Let's talk about growing your business online, and why a digital marketing strategy is such a difference-maker when it comes to reaching new clients.
In this guide we'll walk through the key channels that can lift your marketing efforts. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a business owner ready to make your mark online, you'll find a clear path to follow in today's fast-moving digital landscape.
What is a digital marketing strategy, and why do you need one?
A digital marketing strategy is your game plan for putting your business in front of the right people. It uses the reach of the internet to broadcast your brand to a wider audience and strengthen your digital presence.
If you're aiming to grow your brand and your sales, you need a solid strategy in your corner. A good one weaves together a range of online channels and tools, from social media to paid ads, into clear action plans that lift your marketing and improve the customer experience.
To compete in today's markets, you have to keep your game sharp. More and more businesses are recognising the advantages of online marketing over traditional platforms like radio, newspapers and TV. The big payoff of going digital is reach: by keeping your workflow streamlined, you can attract and convert customers from all over.
Which digital marketing strategies can you use for your business?
To give your brand an edge and win over your audience, consider these key digital marketing channels:
Search engine optimisation, our forte here at Team Empathy, which earns you visibility at the top of Google.
Pay-per-click marketing, like Google Ads, for quicker wins.
Content marketing, to engage, educate and entertain your audience.
Social media marketing, to connect, converse and convert.
Email marketing, for personalised messages straight to the inbox.
Influencer marketing, to tap the reach of brand ambassadors and creators.
Video advertising, for memorable, engaging campaigns.
Public relations, to build and protect your reputation. Getting a handle on these channels sets your business up to bring in more new clients.
What are the steps to building a digital marketing strategy?
Here are five steps you can follow to build a strong digital marketing strategy of your own.
1. Branding
Showing up consistently across platforms like social media, your website and email is a smart move. Keeping your brand's look and feel consistent across those places matters just as much, because it helps people recognise you and your products in an instant. A brand that looks different everywhere can leave your audience confused and erode their trust. So if you don't already have one, craft a rock-solid branding strategy that's as consistent as it is creative.
Know your audience
Before you craft your branding, get into your audience's headspace. You want to know what they like, what they expect and what motivates them. A great way to do that is by building a buyer persona, which gives you a real picture of your customers' language, behaviour and the brand choices that resonate with them.
Produce brand guidelines
Set clear rules your whole organisation can stick to around your brand identity. That means colour schemes, logos, and campaigns that carry your tone and voice, plus fonts, a mission statement, media formats and graphic design styles. With your audience in mind, these guidelines keep your brand consistent across everything you do.
2. Competitors
It's worth doing a proper deep-dive on your competitors to understand how to position your own business. This isn't just any research, it's a goldmine of insight into your audience, the competition and current market conditions. The process involves gathering detail on your rivals' digital marketing strategies, their audience targeting, their ad campaigns and their content.
Understand your competitive landscape
Take the time to decode your competitors' strategies, look closely at the tactics they use and examine the tools they rely on to stay ahead.
Audit your current digital marketing platforms
Next, audit your own platforms. Tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite let you assess competitors' social profiles and gauge how their content performs. Keep in mind that some brands and influencers have fake followers or engagement, which can skew the numbers you're looking at.
3. SMART goals
A strong digital marketing strategy starts with goals, and not just any goals. You need SMART ones. By understanding your audience and your rivals, you can set goals that line up with your business's mission and give you a yardstick for measuring your campaigns. Good goal-setting balances ambition with reality, and it locks in deadlines so your marketing lands on time. That's where the SMART framework comes in.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Specific goals are clear and focused. Measurable goals are quantifiable, so you can track your wins. Achievable goals are within reach given your resources. Relevant goals line up with your overall business strategy. And time-bound goals come with a deadline that keeps you moving. Follow this framework and your strategy will be well-defined, trackable, realistic, aligned with your goals and time-sensitive.
4. Marketing funnel
Think of a marketing funnel as the journey a customer takes from the moment they discover your business to the point they click buy, and beyond. It maps every twist and turn on the way to conversion. By stepping back and studying that journey, you can pinpoint exactly what moves your business needs to make to nudge people along at each stage. Keep an eye on your funnels and refine them, and you open up opportunities for more sales and a stronger, more loyal following.
Implement a social media content strategy
Social media can look simple, but there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Before you pour money into your marketing, get a good grasp of how you're showing up across platforms. Whether you're on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit or Snapchat, take the time to craft profiles that clearly say what your company is about. Show off your products, deals and services with eye-catching photos and videos, and the more you engage with your audience, the more people will notice you. Choosing the right channels is a bit like pairing wine with dinner: the platforms you pick should suit the audience you're trying to reach.
Optimise your website for search engines
SEO works a little like magic for your website. It boosts your visibility on search engines like Google, makes it easier for people to find you and drives more traffic your way. Your ranking depends on how good your content is, so keep sharing top-notch material on your site, blog and social channels. A clear keyword strategy and well-optimised backlinks help lift your ranking too. SEO is always changing, and having the right SEO company alongside you can make all the difference. If you're a small business or just getting started, organic marketing and direct conversations with your customers can be a great way to go. And if you can invest a bit more, pay-per-click marketing acts like a fast-forward button, putting your ads right at the top of the results. You only pay when someone clicks, so it's a bit like a bus ticket where you only pay for the rides you take.
Get even more visibility with paid ads
Paid ads are your brand's VIP ticket to the top of the search results or a prime spot in social feeds. Whether you use Google Ads or platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter, they're a direct line to your target audience. The best part is the control: you can aim your ads squarely at the people most likely to love your brand, whether that's tech-savvy millennials, fitness enthusiasts or dog lovers. These platforms also give you a wealth of analytics, so you can see what's working and refine your approach for better results. In short, paid ads can lift your visibility, bring more traffic to your site and help you win more customers.
5. Key performance indicators
Keeping track of your campaigns can feel like a puzzle, especially when you're juggling several tools and platforms. The good news is that setting clear KPIs, short for key performance indicators, and watching them from one central dashboard makes the whole thing much simpler. It's like having a command centre for your marketing goals and performance.
A few examples of KPIs you might track: web traffic sources, leads, page views, cost per lead, returning visitors, conversion rate, goal completion rate, click-through rate, customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value.
Now you're set for marketing success
There you have it. We've covered the ins and outs of a digital marketing strategy: understanding your audience, nailing your brand's personality, doing your homework on the market, setting your goals, choosing the right channels and keeping your website in great shape. And of course, tracking your progress with those handy KPIs.
Tick off all of these and you're setting your business up for real success online. So keep pushing, keep innovating, and remember that in the digital world the sky's the limit. Here's to your success.