Tag: digital marketing

Data-driven decisions: How analytics shape effective digital marketing

Data-driven decisions are becoming increasingly commonplace in the modern digital marketing landscape. Through the correct use of analytics, businesses can gain valuable insights and information into customer behavior and use those insights to shape highly effective strategies that maximize revenue.

Analytics refers to the systematic collection and analysis of data from various sources. It involves understanding underlying information within large datasets using statistical techniques such as machine learning and AI algorithms. This type of analysis provides insights into customer behavior patterns which can be used to identify opportunities for improvement or optimization that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. By taking advantage of these insights, businesses can make decisions that have a direct and measurable impact on their bottom line.

Introducing data-driven decisions into digital marketing

Data-driven decisions can be introduced into digital marketing in several different ways. The most common approach is to use analytics tools like Google Analytics to follow website traffic and user behavior. It allows marketers to identify which channels drive the most conversions and adjust their strategies accordingly. Meanwhile, A/B testing provides an effective way to test different advertising campaigns or web designs and measure which performs best with customers. Finally, predictive analytics can forecast future customer trends based on past data.

The benefits of data-driven digital marketing

Data-driven decision-making allows digital marketers to make informed decisions based on collected customer information and statistics. This type of analysis enables businesses to improve their targeting capabilities, increase efficiency, and save money in the long run. Additionally, it eliminates much of the guesswork involved in forming successful campaigns and ensures that all efforts are concentrated in areas with the best chance for success.

Using data to shape digital marketing strategies

Analytics can shape digital marketing strategies from initial conception through post-implementation analysis. During the strategy formation stage, businesses can use data sources such as customer surveys and web analytics to understand their target audience and learn how to get more leads. It allows them to craft campaigns tailored to their customer’s needs and desires.

Additionally, analytics can be used during implementation to measure the effectiveness of various tactics and adjust plans accordingly. For example, if a tactic is not generating desired results, marketers can quickly identify which elements need improvement or alteration to achieve optimal performance. This type of iterative process ensures that resources are utilized most effectively.

In post-implementation analysis, analytics can measure campaigns’ success and identify improvement areas. By doing so, businesses can establish a continuous cycle of optimization that allows them to continually refine their strategies and maximize overall ROI.

Identifying suitable data sources

To leverage the full potential of data-driven digital marketing, it is essential to identify suitable data sources. One of the most commonly used data sources is customer surveys, which allow businesses to gain insights into their customers’ wants and needs. Social media analytics can also provide valuable insights into user demographics and interests. Web analytics, such as website visits or page views, provide further information regarding visitors’ behavior that can be used to refine campaigns and tailor messaging accordingly.

By combining these methods, businesses can compile a comprehensive picture of their target audience. It allows them to shape strategies with highly targeted messaging that resonates with their audience and drives desired results. Additionally, analytics can measure customer engagement through metrics such as click-through or conversion rates.

In addition to gathering customer information from external sources, businesses should also pay attention to internal data points such as employee performance or financial records. This information provides insight into team efficiency, campaign costs, and profitability. By tracking these data points over time, businesses can create an environment where decisions are informed by facts rather than intuition alone.

Utilizing automation and AI in analytics

The world of analytics is rapidly evolving, introducing new methods that allow businesses to gain even greater insights into customer behavior and preferences. Automation and AI tools are becoming increasingly commonplace in digital marketing, allowing marketers to automate data collection or analysis tasks. It helps maximize efficiency by freeing employees from mundane tasks and enabling them to focus their attention on more complex aspects of campaign management.

Additionally, automated systems can analyze large datasets and draw meaningful conclusions faster than manual methods. For example, AI-powered programs can identify correlations between variables that may not be immediately obvious upon inspection. By leveraging these technologies, businesses can optimize campaigns more accurately than ever.

Prioritizing data security and privacy

Businesses must consider data security and privacy when utilizing analytics in digital marketing. Companies should ensure that all collected information is stored securely and accessible only to those with the proper authorization. Additionally, they must ensure that customer or employee data is not being inappropriately used or shared without consent. Failing to adhere to data security regulations can lead to severe repercussions both in terms of financial penalties and loss of customer trust.

Conclusion

Data-driven decision-making is essential for digital marketing success today, providing invaluable insights that help marketers craft strategies tailored to their customer’s needs and desires. By leveraging analytical tools and processes, businesses can identify critical areas for improvement, better target customers, automate mundane tasks, and maximize their ROI from campaigns. With the right analytics platform, businesses of any size can reap the rewards of data-driven digital marketing.

Digital Marketing Opportunities You Don’t Want to Miss

To some, it’s merely another fancy buzzword. To others, it’s the backbone of their entire business. In my life, digital marketing opportunities are almost everything I do. For most entrepreneurs, however, it is a highly underutilized and misunderstood tool. This is simply not the case.

digital marketing opportunities
Try using digital marketing.

There are a number of free tools and opportunities within digital marketing that most entrepreneurs are missing. Here are just a few of them to help you.  

Use the power of blog commenting to build links

Blog commenting has become a practice synonymous with spammers and sleazy online marketers. Because of this, most entrepreneurs do not take advantage of this incredible opportunity. Despite the negative connotation, blog comments are a fantastic way to promote your business and build a very natural link profile.

So, how can you use the power of blog commenting to market your content in an authentic, natural, and non-spammy way?

The first and most important step is finding the right blogs to comment on. The best way to do this is simply to use blogs you regularly read or blogs that show up in your social media feed. This practice ensures that you are posting on sites relevant to your niche.

links

It also increases the authenticity of your comments since you are an actual reader and probably has gained real value from the content you are commenting on.

However, if you already comment on your favorite blogs on a regular basis and are looking to expand your reach, there are other ways to find places to comment.

An easy way to do this is to utilize the Google Search Console and Advanced Search Operators. Let’s say you are running an online fitness clothing store for women.

You could enter any of the following search operators into Google:

Women’s athletic wear “comments”

Women’s athletic style “leave a reply”

Women’s athletic clothing “leave a comment”

For example:

The search operators you are using clearly specify to Google that you only want search results that have the option to comment on the page. After you’ve compiled a list of potential blogs to comment on, you can check their Ahrefs ranks to determine whether or not they are worth your time.

Now that you are done with the easy work of finding high-quality blogs to comment on, it’s time for the hard stuff. And that’s getting your comment approved. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

Always fill the name field with your name—not the name of your site. Comments that have URLs in the name field are deleted most of the time.

Leave the website field blank. Since you are going to include a link in the body of your comment, leaving the website field blank will help improve the odds of your comment passing the moderator.

The best way to comment is to pick a relevant point from the blog content and then expand on it in an authentic and genuine way.

Do link outreach

When digital and content marketing first started to take off, the tactic of link outreach became very common. And the thing is…

…this used to work. However, in the modern business world, the above strategy will probably have a 1-3% success rate, likely with lower-tier websites and blogs. But.

The core strategy of connecting with other influencers and having them promote your content (either by replacing a broken link or just sharing it outright) still works.

If you do it the right way.

What is the “right” way?

Focusing on relationships first and link building second.

Here is the deal. A lot of Internet marketers are a pain in the butt. They are constantly seeking to gain value from other people—those they have no relationship with—and rarely offer anything in return.

If you want to stand out from this crowd and actually succeed in your link-building efforts, you need to try a different approach.

The first step is to find companies you want a link from in the first place. I once again recommend you select blogs and websites you are already familiar with and read on a regular basis.

But if you’ve already worn out all potential opportunities with your “regulars,” you can try another approach (shout-out to Ryan Stewart of Ahrefs.com for introducing me to this).

If you want to find great places to get potential links, then fire up Google, and input one or more of the following searches:

[Your keyword] + “Top posts of the week”

[Your keyword] + “Friday link roundup”

[Your keyword] + “Best posts of the week”

This will allow you to find blogs and websites already curating great content. Trust me: it’s a lot easier to get a link from one of these resources than from a blogger who only promotes their own content.

Now that you’ve found the blog you want to get a link from, it’s time to connect.

This does not mean you immediately email them, asking for a link to your content. The first step you need to take is to start following the blog/website/influencer on social media. Once you are following them, drop them a line with something simple:

Hey, this is so-and-so. I read your piece on XYZ and really enjoyed it! Keep up the great work!

Once you have broken the ice and made the first contact on social media start commenting on their posts and on their blog. Do this for about a week, continuing the conversation you stated above, if at all possible.

Once you’ve established good rapport and the influencer is aware of you, it’s time to ask for the link. While this tactic works great for broken links, it works even better if the blogger regularly posts a “Best of the web” article or something similar.

And, if your content is good, you may end up getting a repeat “customer” who will continue linking to your company for months or years to come.

Don’t overlook press releases

I know, I know. “What the heck, Mike? Press releases?! We are in the 21st century here!” And I get it.

But press releases, when used properly, can actually be a pretty fantastic tool. When you have a large number of people, especially journalists, reviewing your content, it is more likely that your work will be picked up by major publications.

This can be a pivotal component of getting your content to go viral. Press releases can also help your link-building in a big way, but you have to be intentional about the content.

Here are a few of the benefits, if you can ignore the not-quite-accurate benefits of “rankings” and “links.” Links and rankings do happen, but only indirectly. If a journalist or blogger sees your press release and decides to cover your content or include it as a part of a major story, the keywords you’d use would be key.

Make sure your content is filled with keywords you want to rank for. This way, if a journalist takes a quote from your work, you’ll be able to build up links to help boost your rankings.

There are certainly drawbacks to press releases. They do not directly improve SEO; they are difficult to track; and if you make a mistake, you can do more damage to your brand than good.

However, if you know your way around, you can actually market your content quite effectively using free press release sources.

Just make sure you consider the pros and cons before filing for a release.

The bottom line

Digital marketing can be a lot simpler (and less expensive) than people think. But you have to be willing to take an “outside the box” approach to it.

Equipped with the above four tips and tricks, you’ll be able to market your company more quickly and effectively than ever before. None of the advice I’ve given here is easy, but it’s simple and doable.

Take the time to educate yourself on these opportunities, and learn how to capitalize on them to grow your business. And invest your time in uncovering the wealth of other free digital marketing opportunities available in today’s marketplace.

You may be surprised at how effectively you can market your company and your content without a big budget.

What to Expect from Ecommerce Digital Marketing Services

Worldwide, there are between 12 -24 million e-commerce sites.

How can your e-commerce business withstand this stiff competition? Get professional digital marketing services. The idea is to work with professional marketers to improve your business’s online presence.

Read on to learn what to expect from e-commerce digital marketing services.

Proven Digital Marketing Strategies

With so many free online marketing resources on the internet, it’s logical to wonder about the need to hire experts. Unfortunately, most of these resources are either experimental or outdated. Using them is a trial and error project that’ll waste valuable time.

To avoid this pitfall, search for a professional e-commerce digital marketing agency. You want to find an agency that’ll use proven tactics to promote your e-commerce business. Besides, an agency like this will educate you more about evaluating your digital marketing strategy.

In-Depth Digital Marketing Experience

To gain an edge over other eCommerce businesses, you must know more than just the current digital marketing trends. You need to work with experts who have been in this field for several years.

These marketers understand what it takes for an eCommerce business to stand out. They will educate you on common eCommerce digital marketing mistakes and how to avoid them.

You want to leverage these marketers’ experiences to increase leads and improve your conversion rate.

Outstanding Track Record

To enjoy guaranteed return, look for a digital marketing agency with a proven track record. You want to hire an agency that works with well-known brands. Hence, you can rely on this agency to replicate its amazing results with these other brands.

To find this digital marketing agency, read as many online reviews as possible. You want to get insights from other eCommerce businesses on how a given agency operates. Also, the reviews will give a clue on how long this agency takes to deliver the results you desire.

Your goal is to find an eCommerce digital marketing agency with many positive reviews. Also, look for an agency that responds to criticisms and negative reviews fast.

Timely Communication

The marketers that your eCommerce business hires should keep you in the loop on what they’re doing. They should share regular updates on the digital marketing strategies they’re implementing. They should also share reports on the progress and the problem areas.

The goal is to have timely information that helps you track your digital marketing efforts. Also, you need the information to help you calculate ROI on the money spent on eCommerce digital marketing services.

Leverage eCommerce Digital Marketing Services to Increase Leads

Ecommerce digital marketing services give your business an edge against its competitors. So, rely on the above things to know what to expect when seeking these services. Your goal is to hire experienced marketers with an outstanding track record.

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our other digital marketing blog posts. Check them out today!

The Importance Of Photography In Digital Marketing

Seventy-six percent of people believe that the marketing world has changed more in the past two years than it has in the previous fifty. Marketing campaigns have multiple components, covering all types of media. There is a multitude of factors in designing a marketing campaign, but with digital marketing, the importance of photography can be one of the most essential considerations in creating a marketing strategy.

Importance of photography
The Importance of photography.

Here, we’ll explore digital marketing and the use and role of photography in your endeavors to promote your brand or product.

The Definition Of Digital Marketing

What, exactly, is digital marketing and how does it differ from traditional marketing? The industry has changed drastically in the last two years. It encompasses all of the digital platforms consumers use every day, including video, email, podcasts, blogs, and social media.

These platforms differ from traditional marketing, which includes television advertising, billboards, and fliers. At a very basic level, you can think of digital marketing as marketing that can reach consumers who are using their smartphones throughout the day.

A large-scale digital marketing campaign might encompass advertising on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, blog posts, and even podcasts. Today, it’s impossible to put together a comprehensive marketing plan without incorporating some type of digital marketing, and it is entirely possible to launch a marketing campaign on a grand scale and to only employ digital marketing.

In order to reach the widest possible audience, any marketing strategy should be based on reaching smartphone users, running on any and all popular platforms they frequent.  

Importance of photography for continuity

While videography may be the most important component of your digital marketing strategy, still photography should also be considered an important aspect of any program. While videos are played across all types of social media, if at any time your campaign will be represented by a still shot, videography should be replaced by photography.

Your photographs should provide continuity between live and still applications and professional still photography, rather than mere captures of a live video, which will give weight to the campaign.

You want to be sure that whatever format you are using to convey your ideas, there is continuity between them, making it clear that every piece of printed material is a supplement to the ways your campaign is expressed digitally. Photography can also be massively important for blog posts, as blog posts without photography are almost unheard of in the current online climate.

It is also common to incorporate traditional marketing with digital marketing, under which circumstances you will likely need an entire photography spread for printed materials like brochures, billboards, and newspaper or magazine advertisements.

If email marketing is a part of your digital campaign, you will need eye-catching photography for the emails you are sending, as the pictures are the first thing anyone sees. If there are images that pop up in a (likely) unsolicited email, you have no hope of a click through if the photography isn’t fresh and clearly representative of the product/brand/customer.

Consumers are so busy these days that you only have a few seconds of a look for them to decide whether or not they are interested in reading/perusing further. That pressure can end up entirely on the photographer to create compelling images that entice the viewer to stay engaged.

Photography In Print: A Hypothetical Case Study

Once you have launched your digital marketing campaign and established yourself on all platforms, you’ll want to be sure to replicate your branding in any kind of customer-facing environment or non-digital materials. Much of your online content may be video, but once a customer gets to your store or picks up one of your brochures, photography is what will carry your online content forward and make your campaign recognisable.

Let’s use a case study, for example, of a cellular phone service provider. In this example, the company chooses an actor to be the face of their campaign. There are YouTube advertisements, Instagram video posts and stories, Facebook videos, and more, all featuring this particular actor.

Their face becomes familiar. Through this actor, the cellular service company builds a rapport with its customers, to whom this actor is endearing and captivating.

This cellular service provider may employ any number of print media as a part of this campaign. They may have brochures or shelf talkers at stores like Best Buy or Costco where their phones and plans are sold outside of their own stores. They may offer group discounts for large businesses, and provide brochures about their services for Human Resources to disseminate. They may have some kind of handout available in the student center of universities.

In all of these locations, on all of this print media, there will be still photography of this now well-known, familiar actor the world has come to know and love, and associate with a brand that is smart/sincere/empathetic/not-too-serious – or whatever this campaign has been crafted to say about the company or its product.

This imagery should not be limited to the campaign, as it exists outside the digital world and also outside of the actual stores. When the customers who recognize this actor as the face of the campaign/product/company come into the cellular provider’s store, that actor’s face needs to be everywhere, reinforcing whatever it is that customer has felt about the campaign.

This can be done easily with wrapped canvas prints of single images or a photo collage, which can be swapped for freshening or a change in campaign direction.   

Importance of photography … how to choose

If you are in the position to select a photographer for your marketing campaign, think of what would catch your eye in a hurry, as if you were scrolling through everything that you see on a regular basis on social media platforms.

What kind of eye-catching message would capture your attention long enough to peruse an advertisement beyond the email? In a single photograph within an email, the feelings you want to convey in your marketing campaign should be readily apparent.

Because of the amount of time given to an unsolicited email or to an Instagram or Facebook advertisement, at some point in your strategy, the photograph or photographs you select may need to encompass the totality of your campaign.

In selecting the type of photography you want to use, you should approach it from the point of view of a busy viewer, without the time or the desire to read a caption or any kind of email copy, but glancing at an image briefly. Will it hold their attention? In order to ensure it does, the style, subject matter, and feeling of the photographs must be considered carefully.

Still photography may seem like the stuff of a bygone era of marketing, but it certainly is not. Traditional photography can and should be incorporated with any kind of digital campaign, in order to bring continuity and to bolster the awareness of the effort.

Photography is absolutely one of the main pillars of an advertising campaign and should be one of the first things taken into account when selecting the components of a successful marketing program. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so selecting the right photography can provide the foundation your campaign needs to make any copy nearly obsolete.

Digital Marketing Vs Traditional Marketing: Which One is Best?

There is a heated battle for the heart and soul of the future of marketing. For the longest time, traditional marketing methods have helped businesses expand from mom and pop operations into multinational conglomerates. With history on its side, traditional marketing tactics adhere to due to their track record. However, technology has disrupted the conventional business model and consumer experience, making it tough for newer and more unusual forms of marketing to not be noticed. At the end of the day, which form of marketing is better? Continue reading, and we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of digital marketing and traditional marketing.

digital marketing
Is digital marketing better?

The Advantages of Traditional Marketing

Many people are familiar with the basics of traditional marketing, even if they do not own a business.
Many elements of traditional marketing feel familiar and more personal; take for instance the distribution of folders, business cards, and other marketing materials.
Not only do many consumers prefer this approach, but there is an entire industry built up around the need for traditional marketing supplies, such as Show Case Creative.
This means that you’ll quickly find the services you require, both in your backyard and online. That ability to access marketing needs online, however, is why digital marketing is becoming so competitive.

The Advantages of Digital Marketing

Perhaps the biggest advantage of digital marketing is its ease of use. With the right budget and targets, you can reach millions of people in a very short time.
There are both organic and paid forms of digital marketing – depending on your needs, approach and budget – that provide an easier pathway toward being exposed than traditional marketing provides.
Additionally, the cost per impression via most digital marketing efforts is substantially lower than efforts associated with traditional marketing.
More to consider: Press Coverage … 9 Actionable Ways to Get Good Coverage

 

The Disadvantages of Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing efforts can be expensive. Take a billboard for example. This conventional marketing approach might cost $5,000 per month in a desirable location.
For that same price, you could reach hundreds of thousands of targeted individuals via a digital marketing campaign.
Additionally, it ‘s hard to generate the same amount of meaningful impressions via traditional marketing efforts, in large part due to the amount of energy and possibly manpower that it takes.

The Disadvantages of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing examples can be found all around us and all over the internet. Many people have become desensitized to digital marketing in their emails, in social media feeds, and in a search.
This means that while digital marketing is cheaper per impression, you’ll likely need to make more impressions before actually resonating with a consumer.
Because of this, many people decide to combine both digital marketing and traditional marketing elements for success.
The truth is that both digital and traditional marketing solutions are needed for a comprehensive marketing strategy.
You want to make as many meaningful impressions as possible, and each form of marketing offers some advantages in this regard. Whether you already have a successful business or are planning out your new business’ strategy, consider both the pros and cons of each method.
By combining the two to maximize strengths and reduce weaknesses, you’ll have the most effective marketing campaign possible
Need some help in capturing more customers from your social media marketing or advertising? Creative ideas to help the differentiation with your clients?
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Call Mike at 607-725-8240.
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More reading on social media marketing and advertising from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
What Marketers Need to Know about Personalization Strategies 
19 Top Marketing Initiatives We Should Be Discussing
My Top SEO Strategies for Content Marketing Success
Innovation in Marketing … the Birchbox Subscription Model
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.