I was walking along the cliffs of Dover Heights today with my good friend Tzaki Koren , and we were talking about how best to use digital media.
We happened to have a great session last week with Emma Sidney at our BBG LinkedIn Forum in Melbourne last week, so I decided to share some of the learnings, a bit of what I do, a bit of what I read today and mash it up.
Digital marketing is the practice of reaching out to potential and current customers online.
Some of the tools used is social media, email, Google ads, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), blogs, online brochures, TikTok , videos, connecting with other websites and of course referron !
You need to find out where online your customers are living and playing!
When people look for a business/ loan/ network/ job/ or whatever you have to sell is..... where do they look?
Google is still the bomb!!! Are you on page 1 when they type in relevant keywords?
How do you maximise the bang for the buck of reaching your customer ....... and once you do reach your customer .... what do you want them to do?
In a B2B business ... it usually takes many interactions (they say 26 ) before a sale is made.... so getting found and having the first interaction is probably 1 to 5 , because once they come across you, they are going to search you , Google your name and search you on LinkedIn, Facebook and go to your Website!
Basic digital marketing isn't rocket science. (Even I can do it!!)
Here’s an example of my funnel
1. Target - create an avatar of your ideal customer
The more time you spend on targetting your market and identify who they are, what they like, what there pains are and where they live on line... the better it is.
Mine are on LinkedIn - it is easy for me and other bbg members to target the relevant people as collectively, we have massive databases and understand the power of collaboration.
2. Identify a way in which you can engage and meet them.
For me it’s easy.... I invite them to meet me at a free bbg forum that is relevant to them . (I go to 4 of them a month) see www.bbg.business to go to an event near you.
3. Connect with them on LinkedIn and Inmail them -
Send your target a personalised Inmail... that will want them to respond.
This article is about making sure you maximise your digital assets and developing strategies and using tools for them to engage with you.
Your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, google business etc .... needs to showcase what you do effectively ... it is your front door and what your prospects see.
I was reading an article by Chad Vanags who shared 6 key thongs you need to look at when starting your Dogital Media journey .
Find and use keywords in everything
Keywords are words that describe your business. For example, if you’re a plumber, keywords might be "plumber," "clogged pipe," and "leaky faucet." The keywords are the words that a person uses in Google when looking for your services.
Here’s a trick... be as specific as possible .... “clogged pipe BONDI” or “plumber rose bay”
Take some time with a keyword planner, like Google Keyword Planner. Find the best words for your business, make a list and keep it nearby.
Every time you do any digital marketing, use some of those keywords. When you write a blog, use the keywords within the text.
If you make a video, use the keywords. If you update your website, use the keywords.
Don’t overuse your keywords. Google will notice that. Use them naturally and only as much as you need to, but do use them and use them often.
This is the single most important piece of any digital marketing campaign. If you don't put keywords into your marketing, no one will find you and that defeats the purpose of marketing.
Start a blog
Create informational, helpful content and publish it on your website, LinkedIn and Facebook page.
Content you share should make you look like an industry expert. You always want to appear knowledgeable and you start to build trust.
With solid, helpful content, your followers learn to trust you and they share that trust with their friends and family. Your brand becomes more than just a "store," and that transfers into loyal customers and more sales.
So what type of content engages people and causes them to share?
- Content that tells a story your customers can relate to and understand
- Content that brings out emotions
- Content that brings real value to your customers, like how-tos
Google prefers in-depth content and has let people know longer blog posts, between 1,500 and 2,000 words, are rewarded. But it has to be quality content in that 2,000 words. If you don't have 2,000 words to write that people will want to read, keep it shorter and high quality.
Share that content with other Sites and Magazines - Such as Spark Weekly
https://paper.li/bsivc/1372196625#/
Use social media organically
The key to social media is consistency. Find where your audience is hanging out, then share your content with them, be a part of their lives,
offer information, be helpful and occasionally advertise.
Sharing content will get you organic growth and create a long-term relationship with your followers.
When your followers engage with your content, their friends see your content and your network grows.
Organic social media can seem like such a drop in the bucket, but it has big payback potential if you’re consistently working to share content and engage with your audience.
Here are a few things to consider when creating your social media channels:
- Choose the social media sites your potential customers are using. Pick one or two channels and focus on them. You don't need to be on every single social media channel that exists.
- Take advantage of the behind the scenes analytics. If you find something that works well, repurpose and reuse it. Don't reinvent the wheel.
- Find key influencers in your industry and engage with them. Eventually, people with a larger social media presence will start to share your content. But before that happens, you may need to do some relationship building. While you are waiting for them to friend or follow you, share their content.
- Use social media tools to schedule your posts. Try Hootsuite, Buffer or SocialOomph. Some of them have free versions. Block off some time to get your social media posts together for the week, and then use one of these tools to schedule the posts. It looks like you are posting all week long, but the work is all done at once so you can focus on other things, like running your business.
Make and share a video
Video is the bomb 💣 ! It is a perfect way to share your company with people. A branded video delivers information, increases conversions and builds trust with your audience. It's more interesting than reading text. It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate.
Here’s how to get started:
- Get familiar with your smartphone camera. Most smartphone cameras are good enough as a first camera for filming marketing videos.
- Buy a video editing tool (I use videoleap) and use iMovies
Optimize your website
Have it mobile enabled . Emma Sidney of Digital Copywriting gave a BBG talk on what it takes to build a great website and effective SEO strategies. I will share this soon.
Delivering a fantastic customer experience on a desktop ensures your prospect stays on the site, looks around and takes the action you want them to take. Your website needs to be user-friendly in order to connect to your audience.
Mobile sites must be quick and efficient in every possible way. When people are on the go and looking at your site, they need immediate access and ease of use. They need to be able to find exactly what they are looking for without any confusion.
With both your mobile website and your desktop site, it's not only about the design of the site, but it's also about the experience, the ease of use and the speed of the site. The design is only a small piece of the big picture.
While taking the time to check your website, go through page by page. Are your keywords in the content? If not, now might be a good time to update your content.
Here are a few tips to help you with your website SEO:
- Set up a Google Search Console account. Register your domain name and follow the steps they have outlined. Google will give you tips on what needs to be addressed on your site.
- When creating your website content, remember to fill in the page title, metadata and all the other information Google asks for. If you have images on your website, add descriptions to your images. Google's bots cannot read pictures, just words.
- Use key phrases, not just keywords. Each page on your site should have a specific topic with related keywords and phrases. Be sure not to overuse the words though, as Google can penalize you for stuffing your pages. Keep it natural.
Build and utilize an email list
Email list building and emarketing often gets overlooked by small businesses . A responsive email list will be your most valuable marketing asset, even more beneficial than your social media channels.
It is my most effective asset.
It enables you to communicate directly to your subscribers and keep you connected . You can be really targeted in your communication.
The conversion rate (that’s the number of people who do what you’re asking them to do) for emails is three times biggerthan for social media campaigns.
At BBG we have a Emarketing system for our members and will work with you to build your list.
Have a Bucket to excite , engage and enthuse your prospects
When developing a relationship with your prospects .... don’t sell them. Build klt with them (know, like and trust) with them.
Share stories of interest, invite them to a talk, invite them to a BBG forum.... it’s free!!!
Find out what there pain point is, who can help them and refer.
The key thing is is to have EQ .... empathy.put yourself in their shoes and give them what they need.
My favourite quotes of the month from Allem Pathmarajah who hosts our BBG forum in Singapore is:-
“If you give people what they want , you will get what you want”
And
“People don’t care what you know unless they know that you care”
