With the continuous growth of digital marketing, more and more businesses are realizing the importance of developing an online marketing strategy. But just because your business is online doesn’t mean that you have to rely on algorithms to drive traffic to your site. You can use various tools, tactics, and techniques to plan and grow your audience organically.
Fortunately, digital marketing is a field that is highly accessible to anyone with a computer. You don’t need any special training to get started, and you definitely don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive software to create the perfect marketing plan.
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about planning an online marketing strategy for free. We will walk you through the steps to take, analyze tools that can help you, and provide some expert tips along the way.
Steps To Take
There are several steps you need to take to plan an online marketing strategy. The first step is to decide what you want to focus on. Do you want to expand to other countries? What tactics and tools do you want to use to grow your audience? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself before you start creating your strategy. The answers will determine what you need to do to reach your goals.
The second step is to create a list of your competitors. These are the businesses that you feel are most likely to be your competition. You can find your competitors using various tools, such as Google Search or a marketing software. You can also contact the businesses directly to get their contact information.
The third step is to determine the type of content you will use to attract customers. There are four different types of content:
- HTML
- HTML with SEO
- Video
- Audio
Each type of content offers a different benefit to your potential audience. For example, videos allow you to connect with customers on a more personal level while the text equivalent provides search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. So, determine what content types work best for your business and decide what you will use to reach your target audience.
Analyze Tools That Can Help
You can use various tools to help you with your marketing plan. One of the most useful tools is Google Analytics. With this tool, you can track the performance of your website and see all the traffic that comes to your site. You can use the following features within Google Analytics to plan your online marketing strategy:
- Top Visitors
- Top Content
- Top Clicks
- Top Activities
- Top Sources Of Traffic
- Geo Location
- Demographics
- Traffic Sources
- Landing Page
- Pages/Urls
- Referring Sites
Another tool that can help you plan your online marketing strategy is Buzzsumo. With Buzzsumo, you can discover content that has been covered by other media sites and see what types of topics resonate with your target audience. For example, if you choose to market your beauty products, you might want to explore the trends in the beauty industry or look at how others are promoting their skincare products.
To get the most out of this tool, use the following tip: When you discover content that is worth sharing, consider creating a blog post around it. Not only will this help you organize your thoughts, but it will give you the opportunity to write about a topic that is relevant to your niche.
Expert Tips
When you start developing your strategy, it’s important to note that not everything will be easy. You will encounter challenges, and you will need to find the answers yourself. That is what makes this process so rewarding. However, if you follow these expert tips, you will find it much easier to succeed.
The first expert tip is to start small. Instead of launching a whole campaign all at once, which could fail due to insufficient testing or poor execution, you should put forth gradual, measured stages. For example, you could start by introducing a new product and collecting feedback from customers. Then, you could increase your efforts, introduce a new feature, or rebrand your company, etc.
The second tip is to constantly update your strategy. Just because your strategy is successful now doesn’t mean that it will continue to be effective in the future. Make sure that you are adjusting your approach as your target audience changes and new competitors enter the market. The sooner you adapt to the changing times, the easier it will be to keep your audience engaged and the better your chances of being successful.
The third tip is to avoid expensive surprises. One of the biggest causes of failure for new businesses is underestimating the amount of work that goes into a successful marketing campaign. This is why it is important to do your research before you start spending large sums of money. Know exactly what you are getting into and what is expected of you. There is a reason why this process is referred to as ‘due diligence.’
Summary
As you can see, there are several steps you need to take in order to plan your online marketing strategy. But don’t worry; this is a simple process and one that anyone can follow. Just remember to take your time, do the necessary research, and try not to rush the process. With the right guidance, tools, and resources, you will be able to create a plan that is perfect for your business.