What you need to know about digital marketing—what it is, how to succeed, and who’s doing it right. Check the description below for tools you can use to master digital marketing right now. Be sure to subscribe to the channel, then tap the notification bell so I can holler at you like this.
We got a new video. Come check it out. I miss you. HubSpot defines digital marketing as all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet. Traditionally, this means
Making it easy for a 3-year-old to understand, we can say:
“When you show your toys to friends and tell them how fun they are, that’s like marketing!”
Using search engines, social media, email, and websites. Still, in today’s world, it can also mean when users are watching videos, playing video games, and even chatting with friends.### Expanding Your Professional Reach in the Digital Era
In today’s fast-paced, ever-connected world, expanding your professional reach requires more than just traditional methods. While utilizing search engines, social media, email, and websites remain foundational strategies, the digital landscape offers a plethora of additional avenues to engage with your audience and elevate your professional presence. Here’s how you can leverage various platforms and technologies to broaden your influence and network effectively.
1. Mastering Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Keyword Optimization: To ensure your content ranks high on search engines, focus on integrating relevant keywords naturally into your web pages, blogs, and social media posts. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help identify the best keywords for your industry.
Content Quality: High-quality, informative content that addresses your audience’s needs will not only boost your SEO but also establish your authority in your field.
2. Harnessing the Power of Social Media
Platform Selection: Choose platforms that align with your professional goals. LinkedIn is ideal for networking with industry professionals, whereas Instagram and TikTok can be used to showcase creative projects.
Engagement Strategies: Regularly interact with your audience by responding to comments, sharing valuable content, and participating in relevant groups and discussions.
3. Effective Email Marketing
Personalization: Tailor your email campaigns to address the specific needs and interests of your audience, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversions.
Automation Tools: Utilize tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to streamline your email marketing efforts, allowing you to focus on crafting compelling messages.
4. Optimizing Your Website
User Experience Ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and fast-loading to retain visitors and encourage repeat visits.
Conversion Optimization: Use clear calls-to-action (CTAs) to guide visitors toward desired actions, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product.
5. Engaging Through Videos and Live Streaming
Video Content: Create engaging video content on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo to reach a wider audience. Tutorials, webinars, and behind-the-scenes videos can effectively convey your message.
Live Streaming Platforms like Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch offer real-time interaction opportunities. Use these platforms to host Q&A sessions, product launches, and seminars to engage your audience dynamically.
6. Interactive Experiences in Video Games
In-Game Advertising: Collaborate with game developers to integrate your brand into popular games, reaching a diverse audience in a novel way.
Virtual Events: Host virtual conferences or events within gaming environments to attract tech-savvy professionals and gamers.
7. Building Connections Through Online Communities
Forums and Chat Groups: Engage with niche communities on platforms like Reddit, Discord, or Slack. These spaces allow for meaningful interactions and provide valuable insights into your target audience’s preferences and concerns.
Content Sharing: Share insights, articles, and resources that add value to community discussions, positioning yourself as a thought leader.
Conclusion
In an era where digital interactions are omnipresent, expanding your professional reach goes beyond conventional methods. By tapping into diverse platforms like videos, and video games, and engaging with online communities, you can enhance your visibility and forge stronger connections with your audience. Embrace these modern strategies to stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape and achieve your professional objectives.
That’s right, every interaction is an opportunity. Nothing is sacred from the clutches of commoditization. But no matter what form your digital marketing takes, there are some guidelines to follow to get the most from your efforts. Here are HubSpot’s four digital marketing tips and a quick example for each. Number one, define your audience.
Everybody is online.
93% of Americans to be exact. No idea who that final 7% is, could be anyone, probably Ja Rule. But you can’t effectively market to everyone at once. So it’s important to identify who your marketing is supposed to appeal to.
And this can be accomplished through buyer personas. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer that is based on market research and data about your existing customers.
If your product is B2B, your buyer persona will probably focus on info like the buyer’s company, their role in the organization, the size of the organization, their challenges, and so on. B2C businesses tend to focus more on buyers’ demographics, like age, education, and personal interests. A good example of this is the personal finance app Mint.
All adults need financial tools but Mint focuses specifically on the young professional demographic. You can see immediately when you go to the MintLife Blog from the photos of young adults that they use to headlines like, “Can I Afford to Have a Hot Girl Summer?” I’ve been asking myself that question for months now, no leads. But no matter how hot my summer is, it’s unmistakable who Mint defines as its audience. Tip number two for all digital marketing is: to be present where your audience is.
People are online all the time, an average of nearly seven hours a day by some estimates. But that doesn’t mean they’re all in the same place. That would be ridiculous and also impossible. By defining your audience in step one, you can now determine their habits and figure out what the best place is to reach them. This can be accomplished in part by ad-targeting tools that all the major digital platforms offer, but ads only go so far in the digital marketing economy.
So smart marketers go deeper, integrating their messaging into demo-specific content. And I’m sure you’re gonna ask me now, “Well, Jamal, let’s hear about an example.” All right. For example, TurboTax. Sure you heard of them.
They wanted to engage with a Latino audience and they did this by activating an integrated marketing campaign that created online tools, content, and activation specifically for that demographic.
The company then formed strategic media and community partnerships with groups like the Hispanic Heritage Fund and We All Grow Latina Network to leverage those organizations’ ability to communicate with that demographic. Remember digital marketing is social marketing. So socializing with your audience through participation in their communities is (Jamal imitating a chef’s kiss) there’s nothing better than that..
. That’s and also you’ll fail if you don’t do it. Tip number three for effective digital marketing is: to build an effective funnel. Getting your messages to your audience is one thing, but getting them to act is another. For digital marketing, the steps for converting a stranger into a customer is usually defined in discrete steps shaped like a funnel.
So this can include things like attracting visitors through messaging at the top of the funnel, and turning those visitors into qualified leads by offering deals or content that they sign up for in the middle of the funnel. Then closing the deal through smart engagement. You’re sitting here again, going, “Oh, Jamal I wanna hear about an example of this.” Well, Audible.
Sure you heard of those guys.
Well, they ended up building a very effective online sales funnel, which builds awareness for the audiobooks and podcasts on its platform by working with creators to promote via social media. Potential subscribers are then offered 30 days of Audible for free, so they can listen to the content that first interests them and they become customers once billing starts when the free trial is over. Even if your business doesn’t use a subscription model, you still wanna offer incentives to get potential customers to engage with your brand.
This brings us to our fourth and final digital marketing tip: monitor and report. Marketing pioneer, John Wanamaker, famously said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.
” John you and I have the same problem, but my money stopped being spent on advertising, you know what I’m saying. (Jamal laughing) I’m broke! The great thing about digital marketing is now you can tell which half of your marketing is working and which half is wasted. This is done by first using analytics to determine if the audience is finding your messaging by tracking impressions and views. Next, you wanna track how well your audience responds to your messaging by looking at things like click-through, signup, scrolling, and ultimately sales.
HubSpot offers a full suite of marketing analytics and dashboard software to help you be a smarter data-driven marketer.
Companies also need to monitor what people are saying about them online to influence perception and heaven forbid, quickly address bad PR. And at this point, you’re thinking, “This guy’s out of examples.” Once again, you are incorrect. Gatorade.
They run a full 24/7 mission control center in Chicago. That mission is to amplify positive sentiment and address any negative comments as quickly as possible before they have time to spread.
You might not be ready to staff a full-time social media monitoring team, but you do need to take time to engage with your online audience in real-time. That’s because digital marketing, when done right, is a two-way conversation. you already know what to do.
Check out the link in the description below for the online course we offer at HubSpot Academy.
And until then I bid you a (Jamal speaking foreign language) As they say. In their communities is key, cannot emphasize this. (Jamal mumbling) Okay.
Read More: The Power of Influencer Marketing and Personalized Content in Digital Marketing