would additionally promote organic food and could include the option to learn more about the benefits of organic food or to make a purchase. At the end of the day, you want to pick the version of the page that generated the most interest and engagement from your audience. Once you’ve determined the effectiveness of one piece of content, you can move on to the next.

5. Keep improving

Now that you have a base and you know which content performed best, it’s time to build on this success. If your landing page or blog post performed well, then this means there is still room for growth. As a business owner, it’s your job to keep evolving and improving to find new ways to effectively market your business.

When you identify and analyze these growth opportunities, you will naturally start to see your business from a whole new perspective. Moreover, you can use this new-found objective view to make better decisions about the direction of your company. Ideally, over time you want to see your website become a reliable source of information for your target audience. Furthermore, you want to develop a deeper connection with your audience by regularly engaging with them through social media.