Digital marketing basics are a great way for entrepreneurs and small business owners to start getting their brands noticed online.
Digital marketing can be done in many ways, such as social media marketing or content marketing. This article will outline some basic digital marketing tactics and techniques which can help you launch your next campaign.
What are Digital Marketing Basics?
Internet marketing for beginners is kind of ironic. In theory, the concepts behind Internet marketing are simple. It’s the execution that’s difficult.
Even some of the most experienced master marketers I know sometimes struggle with a concept or two. Whether it is social media marketing or content marketing, no one truly masters it all, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it.
But when it comes to digital marketing tactics, every entrepreneur should understand the basics.
Digital marketing basics cover a wide range of tactics from creating a website to banner advertising. All small business owners should take the time to learn these strategies and techniques, because they can be used for all types of campaigns: social media, content marketing or SEO (search engine optimization). In this article we will talk about creating a website, banner advertising, email marketing, e-newsletters, and optimizing your site for search engines.
Website Creation
One of the first steps for starting an Internet marketing campaign is to create a website. A website is the foundation of your online presence. It is possible not to have one and make money, but it is significantly harder.
Create a simple single-page website that tells your potential clients who you serve, what problem you solve, how you solve it, and how your results look. This simple website is essentially your online business card. Many customers don’t feel they have done their “due diligence” before a purchase until they have seen it.
Let’s be real, how many times have you gotten to a website and changed your mind about a purchase? Or even worse, started feeling like the product was a scam?
If you don’t have a website or have a poorly designed website, you should consider creating one or re-designing yours. If you do not have experience in web design, several software packages make it easy to create a simple site without any coding experience.
However, hiring a web designer is worthwhile because she can create a website that is attractive, functional, and suitable for your products and services. She can also help you include more advanced features on your website.
One of the first steps for starting an Internet marketing campaign is to create a website. A website is the foundation of your online presence. It is possible not to have one and make money, but it is significantly harder.
Create a simple single-page website that tells your potential clients who you serve, what problem you solve, how you solve it, and how your results look. This simple website is essentially your online business card. Many customers don’t feel they have done their “due diligence” before purchasing until they have seen it. In fact, 92% of consumers look at a company’s website when choosing a service provider (bluecorona.com).
Let’s be real, how many times have you gotten to a website and changed your mind about a purchase? Or even worse, started feeling like the product was a scam?
If you don’t have a website or have a poorly designed website, you should consider creating one or re-designing yours. If you do not have web design experience, several software packages make it easy to create a simple site without any coding experience.
However, hiring a web designer can be worthwhile because she can create an attractive, functional, and suitable website for your products and services. She can also help you include more advanced features on your website.
Banner Advertisements
Banner ads are another popular option for beginners that are marketing their business on the Internet. Banner advertisements typically appear along the top of a website. Still, a campaign may also include smaller ads in other locations.
Depending on your digital marketing strategy, banner ads typically include graphics and text, which entice Internet users to click on the advertisement. Once a user clicks on the ad, they will be sent to your website.
One of the most popular sources for this form of marketing is Google. Google ads can help you reach your target audience while they are searching or visiting complementary businesses.
This basic type of advertising can be a very productive online marketing tactic. Many digital marketers build their entire careers by providing Google ads. So it is a huge opportunity for your business that should be incorporated into your digital marketing campaign as soon as you are willing to pay for advertisements.
You will find this tactic is most effective when you put advertisements on high-traffic websites that attract your ideal avatar.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing campaigns can be another successful aspect of an Internet marketing campaign. Email marketing is a hallmark of digital marketing and one of the most basic tactics.
Out of all the digital channels, your email list is the only one that you own. You don’t have to pay or study keywords for your customers to see your content. It’s important to remember that you do not own your social media platforms. People who only follow you on social media are still leads you can sell to, but they will always cost you more than those on your email list.
When done correctly, you will average a dollar per month in revenue for every person on your email list. But many entrepreneurs shy away from email marketing because they feel it is too complicated.
At its core, email marketing is sending out emails to a part of your audience who has opted in (or asked) to receive messages from you. The tricky part of this digital marketing strategy is curating content and headlines that keep your customers’ attention.
The critical part to remember is not to overthink it.
The people on your email list have asked to hear from you. Just keep providing value while sprinkling in sales, and you will be off to a great start. You can provide value by offering relevant advice, strategies, and other useful information related to your industry.
e-Newsletters
Sending out e-newsletters can also be a part of an effective digital marketing strategy. E-newsletters can be the entirety or merely a part of your overall email marketing campaign.
It’s important to consider how you will use this basic form of marketing. Many business owners do not realize that the power of e-newsletters comes from their consistency, whether weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
E-newsletters are emails that contain a variety of information, including articles, quizzes, relevant advertising, or any other information your audience finds attractive. The importance of newsletters is that they can be used for marketing. And when curated correctly, they don’t feel like advertisements.
One way to utilize e-newsletters is to incorporate links or other soft sale approaches into the copywriting of the e-newsletters. However, be careful to keep these references minimal, so the e-newsletter is not filtered as spam.
Search Engine Optimization
Finally, optimizing your website for search engines is a critical aspect of a digital marketing campaign, especially for beginners. Search engines rank websites according to quality and relevance for particular search terms or keywords.
Many Internet users appreciate search engines’ effort and use them to find the best websites on a particular subject. That means Internet users are likely only to visit sites that rank well with search engines. Therefore if your website is not high ranking, you are not expected to generate a lot of traffic from Internet users who use search engines.
If only 10% of your traffic is coming from organic search, you know that you probably need to spend some time on SEO to increase that percentage (blog.hubspot.com). Many digital marketers include search engine marketing and content marketing as a part of their traditional marketing strategies because they set the business’s foundation.
SEO takes time and attention to be effective, but it is worth it in the long run. The shelf life of a Facebook or Instagram post is less than a day. But quality blog posts can bring visitors to your website for multiple years.
Top ranking websites will obtain the most traffic from search engines, and all websites falling on the first page of the search engine results will likely enjoy some degree of success in improving their traffic.
Final Thoughts on Digital Marketing Basics
Now you either fall into one of two camps.
One, this was all you needed to know to understand some of the jargon thrown around by your marketing team. And if that’s the case, perfect, you are a graduate of Digital Marketing Basics!
Or Two, your wondering why I barely scratched the surface and want to dive further into an effective marketing strategy. You want to learn the mechanics behind the tactics and see some digital marketing efforts in motion. You want your business to have a healthy marketing plan that turns leads into customers fast. More importantly, you don’t want to waste time learning anything that won’t help your business specifically.
Well, don’t worry, girl, I got you covered. Stick with me, and we’ll build you a profitable online business that stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Related Digital Marketing Articles
- 4 Small Online Business Marketing Ideas You Need to Do
- Facebook Marketing: Is It Right for You?
- Optimize Your Facebook Profile: 7 Easy Tips to Get More Leads
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