Every week, we’re discovering new and innovative ways to market online. Some of the strategies are more traditional than others, but none of them are obsolete. As long-time readers of this blog may remember, we’ve covered a lot of digital marketing in the past, so this week we’re revisiting some of the basics while also looking towards the future of online marketing.

1. Keywords And Optimizing Content For The Right Audience

It’s a given that if you’re reading this, you’re probably already aware of the importance of keywords in SEO. However, it’s important to remember that there’s more than one way to approach keyword research and optimization. For example, you could focus on analyzing the competition in your niche, looking for the keywords that they’re using and seeing how they’re performing in your area.

An effective way to approach keyword research is through content analysis. Depending on your niche, you could look at the top-performing blog posts and see what keywords they’re using. You could also scan your social media platforms for any trending topics or hashtags and see what content is being shared the most. Finally, you can ask your users what keywords they’re using and how they found your website.

2. SEO, Social Media, And PPC — All In One

Depending on your niche, you may have realized that SEO, social media, and PPC — the three main pillars of digital marketing — can be intertwined. Not only can you utilize social media platforms to gain more organic SEO traffic, you can also use SEO to gain more social media engagement.

Back in 2014, we saw the rise of deep-linking and the use of the “anchor text” around buttons and links. As you may remember, some SEOs will actually build entire websites just to rank well in organic search results for a few key phrases. However, thanks to Google’s penalties for overusing these tactics, SEOs are becoming more sophisticated — and strategic.

For example, if you’re an eCommerce business, you might consider using SEO to optimize your product pages for key phrases and long-tail phrases like “best organic cotton clothes for men,” or “organic handbags for women.”

The advantage of using SEO, social media, and PPC together is that you can precisely target the right audience for your product or service without having to pay for each individual platform. It’s all about having the right strategy and the right tools.

3. Content Is King (Or Queen)

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you might have heard of the death of content. While it’s still alive and well, we’re seeing more and more publications move to a “native advertising” model and away from the editorial wall. The content isn’t just being created for the sake of having content – it’s about connecting with your audience and encouraging them to engage with your brand.

“Native advertising” is a term used when referring to online content that’s integrated into a website or blog post but isn’t necessarily affiliated with the site’s editorial wall. In other words, the content is supplementary rather than competitive in nature – which makes it ideal for cross-pollinating with other content on the site. For example, say you’re a technology website and you notice an article that significantly helps and highlights your product. You may choose to include that product in your next bit of editorial content, knowing that your audience will appreciate the value of the product and be more inclined to explore your site further. The end goal is to create an environment where your audience feels comfortable enough to engage with your brand – whether that be through social media channels or through the content itself.

In addition to the increasing influence of content in our everyday lives, we’re also seeing more and more businesses turning to content to grow their audience. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 45% of business leaders reported that their growth strategy involved creating and distributing content.

The truth is content is easier to understand, more affordable, and more accessible than ever before. While it may still seem difficult to convince someone to buy your product or service simply because you’ve written an informative article about it, the ability to publish and distribute content globally on a whim is more prevalent than ever before – and that’s never been more important.

4. Personal Branding Is The Key To Digital Marketing Success

If you read the news or pay attention to your favourite publications, you’ll undoubtedly notice a trend: the media outlets and celebrities that are dominating online space aren’t employing traditional marketing tactics. Instead, they’re focusing on establishing strong identities for themselves within their target audiences – and they’re doing it through digital marketing.

Take the New York Times as an example. Back in 2015, they released a study revealing that 80% of their online traffic came from personas rather than search engines or social media. Personal branding may not seem like a new concept, but it’s very important to keep in mind that digital marketing is a constantly evolving space – and the success of today’s influencers and entrepreneurs will be the influencers and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

5. Mobile Is Changing The Game

If there’s one area that’s changing the game, it’s mobile. As someone who regularly checks her phone while lying in bed, trying to get some zzzs, it’s no secret that the world of digital marketing is tilted towards mobile. Back in 2015, Google Analytics reported that 66.2% of all online traffic was coming from mobile devices. That’s a pretty significant rise from previous years, when most people used desktops and laptops for their browsing needs. Nowadays, we don’t just browse the internet on our phones – we use apps, too.

If your product or service is geared towards mobile users, then you’ll need to make sure that you develop a responsive website. The phrase “mobile-friendly” is used to describe websites that work well on smaller devices like smartphones and tablets. Having a mobile-friendly website is essential as today’s users are increasingly relying on their phones and tablets to access the internet. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, 75% of business executives reported that their growth strategy involved creating a mobile-friendly website.

The truth is, not all websites are made equal. While all sites should be accessible and engaging on a desktop, not all websites are built equal when viewed through a mobile device. As we’ve established, mobile is dominating, and we’re seeing more and more websites and organizations shifting towards a mobile-first approach.

6. Video Content Is On The Rise

It’s been a well-established fact that video content is growing in popularity. Whether you agree or disagree with that statement, it’s evident that video is here to stay. In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, 45% of business leaders reported that their growth strategy involved creating and distributing video content.

The video content isn’t just limited to YouTube either. TikTok, the popular video app used by 25.7% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24, is also dominating the landscape. As video content is becoming more accessible through apps like YouTube and TikTok, so too is the number of people creating these videos. Platforms like TikTok make it easy for anyone to create video content and easily share it with the world. Even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body, you can use these tools to gain a following and create compelling content.

Creating video content isn’t as difficult as it might seem. All you need is a camera, a Mac or PC, and some software like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro. Even more accessible are free video editing suites like Viddy, where you can create and edit videos for free.

7. Curation Is King

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but having the right curation can certainly boost your digital marketing efforts. Just like we see with traditional news publications, audiences are becoming more reliant on the curation of content created by high-quality experts. Not only do these experts have the ability to expose your brand to new audiences, they can also draw more people to your content – simply by being consistent.

Take the New York Times as an example. That newspaper, alongside the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, is frequently cited as one of the world’s most trusted news sources. These three publications together form the so-called “trusted news tier,” alongside the likes of the BBC, CNN, and The TODAY Show. When it comes to news curation, the New York Times is unparalleled.

Being mentioned in the New York Times is a glorious thing indeed. Just ask Google. If you’re mentioned in one of the world’s most respected news publications, you’ll likely appear near the top of any search results. The same goes for the other reputable news brands mentioned above.