In this two-part series on digital marketing facts, you should know as an online service boss. So, let’s continue with more facts about digital marketing you should know for your business.
I want to review some facts you already know if you follow me. I will also discuss some other aspects of digital marketing facts that you may not know. In the last article, I focused on definitions, digital channels, and types of content to utilize. Today I am digging in a little deeper.
What Digital Marketing Facts
One the facts you should know and understand are the terms used in digital marketing.
Digital Marketing Terms
Here are some of the most used terms:
- PPC – Pay per click
- Paid search – those ‘sponsored’ items you see on a Google search
- Conversion rate optimization – see Google’s AI* definition below
- Digital Ads – ads placed on digital platforms of all kinds
- ROI – Return on investment. What you will get in return for spending your money, time, etc. on a project or in this case digital marketing.
- SMM – Social Media Marketing (although some use if for social media management).
- Digital Marketer (or agency) – someone (or a company) who specializes in helping businesses with their online presence from brand awareness, and social media management to promoting them through ads on many platforms.
- Lists – with regard to digital marketing facts usually refer to your email marketing lists.
*According to GoogleSearch AI:
“PPC Can increase brand awareness by over 80% because they appear at the top of search results.”
“Conversion rate optimization – A part of digital marketing that aims to improve the rate at which website or app visitors take a desired action, such as making a purchase.” –Google Search AI
These are a handful of terms to help you navigate digital marketing. Now I’m going to dig in deep for a few other terms you already know.
SEO Blogging
Blogging is writing, (it can take video or audio format at times), on your website (or a third party’s) to help your ideal audience with their pain points. Writing a blog for some is a way of selling products also as they may do a review of the product and have an affiliate link that goes to the product.
Blogs for businesses are generally about reaching your ideal clients. Some, however, may be about personal struggles like a diary. For our purposes, I will focus on the business side of blogging. Blogs can also include video and audio on rare occasions.
What is the SEO Part of Blogging?
SEO Blogging is more focused. This is geared toward specific keywords or keyword phrases that are included in the article. You have heard me discuss the YoastSEO plugin and it’s worth mentioning again and again. Yoast has created a great plugin that helps you not only make sure your article is SEO friendly but also written well on the fifth-grade level on average. I can tell you that it has empowered me to be a better writer overall.
Think about it, what if we take both of these pieces? That is SEO Blogging. You must write to the pain points of your audience keeping in mind the keyword or keyword phrases. This is not the total focus of the article. It should, however, include the keyword (keyword phrases).
Example
In this article, have listed in my YoastSEO plugin that the keyword phrase is “digital marketing facts.” I know that I would not rank for the phrase “digital marketing” so that can be left to the big boys and their brands. As I am writing this article, I keep the keyword phrase in mind. I check YoastSEO plugin once in a while to make certain I am staying on track. The plugin grades me with red, yellow, or green. Green means it is This, however, for passes for the SEO components, and if I have green in ‘readability’ as well I am pleased. Yellow means it is not quite right and red means it does not pass. You are graded for both SEO and readability. I never, however, let the plugin or anything else compromise what I write.
In discussing digital marketing facts email marketing should be a large part of your strategy, depending on the industry of your audience. In order to do email marketing, however, you must have a list of prospective clients to send emails.
It seems overwhelming in the beginning that you must build up your email list from zero. Try not to consider that because even if you have a handful it is worth it because this is a warm audience.
Why Warm
This audience is considered ‘warm’ because they have purposely signed up for your emails. How? Your list is often built on free offers (opt-ins). When someone wants your free offer, whatever it is, they give you their email address in exchange for the free thing you give them. So, you know they are interested in what you are offering and need what you have. Thus, they are warm prospects to market to in the future.
Ideas For Free Offers
If you are not sure what you can offer to them as a ‘free offer’ or opt-in take a look at this list.
- Challenge – hosting a 5-day, 30-day, or however many days you decide. If you help others lose weight for example perhaps hosting a 30-day no sugar challenge may be a good way to draw others in that would be open also to your services.
- Checklists – easy and most service providers can come up with one quickly related to what you offer.
- Consultation or Strategy Call – the easiest way to add an opt-in to your website. Connected to your calendar and have a box they check that agrees to be added to your list.
- Course or Mini-Course – are a good way to draw in specific types of audiences. Keying in an area that is a pain point for them and turning it into a course will attract them to your funnel (marketing systems).
- eBooks – not as popular as they once were but still a viable offer. Many speakers and coaches are writing books to put on Amazon and offer inexpensively to establish their leadership and authority in the industry they serve. This holds for all online service entrepreneurs.
- Planner – a planner is a good one, especially at the beginning of the year. If you are an organizer then a planner would be a great free offer.
- Quiz or Survey – this has become very popular. You would create a quiz that, if you are really good, drives them to purchase. In general, you ask a question up front and when they click it it ends up taking them to the quiz. One I just did was an IQ Test and thought giving them my email would get results after taking it but instead, they tried to sell me on purchasing a subscription for an app. If, however, you give them results that make sense and resonate you have another email address added to your list.
- Resource List – popular especially for new people in business who do not know which way to turn.
- Template – can be helpful and especially nice if you are a graphic designer. They will remember the work you did and when need more will come to you.
- Webinars or Workshops – can be helpful to draw people into low-hanging fruit. That is the program or package that is the lowest price so that at the end of your workshop or webinar you give them the opportunity to work with you on a low level. Eventually hoping to upsell to them.
Free Offer
As we are discussing Free Offers, one of mine is a Checklist for Scaling Your Business.
In this, you can go through your daily tasks and mark them with my WONDER code to determine which tasks to begin delegating.
If you are ready to start working with a virtual team but do not know where to begin, I suggest you book a Free Mini-Session so I can help you in a 1-on-1 session setting.
Create your free offer (or offers) and make them appealing. Also, explain the benefits they will receive if they sign up for it and how it eases their pain point(s).
After you establish your free offer create a name for your list in your email marketing system (software).
Email Marketing Systems
- Moosend – is the software I use. You can have multiple lists, and add automations, transactional emails, and landing pages. It gives you a free platform for up to 1,000 contacts [currently offering 50% off the first month].
- Flodesk – offers fresh designs for emails with landing pages and pop-ups to connect to your website. No free offers though and their starting price is $35
- MailChimp – has been around for a long time. It used to be free for up to 2,000 but in recent times changed the platform and now, starts pricing at $20 for 500 contacts.
- MailerLite – is a platform that many online service businesses utilize because it is free for 1,000 contacts. It also has many similar features to the others that we’ve discussed.
“Organized marketers are 397% more likely to report success.
mediavalet
(Source: CoSchedule, 2023)”
Social Media
Next, we should discuss social media as it is easy to see why this falls under digital marketing facts. It is a digital platform after all. This includes all types of social media. Whether you are posting words, memes, gifs, photos, or videos you are posting them on social media.
“websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” -Oxford Dictionary
Each platform has its own nuisance and best course of action. For example, you would not post a photo and copy on TikTok. It requires videos and usually homemade ones (or at least have the look of homemade) are best. Some platforms are more visual than others. An example is X (Twitter) compared to YouTube. X is more about the wording and YouTube is all about videos. Yet it is a different type of platform than TikTok. YouTube can be longer videos (or short if want) and they remain there which helps SEO. TikTok however is short lived and new videos replace the old.
Social Media use in digital marketing is all about how you use it. With each platform, you use it differently. If you have doubts about how to do this it is best to hire a professional or social media manager who understands the platforms your ideal audience lives. They should understand the platforms and the strategies for using each one you want to be present on.
Other Platforms
There are other online platforms that many digital marketers use to get their brand and their client’s brand seen online. An example of this would be Medium where many (including myself) take my articles and repost them to be in front of fresh eyes. There are also platforms just for bloggers. New kinds of platforms are popping up all the time for many types of people.
What are some of the platforms you use for your digital marketing? Are you considering other types?
I leave you to make the choice on the type of digital marketing and the platform you will use. These were only touching on the facts of digital marketing. There are strategies involved not to mention paid opportunities for digital marketing. I’m here to help if you need it. Don’t struggle alone.
Until Next Time and To Your Continued Success!
