INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MARKETING

To make sure that any product or service reaches its intended audience,

it is essential to understand the ins and outs of marketing. Any small business can rise above its competitors by using marketing smartly. This article is going to be a short beginner’s guide to understanding and implementing digital marketing strategies. Some basic questions and key terms are defined to help small businesses understand the lingo of the corporate world.

Digital marketing is similar to any other form of marketing; the only difference is that you connect with your audience and influence them digitally. Digital marketing, in its most basic form, refers to all internet marketing activities or efforts. Some of its most common examples are emails, social media ads, blogs, and pay-per-click adverts. Digital marketing’s assets include your website, logos, video content, infographics, social media pages, product shots, blog posts, and other written and interactive content. 

Digital marketing is helpful, and lately key, in the growth and promotion of any business. Brands and companies around the world focus more on digital marketing than any other form of promotion. 

What is SEO?

To understand digital marketing, one must learn what SEO is and some other basics of Search Engine Optimization. SEO mainly consists of two simultaneous processes: (a) getting a website configured (b) making sure your website is included in top search results. Understanding how Google and other engine searches work can help in understanding SEO. 

How Do People Search Using Search Engines?

Another important component is understanding how people search on search engines like Google. People search with intent, their intent can be to solve, learn, and buy or to find something. People would end up falling into one of the four search categories: 

 i) Navigational Searches

 ii) Informational Searches 

 iii) Commercial Investigation

 iv) Looking for a purchase 

When someone searches for a keyword or phrase, Google uses its algorithm and comes up with some top results. Google algorithm is a very complicated formula and asks 200 questions to come up with relevant results. 

What Are Keywords And Key Strategies?

Furthermore, understanding terms such as keywords and a key strategy is important in order to make SEO work. A keyword is not just a word it can be a simple phrase, a complicated phrase, or a question. It is what people type into a search bar when they are looking for something on the internet. The key strategy is when you understand what a keyword is, you are more likely to be interested in using that knowledge to run your website. Google’s keyword tool is widely used for learning how people search for products or anything else. It helps in determining the number of searches and the level of competition of keywords.

There are 4 key areas where Google will search for keywords. These are page titles, H1 tags, clean URLs, and alt tags. These 4 key areas will be able to provide a framework to build SEO compliance while keywords provide everything else. One of the most effective strategies to help with SEO is the use of press releases. 

What Is Google Panda And How Does It Work?

The recent update of Google’s algorithm is called Google Panda, it takes outbound links, article structure, engagement, bounce rate, and social media into account to increase or decrease the search rankings. Don’t copy and paste, don’t be shallow, use pictures and videos to create content are some things that one should keep in mind if they don’t want Google Panda to decrease their ranking.

Is Content Marketing Different From Digital Marketing?

Moreover, one of the most important forms of digital marketing is called content marketing. Content Marketing is the process of creating videos, eBooks, social media updates, infographics, articles, how-to guides, picture galleries, webinars, or other forms of media about your business or brand. Content Marketing is cheap because it can be done by either charging existing employees with writing blogs or by hiring a firm specializing in content marketing. In both ways, it is not that expensive. It has a much better user experience and it is way more effective. To make content marketing successful you must know your brand first and must ask yourself questions such as what are you selling? And who is your target audience?

How Do You Maintain Your Social Media Presence?

Another key factor in digital marketing is your social media presence. If you own a company or a brand, you must have accounts of your business on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Social media platforms help you reach the right audience and persuade them with your content.

For digital marketing to work effectively you must know who you are targeting. You cannot decide to target everyone, you need to have a specific audience in your mind and target them with your social media content (e.g. videos, pictures, infographics, and blogs). If you understand your buyer persona you can create an effective marketing strategy.

So, What Is A Buyer Persona?

A buyer persona is a research-based profile that demonstrates your targeted consumer. Buyer persona defines who your ideal consumer is, what their activities are and what do they like or dislike. The buyer persona plays an important role in any form of marketing, it helps in ensuring that the activities and products are tailored to the needs of the targeted consumer. It’s human nature to buy from companies and brands that they trust. To build trust, you need to preference your customers and cater to their desired products. That’s why buyer persona is important in getting to know your consumers better and building trust.

Digitalization has influenced the world and has almost changed it entirely. To catch up with the rest of the world, we need to focus on upcoming technologies and tools, of which digital marketing is one. Digital marketing has changed the strategies associated with marketing. Marketers are now giving more attention to promoting businesses digitally and it all makes sense. Your audience is on the internet now; make full use of digital tools and grab every opportunity that comes your way. After all, the world is very competitive and if you don’t catch up now, it is sure to leave you behind!