What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term digital marketing?
What is social media? What is search engine optimization? Paid promotion? What is content marketing?
It is not an exaggeration to state that in this day and age, where buyers buy from the first thing they see online, digital marketing should not be just another item on your to-do list. It changes the entire dynamic of how your company can outperform the competitors.
But you have to start somewhere, don’t you?
Depending on who your audience is and what you want to achieve, there are various platforms and digital marketing services that can help your business enhance its online presence. So, to begin, here is a list of digital marketing platforms for businesses:
Social Media Platforms
When it comes to digital marketing, most businesses, particularly those in the Philippines, believe that social media is the endgame. When, in truth, it is only a little portion of the digital marketing pie. However, they are not altogether incorrect in allocating a percentage of their digital marketing budget to social networking platforms. Social media is frequently an excellent approach for companies with no prior experience in digital marketing to begin increasing brand awareness, audience reach, and engagement.
In terms of social media, Facebook is one of the most prominent digital marketing channels for businesses. Facebook has become a go-to platform in the Philippines for online sellers and individuals wishing to establish their own business endeavours. Despite the platform’s popularity and widespread use in the Philippines and abroad, only a few firms are able to fully exploit its potential and reap the benefits of Facebook marketing. What new entrepreneurs and business owners understand about Facebook is sometimes restricted to posting on their pages or using the marketplace tool. However, there are other ways to be noticed on Facebook. If you actually want to build your business using this digital marketing platform, your game plan should include the following elements:
- An optimised Facebook page: Most businesses miss out on chances because their Facebook pages are incomplete or misleading. When it comes to creating your brand’s online presence on Facebook, an official corporate logo, an educational yet engaging About Us section, and an active timeline posting can go a long way.
- Audience targeting: Two questions to consider: Is your target audience on Facebook? Are you adequately targeting them? When creating advertising on Facebook, you can target a certain audience. When using Facebook as part of your digital marketing platforms, you must have a clear understanding of who your target audience is.
- Facebook Groups: The goal of creating a Facebook page for your business is not just to promote it, but also to expand your network. You can start a group and invite individuals who are interested in your industry to join it, or you can join one that is comparable to exchange important content and ideas.
LinkedIn is sometimes reduced to a tool for recruiters and corporations seeking to tap into a talent pool, while its purpose extends well beyond that.
LinkedIn, as a digital marketing network, may give your company with an additional arsenal for reaching out to your target demographic. It enables you to form long-term professional ties and create leads.
Using LinkedIn as a digital marketing channel for your business, like Facebook, necessitates planning.
- An optimized LinkedIn page: Including complete information on your LinkedIn page draws attention and increases views. Every detail, from your company description to information about your headquarters or business location, is important.
- LinkedIn publishing:How can you pique your audience’s interest? One solution is to create content. LinkedIn, fortunately, provides a publishing platform that allows you to create, modify, and share material. If you own a business, utilise LinkedIn Publishing to write articles that connect back to your website.
- LinkedIn Groups:Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn Groups allow you to connect with a targeted audience within a niche. It is more than just a networking platform; it provides a central for exchanging material and developing your authority.
So, which social networking platform should you go with? It will not harm your firm to have both in your digital toolkit. However, while using both Facebook and LinkedIn, it is critical to maintain consistency in your messaging across platforms. When your audience interacts with you on these digital channels, they will be able to connect with you and get more familiar with your brand.
Paid Advertising Platforms
When businesses meet sponsored advertising, one of the first questions they ask is, How is it different from traditional advertising strategies?
A lot, to be sure. For one thing, the outcomes are quantifiable. You can see how many people clicked on your advertising and how many of them converted. Second, you may run multiple advertisements at the same time and edit them as they run. You do not have to rely just on one advertisement to promote your company. Businesses, particularly those with a limited marketing budget, tend to avoid sponsored advertising. While it is true that you must have a budget to advertise online, it is not as large as traditional advertising. Paid advertising can, in fact, be cost-effective if done correctly.
If you are considering paid advertising as part of your digital marketing platform, your company can look into the following:
Pay-Per-Click
Pay-per-click advertising, also known as PPC advertising, is a strategy that allows businesses to be visible to people who are likely to buy. Google Ads is one of the most powerful PPC advertising platforms available. You bid on keywords so that your ad appears whenever customers search for those specific keywords. You can be visible to clients who are actively searching for products and services using your target keywords if you include PPC in your digital marketing platform. Most people consider PPC to be a stand-alone tactic. However, it is more effective when paired with other digital marketing strategies:
- PPC and SEO: Businesses frequently believe they do not require SEO services because they are already running sponsored advertisements. What they don’t comprehend is that if they have both tactics, they will be able to further dominate online real estate. By merging SEO with PPC, your company can drive more visitors and increase conversions by using the proper keywords.
- PPC and Content Marketing: If you have a very valuable blog, ebook, or downloadable material that deserves your audience’s attention, you can advertise it with a PPC campaign. Begin with your best-performing content and build an enticing advertisement to encourage additional visitors to consume it.
Facebook Ads
Have you noticed how adverts are taking up more space in Facebook newsfeeds? This is due to a change in Facebook’s algorithm that allows more meaningful content to emerge. This indicates that Facebook has evolved from a simple free broadcasting platform to a marketer’s playground. The beautiful thing about Facebook advertising is that it allows you to target your content to your desired audience. Custom audiences can be used to target advertising based on an existing email list, or lookalike audiences can be used to cater to users who are similar to your target personas. This makes it easier to give content that piques the interest of people who are more likely to become consumers.
Remarketing Ads
When a customer visits your website, not all of them convert right away. A little persuasion can sometimes drive them farther down the funnel and eventually inspire them to interact with your company. That is the power of remarketing advertisements.
You can target individuals who have visited a landing page on your website with remarketing advertising. As a result, they will see your remarketing ad whenever they visit other websites or use other platforms.
This provides you with numerous opportunities to stay on top of your clients’ minds. There are several methods for launching remarketing ads:
- Remarketing with Google Ads
- Advertisement Banners
- Remarketing on Facebook
While organic search generates the greatest traffic for websites, you can’ always rely on one sector to increase your brand’s visibility. If you want to bring your marketing efforts full circle, adding paid advertising to your digital marketing platforms will provide you the extra leverage you need.
Content Marketing Platforms
Quality, compelling content is at the heart of every digital marketing campaign, from the advertising you run to the emails you send to clients. This is why your approach requires a good content marketing platform that you can fully leverage for your business’s benefit. This brings us back to the question of what I can give my audience today. When selecting a platform for your content marketing initiatives, you can begin with the following:
Blog
Every company should have a blog on their website to educate clients, boost brand awareness, and deliver value right away. Whether you are a large corporation or a small business, your content marketing strategy must begin with a website blog. Great blog writing allows you to establish your company as an authority in your industry, and there are numerous ways to do so:
- Concentrate on a topic that is relevant to your services and products.
- Write viewpoints that target your audience’s problem points.
- Allow your subject matter specialists to have their bylines appear in your blogs.
- Use a variety of forms. Don’t limit your blogs to plain text; utilise pictures and other content types to enrich your themes.
Content Hub
A content hub is a landing page on your website that contains all of your digital assets. Consider this an extension of your blogs, but with the added benefit of allowing your customers to download content that matches what they were looking for. The benefit of having a content hub is that you can use it to generate leads. Use it to prompt leads to give their contact information, allowing you to contact them later. This paves the way for potential clients to be nurtured with valuable information.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to digital marketing platforms, one thing you must understand is that it is not about the amount of platforms you use, but about how you maximise them to completely benefit your brand. But how can you know if you’re utilizing the correct digital marketing platform? We’ll leave you with a few pointers.
- Always go back to your goals: What do you want to accomplish? Each platform can assist you in a different way.
- Think of how this fits in your marketing budget:Is the platform affordable? Before you seek a platform for your digital marketing activities, make sure the investment is worthwhile.
- Prepare for future adoption: Digital marketing necessitates ongoing improvement. Your current strategy may not win you any awards in the future. When selecting digital marketing platforms, look for those that allow for adjustments and flexibility.
Your online presence is just as good as the digital marketing platform you use. Don’t be hesitant to try out multiple platforms to find which one works best for your company. And if you require assistance, we are here to assist.