In 2020, the world of online marketing is ever evolving. New research shows that 69% of people have adopted the behaviour, while only 23% have avoided it. But how can marketers ensure their efforts are not going to waste? Although there is plenty of information available, knowing what works and what doesn’t can be difficult. That’s why we have compiled this list of the most effective online marketing ideas for you to consider.

1. Build An Audience On Social Media

Creating a digital footprint is something that virtually every business does these days. But the way we interact with content has evolved, and so has the way businesses can reach consumers. The old guard of SEO and paid ads are still going strong, but many businesses are also finding success through content curation and sharing on social media.

The first step to gaining traction is building an audience on the various social media platforms. You can do this either by engaging with your audience on social media or by using social media to find and engage with potential customers.

You should have an audience on at least one of the major social media platforms, such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as these are the three largest in terms of monthly active users. (Statista)

But having an audience on just these three platforms may not be enough. You also need to have an audience on smaller platforms like TikTok, as well as podcasts and websites.

Additionally, ensure that your social media content is consistent across all platforms and that you are using hashtags and engaging with others in your industry. Furthermore, you can use tools like Kloud Analytics to track the performance of your social media accounts and identify which platforms are giving you the best results in terms of engagement and traffic.

2. Create Content That Is Useful and Helpful

If you want to increase consumer trust and earn their loyalty, you need to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. To do this, you need to create content that is useful and helpful to your target audience.

What makes for useful content? The answer to this question will vary depending on your target audience, but it usually includes content that answers questions, solves problems, or provides tips or advice on how to best operate within your industry. In these cases, you need to ensure that the content is both accurate and reliable.

If you are new to content marketing, you may want to consider creating bite sized guides or FAQs that are highly curated from the most authoritative sources in your industry. Publishing these types of content pieces regularly can help ensure you stay fresh in the minds of your audience and increase your credibility as an industry expert. As a general rule of thumb, the shorter the guide the better. Generally, people are more likely to read and retain shorter content.

The most effective content creators in the industry aren’t just doing that though. They are also experimenting with new content types and using different platforms to disseminate their work.

If possible, consider creating curated lists of the most authoritative websites, blogs, and YouTube content creators in your industry. You can then use these platforms to promote and disseminate your curated content.

3. Experiment With New Technologies And Maintain Adaptability

As we’ve established, the world of online marketing is ever evolving, and one of the best ways to ensure your strategy and campaigns are effective is by continually experimenting with new technologies and maintaining adaptability.

If you’re not willing to experiment and maintain an open mind, you’re risking becoming irrelevant in the eyes of your audience. The smartest marketers are always looking for ways to improve the way they do business, and those who adapt to new technologies and continue to evolve have a distinct advantage over their competitors.

To that end, it’s important to note that SEO, social media, and paid ads are still extremely important to a business’ digital marketing strategy, and we wouldn’t advise against investing in these areas. What we would recommend is maintaining an open mind and continually experimenting with new platforms and technologies to stay relevant and ahead of the curve.

4. Measure The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing Efforts

All marketing efforts, no matter how big or small, have an effect. This is why it is so important to measure the effectiveness of your strategy. (Or as Google likes to put it, “Measurement is critical. You need to be able to measure the impact of your marketing efforts and adjust your strategy accordingly.”)

There are various ways to measure the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts, but one of the most effective and popular methods is to use analytics platforms like Google Analytics to track the performance of your website.

With GA, you can set up automated email notifications when a visitor completes a given action, like subscribing to a newsletter or making a purchase. This feature alone can help you identify users who are most likely to convert and allow you to experiment with different campaigns and strategies to increase your conversion rates.

In addition to getting an insight into your website’s traffic, you can also use Google Analytics to track the effectiveness of your social media marketing. You can set up automated email notifications when a user engages with a specific post or account, or when a given account or board stops receiving a certain amount of engagement. This feature alone can help you identify content that is resonating with your audience and allow you to experiment with different strategies to increase your reach and engagement.

If you are using platforms like Twitter, you can use their advanced analytics to measure the success of your campaigns. With Twitter Analytics you can get an insight into how your tweets are performing and how others are responding to and engaging with your content.

5. Identify The Influencers In Your Industry

Now, we aren’t suggesting that you need to rely solely on analytics to determine the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Far from it. With a little bit of research, you can identify the influencers in your industry and determine the strength of their presence online.

What is influencer marketing? Essentially, it is when a brand or company pays to have someone with a large audience promote their product or service. (CNET)

While it can be quite the lucrative practice, it isn’t without its risks. If you are unfamiliar, influencer marketing is generally considered to be a form of brand evangelism since the influencer is representing the brand. This can cause some conflict of interest when the influencer promotes a product they are paid to endorse in exchange for money, gifts, or free product samples. (HubSpot)

Since brands usually want to ensure consumers believe they are providing value and that the influencer is not merely an actor or model biased towards promoting a brand, it is important that you vet your potential influencers carefully and read up on inforgraphic marketing. (Wikipedia)

6. Experiment With Different Formats And Interactions

While SEO, social media, and paid ads are extremely important to a business’ digital marketing strategy, there is also experimentation and variety in how we consume content these days. (Indeed, 69% of people have adopted the behaviour, while only 23% have avoided it.) Even in terms of interactions, we aren’t always willing to engage with content the same way we did in the past. (Indeed, 69% of people have adopted the behaviour, while only 23% have avoided it.)

Instead of focusing on driving traffic to your website via organic search or social media, consider using various platforms to distribute your content. (HootSuite)

The next wave of digital marketing is about to hit, and it’s about content distribution platforms like TikTok, where users are determining how and what to consume based on personalized content curation. As a marketer, you need to be ready for this transition and see the potential benefit of experimenting with different content types, platforms, and interactions.

7. Measure The Performance Of Your Web Content In Real Time

As we’ve established, marketing is a constantly evolving animal. Not only does the way we engage with content change, but so does the way businesses can effectively disseminate their work. (Indeed, the most successful marketers are constantly looking for ways to improve their process and stay ahead of the curve.)

One of the most interesting parts of the 2020s is the ability to track the real-time performance of content on the web. (Indeed, 69% of people have adopted the behavior, while only 23% have avoided it.) In the past, businesses and marketers would look at the performance of content on a weekly, or even monthly, basis. Now, thanks to tools like HubSpot’s new Performance dashboard, we are able to see the results of our efforts in real time.