Building a Digital Marketing Strategy

Online marketing can yield results without sophisticated or technical skills. Below is an example of a basic online marketing strategy that small business owners and managers can implement today with little resources.

1) Start by building a decent website

  •  It doesn’t need to be the most expensive or high-tech website.
  •  It should have a clean design, state the problem(s) your business solves and a clear way to contact you.
  •  It is best to use simple language. A good website has contact information and other important information visible on every page. Your visitors shouldn’t need to think about how to do business with you.
  • I like to keep the phone number at the top of every page, especially if you want people to call you.

2) Create a Blog

A business website without a blog is a quiet and lonely place. Keeping a blog has many benefits for your business.

  • You can position your business as an expert (authority) on your subject/services.
  • It can attract clients organically in Google searches.
  • People will share your content if it is a high value.
  • Because it demonstrates reliability and longevity of your business when applied consistently, it builds trust.
  • It enables you to educate your clients and prospects on your services, which informs, reinforces and encourages their purchase decision.
  • Many other unpredictable benefits come your way when you create content.
  • The key to a great blog is adding value and rarely pushing your products or services. If they like and need what you have to offer, they know where to find you.

3) Share Your Content on Social Media

Once you create content on your blog, share it with the world. Depending on your audience, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ are great places to share your content.

4) Build an Email List and Share Your Posts to Your Audience

There are two general ways to build an email list: offline and online.

  • Online Subscribers: Getting subscribers online from people who visit your website is hard. It requires great content, patience and promotion. The sign-up form on this page is in the sidebar on the right.
  • Offline Subscribers: A great way to build your list offline is to collect email addresses from people who visit your store. Offer prizes, giveaways, incentives…oh, and the promise of great content.
  • The content used in your blog becomes content in the mailing list. It’s a great way to build loyalty and remain at the top of the mind of your customers.
  • The most important thing to remember before venturing into email marketing is the power of permission.

5) Repeat!

Once you have a solid website with value-driven content, shared on social media and by email to your subscribers, repeat the process. Create a content calendar (once a month, twice a month, once a week – whatever your resources and time allow) and stick to it. Consistency is key in content marketing.