When you have a business website or blog, you’re always aware of the competition. There’s just so much content out there and so many ways for customers to discover your products that you have to constantly be on the lookout for new and innovative ways to reach your audience.

But what if you’re wondering what the future of marketing online looks like? What if you’re looking to evolve your marketing efforts and want to know what tools and techniques digital marketers are using today to grow their businesses?

Thankfully, we have you covered. Here’s a look at how to market online, as revealed to us by Twitter.

1. Organic search

When people search online, what do they usually search for? Answers to questions of course. People will type in keywords into the search bar to find what they’re looking for. When someone types in the word ‘blogger’, for example, they may be immediately directed to the blogs associated with HubSpot or Squarespace.

While there’s nothing wrong with paying for targeted ads, organic search is the way forward. Just make sure that your site complies with Google’s webmaster guidelines.

2. Content is king

The content on your site matters. People visit websites to get valuable information or to solve a problem. If you want to succeed as an online marketer, you need to have content that people want to read. The easier way to do this is to create more content.

You need to publish blogs, vlogs, and guidebooks that are both useful and interesting. Ideally, you want to have a mix of both to form an engaging content schedule.

From a marketing perspective, an important part of your content strategy should include monitoring what’s working and what’s not. Try out new things and experiment with different approaches and you’ll soon find out what performs best for your audience.

3. Build a community

People want to be included in communities. The strength of a community is determined by the involvement of its members. The more you engage with your audience, the more they’ll respond, creating a stronger bond. Building a community is one of the most effective ways to engage with your audience. You can do this through social media, forums, and groups.

4. Personal branding is everything

To succeed as an online marketer, you need to stand for something. If you want to be seen as a leader in your industry, create an identity that inspires confidence. Develop a personal branding strategy to create a niche for yourself in the industry.

Your brand voice, style, and approach should be distinct enough to identify you as a leader in your industry but not so much that it’s unrecognizable. As you build your personal brand, make sure to incorporate the following three elements: (1) Voice, (2) Style, and (3) Approach.

Your voice is how you speak and what you say. Your approach is how you conduct yourself, and your style is how you present yourself. You can change your voice, style, and approach to fit whatever persona you want to project but they must be consistent to be effective. Remember: your brand is what you do and what you say, not who you are. It should be the same with your customers.

You can use your blog or website to build a platform. Find a way to make your voice heard and be consistent in your approach. With your content marketing, you can gain credibility and trust with your audience. As you gain trust, you can grow your community and eventually, your business.

5. Content is key, but so is engagement

While content is important, so is engagement. People don’t necessarily need to read your blogs or watch your videos to find value. They need to feel that you’re listening to them. Create a space on your site that encourages conversation by becoming a sounding board for your audience. Reply to comments, engage with your audience, and create a space for them to feel like you’re listening and acting on their behalf.

If you want to get even more personal, you can ask commenters for suggestions on your next blog post or idea. The more you engage, the stronger your community will be.

6. Measure the right thing

To create an impact, you need to measure the right thing. Just because you have a lot of visitors doesn’t mean that your content is working. The type of people who come to your site may not be the target audience for your products.

Instead, use analytics tools to track the demographic, psychographic, and digital data about your visitors. With this information, you can determine what’s working and update your strategy accordingly. Keep in mind that not all analytics tools are created equal. Some track a lot of data while others don’t track anything at all.

7. Always be testing

Testing is vital to digital marketing. Find something that’s working and scale it up or down as needed. While you’re always adjusting your strategy, you should never, ever be stuck in a rut. Just because a tactic or channel worked in the past doesn’t mean it will work in the future. Always be testing new ideas and see what resonates with your audience.

As a digital marketer, you can take advantage of many free tools to test different campaigns and determine which one is performing best. This way, you’ll always be evolving and evolving to meet your customers’ needs.