The name of the business game for 2016 is digital marketing. Entrepreneurs are more prolific than ever, but with so many choices before you on how to approach marketing, starting up a business, and managing your employees, it can be difficult to know what the most important tips and techniques are.
Curious in how to tackle marketing in 2016? Things have changed from the recent few years, so here are five things you absolutely have to know:
1. You need to track your marketing tactics’ progress
Having a quality marketing campaign is vital to the success of a business, but even more important is gauging how effective that campaign is. While using data to forecast consumer tastes and trends offers you a degree of certainty when it comes to how well the campaign will go, if there’s one thing the internet has taught us, it’s that things are ever changing. In 2016, an effective marketing tactic for all businesses is to invest in a quality ROI, which can mix sales and marketing into one – honing campaigns to hit the right targets and adjusting on the go to accommodate high and low points. Big data, along with flash storage, can play a role in keeping track of your progress.
2. You need a social media presence
Most consumers will search you out online before they ever take a moment to visit your store or call up your sales team. Having a website is undoubtedly the most important web presence to have, but you also need a social media presence – something that many have overlooked. On top of simply interacting with consumers on these sites, having an account on Facebook or Twitter shows a certain level of competence. Less experienced and lower quality businesses overlook the value of reaching out to consumers on multiple platforms, and people know this. By creating a single static Facebook page or posting a tweet or two once a week, you can show consumers that you are real and you are ready to give them what they want.
3. You need regular content
Perhaps you’re an entrepreneur that has just opened up a shoe shop. What does this have to do with a ‘color symbolism’ article? Everything. People on the internet are looking to be entertained and they need a reason to stay on your website. While they might browse your pages for a few minutes, general product descriptions and “About” pages will lose their interest soon. They’ll bookmark your site, they might visit it again in six months, but they’re not likely to be a return customer. How can they see your latest deals? How can they fall in love with a pair of your shoes on impulse? Regular content is how. By creating articles, graphics, and videos to share on a ‘blog’ portion of your site, consumers will have a reason to come back regularly and see what you have to offer.
4. Have a mobile-version of your site
Granted, laptops and tablets are popular, but much of the public still does their web-surfing on their phone – especially in a jam. If your website isn’t compatible with mobile phones, then it’s easy for consumers to pass you by for another option. Marketing is about more than new approaches – it’s about honing and perfecting your current approaches. By making your website mobile-friendly, you can eliminate an obstacle and gain a loyal customer.
5. SEO is a very real thing
Since it’s such a simple concept, there are a lot of scams, but SEO is still one of the most valuable assets a business can have. Most people don’t click beyond the first page of results on Google, and that means if you’re on page two, you’re out of luck. By investing in quality SEO, you can get your social media page or website to the first page of results and gain those views that are otherwise out of your reach.
Digital marketing is the road to success in the modern day, and new advancements, challenges, and obstacles wait in 2016. For entrepreneurs trying to keep their businesses sprinting towards the finish, knowing some of the best practices and tips can be the difference between an okay marketing strategy and a killer one.
About the Author:
This article was written by Rick Delgado, technology commentator and writer.
