This year’s edition of Online Marketing Foundations will explore the most up-to-date news and trends in digital marketing and how you can put them to use to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
The course will begin by looking at the state of digital marketing and exploring the four major areas of focus for 2018:
Consumers
According to HubSpot Blogs research, 66% of consumers prefer purchasing products or services via online channels. While this may not seem like a big deal, keep in mind that one-fourth of consumers buy products or services solely based on the brand’s reputation rather than its features.
So, if you want to successfully market your product or service, establish your brand, and be perceived as an expert in your industry, you need to spend some time understanding consumer behavior and the impact that online marketing has on shaping purchasing decisions.
Marketing Channels
The second area of focus for 2018 involves looking at the different ways in which consumers can now find products or services. Thanks to the growth of online marketing and how quickly it is expanding, most consumer searches now happen online. So, if you are not maximizing the potential of online marketing channels to reach your target audience, then you are limiting your success.
Depending on your product or service, you may want to consider focusing on one channel or the other. For example, if you run a hotel and you want to attract leisure travelers to your site, you may want to consider using online marketing to establish yourself as a go-to source for information on London attractions. If, however, your product is B2C (Business to Customer) and you want to drive online sales, then you may want to consider directing your efforts to social media.
You may also want to look at other channels like mobile or display advertising to complement your digital marketing strategy.
Content
Creating high-quality content that will keep your target audience engaged is a necessary step to ensuring your success in online marketing. According to HubSpot Blogs research, consumers say that the quality of the content is one of the most important factors in their purchasing decisions. Additionally, HubSpot Blogs found that consumers prefer engaging with content providers who are knowledgeable about the subject matter and who add value to the conversation. This is why creating thought-leadership content (i.e., content that is highly relevant and adds value to the conversation) is so important.
As a digital marketer, you will need to develop a clear strategy on how you will approach content creation and whether you will use automated tools or hire freelancers to do the work for you.
Performance Marketing
Performance marketing focuses on measuring the results of your online marketing activity and adjusting your strategy accordingly. According to HubSpot Blogs research, consumers say that the usefulness of measuring results and tracking analytics is a major factor in their purchase decisions. Performance marketing can help you establish the ROI (Return on Investment) of your digital marketing activity and determine if it is effective or worth continuing.
Once you have established an effective performance marketing strategy, you can use tools like Google Analytics to measure the results of your efforts. For example, if you track the source, medium, and amount of traffic that comes to your site from various channels, you can determine the effectiveness of each channel in getting you the results you want.
Location
Whether you are selling a product or service, establishing a physical presence (i.e., a brick-and-mortar store) is one of the oldest methods of attracting customers. Today, with the rise of e-commerce and digital marketing, physical stores can still play a role in attracting online customers to your site. If you are located in an area that attracts tourists and you want to leverage that to gain more traction online, then consider using a real-estate listing website like LuxuryRealEstate.com to garner more interest from far-flung browsers.
If you want to succeed in the digital marketplace, you need to understand how geographical location can impact your target audience’s behavior and what to do about it. The better you understand the differences in consumer behavior around the world, the better you can market to them wherever they are.
Keep these things in mind as you put together your 2018 digital marketing strategy and you will be well on your way to establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry.