Are you looking to grow your business using social media? Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a seasoned marketer, you’re in the right place. We’re going to teach you everything you need to know about effective social media marketing from the ground up.

What You’ll Learn:

• The ins and outs of social media marketing
• How to develop a marketing strategy for the various platforms
• The importance of tracking analytics and measuring results
• How to build a community around your brand
• The dos and don’ts of social media marketing
• How to create content that will stand out
• And so much more!

Looking for more information? Here’s a quick breakdown of what you’ll learn in this course:

Digital Marketing & Commerce: The Basics

If you’re reading this, I assume you know what digital marketing is and how it works. Maybe you’ve even taken a stab at using it. But, if you’re looking to grow your business using digital marketing, then this is the place to start. We’ll dive into the basics of what makes up a typical digital marketing plan and how e-commerce fits into it.

What Is Digital Marketing?

Put simply, digital marketing is the use of digital tools (typically online) to market a business or product.

It’s a way of advertising that’s highly targeted, measurable, and – above all else – highly interactive. Think of all the various platforms like social media, forums, and blogs that exist today. Each of these platforms allows for a degree of engagement that would not have been possible just a few years ago.

The main purpose of digital marketing is to drive sales. But, beyond that, you’re looking to connect with customers and potential customers on a personal level. These days, when a business or brand turns to digital marketing, there are usually a few main goals in mind.

Sales Goals & Objectives

Simply put, your sales goals and objectives are the financial metrics that you’ll use to measure the success of your digital marketing efforts. These are critical as they dictate the metrics you’ll use to determine the overall effectiveness of your strategy. Without clear goals and objectives, it’s difficult to assess whether or not you’re making progress towards your overall marketing goals.

You might have different goals and objectives for your direct marketing and e-commerce efforts. However, it’s crucial that they all tie into a single vision. The more you can bring cohesion to your marketing plan, the more you can ensure its effectiveness. For example, you might want to establish a single vision for attracting new customers to your business. In this case, you’d want to set a goal of getting 500 new email subscribers by the end of the year. To achieve this goal, you’d want to develop a marketing strategy that incorporates both your digital and email marketing.

Strategy & Planning

The strategy and planning stage is all about setting a course of action towards your goals. This is where you’ll lay out the tactics you’ll use to achieve your goals. Your strategy and planning will be key to the overall success of your marketing campaign. It’s important to take the time to get it right because, as we’ve established, you’ll be relying on it to measure the effectiveness of your campaign. Therefore, it needs to be well thought-out and based on sound research.

If you’re looking to create a solid marketing strategy, then there are a few things you should include. First off, you’ll want to identify your target audience. Secondly, you’ll want to establish metrics to measure the success of your plan. Thirdly, you’ll want to consider how you’ll spread the word about your business.

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for your strategy, it’s time to get to work. Ideally, you’ll want to develop a marketing plan that’s tailored to the specific goals and objectives you’ve set for your business. You can also use this plan to benchmark your success over time and make necessary course corrections as needed.

Budget And Resources

Budget is always a key consideration in any economic endeavor. When it comes to marketing, the more you have the better. But, as much as possible, you don’t want to drain your marketing budget too quickly. After all, you don’t want to lose sight of the goal and begin to lose track of ROI. But, you also don’t want to be penny-wise and penny-foolish either. A good rule of thumb is to set a marketing budget that’s equal to your annual sales target.

The resources that you have available to you are also important to take into consideration. Ideally, you’ll want to have the technological skills to carry out your marketing strategy. A good rule of thumb is to set a marketing budget that’s equal to your annual sales target and invest in the following technologies that can help you achieve it.

Pricing

Have you ever shopped on Amazon? If so, you’ll know that they offer various price points for different products. Essentially, what this means is that if you’re selling your product at a very high price, then you’ll have a hard time attracting customers. But, if you’re selling your product at a lower price point, then you may have easier time selling it.

The same concept applies to online marketing efforts. If you’re charging a higher price for your products or services than your competitors, then you’re going to struggle to gain visibility. However, if you’re pricing your product or service lower than your competitors, then you’re more likely to attract potential customers and grow your business.

Overall Review

In the end, no matter what stage you’re in, you’ll want to put the finishing touches on your marketing plan. In this stage, you’ll want to go over the plan with a fine-toothed comb. And, since you’ve been working hard to develop a solid plan, you may find it useful to give it a final review. This will help you identify any areas that can be improved upon and serve as a guide for the whole year. Hopefully, at the end of the year, you’ll have a better understanding of how digital marketing and e-commerce fit together and how each component can affect the other.

Depending on your goals and objectives, your digital marketing plan may not seem very complex. But, as we’ve established, when it comes to marketing, especially online marketing, it can be tricky to find the right course of action. And, as a business owner, this is especially concerning. You’ll want to ensure that you’re considering the right metrics as well as developing the right plan. With these considerations in mind, you’re more likely to create a solid marketing strategy that gets the results you’re looking for. Good luck out there.