If you’ve been wondering where to even get started with your digital Marketing, this starter guide is here to help! Even if you’ve been avoiding going digital.
There are definitely reasons many companies have opted not to go digital with their Marketing just yet, or have held back on many aspects of it. One reason may be, it just doesn’t make sense for your target audience – or does it?
Depending upon your target market, you may want to attract the attention of anyone from teenagers to baby boomers. Often times companies bypass digital marketing because they don’t believe it would work.
But while the assumption is often that only “young people” use the internet, studies have shown that of adults who use social media, 34% (as of 2016) are over 65. That’s a third of the population you aren’t able to reach without marketing your company online!
Marketing Starter Guide Steps
Whether you’re just starting out with digital marketing, or you’ve been trying to get it going for a few months, you’ll be able to implement these few steps to kick-start your online community with these helpful starter guide’s steps.
Determine which platforms of communication are right your business.
The good news is, you don’t have to (and usually shouldn’t) use all forms of social media! A fashion company has very different needs from an executive coaching company.
If you’re looking to attract a younger audience for your new dress line, you may want to focus on Instagram since it’s an extremely visual medium. On the other hand, if you’re looking to market your GoFundMe page for a new invention or film, you may want to simply use email.
Evaluate your schedule.
Posting on social media does take time. This is often the number one inhibitor to getting started or expanding.
My top recommendations for a solution:
- Post at the moment that you have something /exciting to post about;
- Find a way to organize your day (Google calendar, mobile app, etc)
- Utilize marketing tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule posts a week at a time.
Identify your audience.
Learning who your primary customers are and will be is imperative to learning about what they want to see, hear, and receive from your company. Really get to know who they are, what their likes are, their demographics, and their buying habits. That way you can ultimately provide exactly the solution they need at the time and place they need it.
Be Authentic!
The real trick to marketing (and how those brands who got successful did it) is being your true authentic self as a company. Displaying personality in your posts that convey the message of your company will not only attract more customers, but great employees.
Once you decide how you want your company to be viewed, stick to that mantra. Your mission and values statements can go much deeper than “providing this service to the industry” or “expand globally for the masses.” Allow it to define how it is you want your company to be seen or perceived.
Analyze Results
Putting content and ideas out into the interweb wilderness will likely not get you results if you don’t look at what’s actually happening with them.
Start by asking a few basic questions:
- Are your posts actually being seen? This is the first step – gaining “impressions” for your company. It begins the process of reputation building.
- Are people engaging with them? Do people actually resonate with what you’re posting? Is it relevant to what they would be interested in from your industry?
- What is the point of the posts I created? This is not to say that you should post very little, or not post anything if you can’t think of anything to say/create, but that each post should have a reason for being there.
- In other words, is there something you want to express? For example a new product or event? Make it clear more often than not what you want people seeing this post to get out of it.
You’re a Pro!
While getting started may seem daunting, follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to growing a successful company with marketing direction in place! If you’d like specific consulting on your current marketing or help getting started, please contact me for more information on how I may be able to help.