As little as fifteen years ago, there was quite a different approach to advertising products and services. Advertising was predominantly print advertising and TV commercials, and marketing included cold-calling, door-knocking and brochure letterbox drops. All of these traditional strategies are still used today, but since the explosion of technology, digital marketing is how most businesses now build their audience and grow their business. Effective online advertising, using measured strategies, has given small local businesses the opportunity to expand into a national, or even global, market.
We all know that a strong online presence is essential for any business. But simply having a website isn’t enough. From startups to established brands, to truly thrive, you must effectively advertise your business online. The ability to strategically promote your products and services online can significantly impact, not just your bottom-line, but your visibility and brand awareness. These days, businesses without effective online marketing are in danger of stagnating. There’s no doubt that utilising online advertising and digital marketing, in an effective way, can increase sales and help you to build a better business.
There are some simple, yet key strategies you can leverage to ensure you not only reach your target audience, but also engage them effectively for growth. But where do you start?
- Understand Your Target Audience
Before diving headfirst into online advertising, it’s crucial you understand exactly who you’re trying to reach; that is – your ideal customer. Why do they need your service or product? Do you know how they interact online and which platforms they use? Get to know your audience’s demographics, interests and behaviours and tailor your content and digital marketing to resonate with them. By creating a buyer persona, you can talk directly to your potential customers. When gathering data about your audience, use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights. This information will be one of the foundations of your targeted digital marketing strategy.
- Build a Strong Foundation with SEO and Website Optimisation
When it comes to digital marketing, don’t get ahead of yourself! Your digital marketing strategy starts with your website, so get the foundations right. By that we mean, start with the basics and build a good website. No matter where your potential customers might find you online, a large percentage of them will do their homework and check out your website and where you rank. Have an engaging website, with valuable content, and ensure you have good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), enabling your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This ensures your business appears where people search for you. Invest time in keyword research to identify terms your target audience uses and structure your website accordingly.
- Set Clear Objectives and Choose the Right Platforms
Setting a clear objective will guide your online advertising efforts and help you to measure your success. By setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, this will guide the direction of your digital marketing campaigns and help you assess their effectiveness.
Setting your goals and knowing your audience will lead you to your preferred social media platforms, which offer a powerful way to connect with your audience on a personal level. But remember, not all platforms are suitable for every business. Choose platforms where your target audience is most active. For a younger audience, you may want to focus on Instagram or TikTok, while if your target audience is business professionals, then Linkedin might be more appropriate. Each platform offers different ad formats and targeting options that can be customised to meet your digital marketing goals.
Choosing the right platform is the first step in a social media strategy, now you have to build a following. Any online advertising campaign will be more effective if you already have a reasonable number of followers. Build your social media fans by consistently sharing content that sparks conversations. Engage directly with your audience, receive immediate feedback, and boost brand loyalty.
- Online Advertising – Google / Social Media / PPC
As previously discussed, effective online advertising can supercharge your potential. Google Ads, as well as the whole variety of social media platforms, allow you to target specific demographics and interests, ensuring your message reaches the right people at the right time. Get to know Google Ads and what they can do for your business – or find an expert who can assist you. Utilise and leverage PPC (pay-per-click) options on various platforms, as well as re-targeting strategies.
PPC can be productive in online advertising as advertisers and business owners only pay each time a user clicks on one of their online ads. PPC campaigns can drive targeted traffic to your website or landing page. Pixels, used in tracking, can ensure that customers are ‘retargeted’ with your ads and future ads.
As an aside here: Always take into consideration where you are sending potential customers once they have clicked on an ad. Are they going directly to your website? Or more likely, a landing page which will go deeper into the reason they clicked on your ad in the first place.
Note: Effective PPC advertising, of course, requires skilled marketing to pull in your potential customer or new follower. The words and images you use will make a difference to your success in this area. Consider using an expert to make the most of your online advertising budget. If you want to experiment with your own design and words, be sure to measure and test results and be flexible to change if not getting the results you desire.
- Tracking and Analysing Your Results
Don’t assume that because you’ve got a great product, website and strong online presence that your online advertising will work. Regularly track and analyse your digital marketing efforts. This will help you identify what’s working and what needs tweaking to optimise your campaigns for maximum impact.
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your ads and how many clicks you are getting. Then use this information to discover how much traffic is converting. Analysing each stage of the interaction will tell you if there is a break in the chain. For example, if you get 1000 clicks through to your landing page, but only one person takes action on that landing page, perhaps your conversion content is not doing the job! This data provides valuable insights that can help you refine your strategies and improve your return on investment (ROI). It will also help you discover your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), that is, what it costs you to get each new customer you bring into your business.
- More Tips for Creating an Effective Online Presence
- Create and share interesting and inspiring content through blogs and articles, on your own website or by leveraging other organisations
- Use a CRM and collected data to direct database to online news, videos and articles via email and other marketing tools
- Networking at online business events can increase visibility. Leverage networking platforms, industry events, and collaborations to expand your online reach and enhance brand awareness. Engage in online speed networking and webinars.
- Embrace online reviews and feedback. Positive online reviews are a valuable way to boost your credibility and attract new customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on relevant platforms, including Google.
As you can see, online advertising is an essential aspect of digital marketing that can dramatically impact your business’s growth and success. Implementing these strategies will ensure that your advertising efforts lead to tangible outcomes for your business.
If you want to find out more about getting great results from online advertising, chat to us at District32. For 10 years we’ve been passionate about building better businesses, and our own growth has been greatly improved by using effective digital marketing strategies.
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