How to Create a Kickass Digital Marketing Strategy for Beginners
Whether you're a small business owner that’s just starting out or you’re looking to revamp your online presence, crafting a killer digital marketing strategy is the key to unlocking success in the digital realm. In this guide, I'll walk you through the essentials of creating a small business digital marketing strategy. So, grab a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice), sit back, and let's dive in!
6 Steps to Creating Your Digital Marketing Strategy
#1. Set Clear Goals
Before you begin, you need to know where you want to end. It’s important to define your goals, so ask yourself “What do I want to achieve?” Is it to increase brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, or to boost sales? Knowing your objectives will help you shape your strategy and measure success along the way. They will give your marketing strategy a sense of purpose, like adding a little sprinkle of magic to your digital journey.
#2. Know Your Target Audience
It’s time to become a digital Sherlock Holmes and get to know your target audience. Identify their age, interests, online behaviours, and pain points. What makes them tick? What are their challenges? What do they need? Take a deep dive into your analytics, conduct surveys, and speak to people who fit the bill. Once you know your audience, it will be easier to create marketing messages that resonate with them.
#3. Choose the Right Digital Channels
In the vast buffet of digital marketing channels, it’s important to pick the ones that align with your business goals (tip 1) and your target audience (tip 2). I’ll take it one step further though, and say that they also need to align with you - your schedule, your resources, your strengths. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, email marketing or a combination of several channels, select the ones that will best showcase your brand’s unique personality; will reach your audience where they hang out online; and that you can consistently show up for.
#4. Incorporate Storytelling
Being able to create content that will make your audience stop scrolling and pay attention is a crucial element of any marketing strategy. And the best kind of content is content that tells a story. You can do this by sharing behind-the-scenes updates, useful tips, or entertaining videos that showcase your expertise and provide real value to your audience. A solid content strategy will run through every element of your overall marketing strategy.
#5. Embrace the Power of Google
Google is undoubtedly where most online journeys begin. Optimising your website and your content for search engines is crucial for improving your visibility online, so this is a vital element to include in your marketing strategy. Start off with keyword research (like “small business digital marketing strategy”) and see where you can incorporate them - your website copy, blog posts, meta tags, and so on. Work out what high-quality, informative content you can create that both humans and search engines will love. And work out a link-building strategy for both within your website and from other brand websites to yours.
#6. Analyse, Adapt, and Improve
A good marketing strategy is never-ending. It’s forever evolving. Analytics will become your new best friend, so start diving into the numbers, analyse what your audience is doing on your website, and adapt and improve your strategy accordingly. You can use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights to track your progress.
Congratulations, my digital marketing apprentice! You've now learned the basics of creating a small business digital marketing strategy. Now, armed with these tips, it’s time to put them into action and unleash your brand’s full potential in the digital landscape.
Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your digital empire. Stay consistent, be patient, and keep honing your skills. And, don’t forget to have a bit of fun along the way!
