Digital marketing originated as businesses started experimenting with new marketing tactics due to the proliferation of digital technology, such as computers and smartphones.
Jumping ahead to today, digital marketing holds just as much, and possibly even greater, significance than conventional marketing techniques. Some businesses are experiencing a widening gap between traditional and digital marketing, whereas others have developed innovative methods for merging the two. Despite the approach taken, it is crucial for businesses to establish and implement a practical digital marketing plan.
What Are the Basics of Digital Marketing?
The use of electronic devices to carry out marketing strategies, including those on the Internet, is referred to as digital marketing. Enterprises employ various channels such as social media, websites, search engines, emails, video, blogs, and other means to reach out to their target audience.
Digital marketing is a dynamic process that differs from traditional marketing in terms of being static and having a one-way communication approach. While a billboard or print ad does not allow customers to interact with a business, digital marketing enables a two-way communication channel between a business and its prospective or existing customers.
Nowadays, numerous individuals spend an immense amount of time fixed to screens. Digital marketing exploits this circumstance and endorses company products and services on the web. By doing so, businesses make certain their marketing endeavors have a greater chance of reaching consumers by focusing on where they allocate most of their time.
Employing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy has the potential to yield substantial financial advantages for companies of all sizes, from fledgling startups to established corporations. Typically, a winning digital marketing plan entails utilizing an array of techniques, such as online ads, search engine optimization, marketing and advertising, social media management and marketing, and content production, among other tactics.
Are There Different Ways to Conduct Digital Marketing?
Countless techniques are available to engage in digital marketing, and they vary depending on the requirements and objectives of a business. As a broad concept, digital marketing involves several channels to connect with potential customers, and it is not a standardized approach.
It should be noted that various approaches are commonly used in the execution of digital marketing, including:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — SEO is the practice of improving ranking within major search engines to increase online traffic.
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) — SEM leverages paid online advertising to increase website visibility within search engines. SEM is often used in conjunction with SEO.
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) — PPC is an online method for advertising where a business only pays for its ads when a person clicks on them.
- Social Media Marketing (SMM) — SMM is the practice of using social media channels to promote business products or services. The use of social media influencers, often referred to as influencer marketing, is prevalent in SMM.
- Email Marketing — Email marketing enables businesses to send branded, promotional content directly to prospective customers via email. The use of automated newsletters is common in this context.
- Affiliate Marketing — Affiliate marketing is a performance-based exercise that enables revenue sharing and pay-per-sale (PPS) compensation within a common network.
- Content Marketing — Content marketing refers to the publishing and distribution of text, video, or audio materials to customers online. Blogs, videos, and podcasts are common ways for businesses to engage in content marketing.
- Native Advertising — Native advertising involves blending marketing materials into a medium, making the underlying message and marketing purposes equally important. Sponsored content, in which one business posts its own content on a different website, is a common method of native advertising.
What Benefits Can I Achieve Through Digital Marketing?
Due to the various techniques available in digital marketing, those with digital expertise can reap a range of advantages. At a high level, digital marketing allows companies to connect with customers while they go about their daily routine, whether it’s browsing social media, perusing online articles, or watching videos. This organic and frequent exposure to marketing can result in numerous business benefits.
In particular, digital marketing has the potential to provide businesses with one or more of the following advantages:
- Global Reach — Unlike traditional methods, digital marketing is not necessarily bound to a specific geographic area. The Internet is available to customers across the globe. This allows businesses to market and sell to customers who live in a different state or country, removing many traditional barriers to entry.
- Low Cost of Entry — To achieve the global reach of digital marketing through traditional channels, there would be a serious price tag attached. On the other hand, certain aspects of digital marketing can be achieved with a small investment of time and resources. For example, even small or startup businesses can create a website, manage social media and publish blogs without breaking the bank.
- Measurable ROI — In order to maximize profits, businesses must carefully evaluate return on investment (ROI). With traditional marketing, ROI can be difficult, sometimes impossible, to measure. On the other hand, digital marketing provides real-time visibility into the effectiveness of each campaign, enabling business leaders to make well-informed decisions to drive revenue and increase profit.
- Improved Targeting — Digital marketing allows businesses to target very specific demographics of potential customers. By engaging customers in a particular geography, industry, or social channel, businesses have a much better chance of reaching their target demographic.
- Dynamic Adaptability — Digital marketing strategies are extremely malleable and flexible, enabling businesses to adjust course when needed. Unlike long-term, traditional marketing campaigns, businesses can adjust their digital efforts on the fly, enabling quick pivots when necessary to realize a commercial opportunity.
- Immediate Connection — Before making a purchase, modern customers generally conduct online research and evaluate reviews. The first step in this process typically starts with a search engine. In this way, businesses with developed SEO, SEM, and PPC strategies can connect immediately with customers.
- Relationship Building — The rise of social media has turned it into a dominant communications platform for many customer demographics. Furthermore, customers increasingly want to interact with businesses on their terms and on their preferred platforms. As a result, businesses that engage in effective SMM practices can build longtime and loyal relationships with current and prospective customers.
In general, digital marketing can offer significant advantages to businesses of all types and sizes. Additionally, the cost of digital marketing is customizable to suit the needs of individual businesses, removing many obstacles associated with traditional methods. Given the range of benefits achievable for a variety of budgets, it is not surprising that numerous businesses are finding success through digital marketing strategies.
An Introduction to B2B Content Marketing
B2B content marketing refers to the process of creating and distributing valuable content specifically targeting other businesses. Despite being a topic that can cause confusion among even the most experienced eCommerce professionals, it is crucial to have a well-planned strategy for B2B content marketing. This not only adds support and provides reinforcement to one’s eCommerce division but also helps to distinguish oneself in a market that is becoming progressively more competitive.
B2B Content Marketing Isn’t B2C Content Marketing
B2B content marketing is distinct from B2C, which may seem evident. Marketing experts are accustomed to generating content with potential clients in focus. However, B2B content marketing is unambiguously aimed at businesses and developed by businesses.
Producing superior B2B content positions your company as an authority on the subject matter. It showcases your proficiency and added value. If done effectively, it generates leads and sales through a direct connection between peers. Put simply, it is not typical content geared towards consumers.
Tell A Better Story
Enhance the appeal of your content and infuse it with a call to action by utilizing storytelling. All businesses possess a unique tale – what’s the story behind yours? In what manner does your organization’s narrative remedy your readers’ predicaments? Seek out a method to relate that narrative.
Instead of trying to sell your product or service, showcase how your company and the information you provide can be beneficial to your intended audience.
Stories have a special way of capturing the interest of human beings. We find them relatable, engaging, and emotionally compelling, especially if they mirror our own experiences. Though B2B content marketing targets businesses instead of consumers, it ultimately communicates with actual individuals.
Narrating a story not just prevents your content from being insipid and dreary, but it adds a personal touch to your business, providing you with an advantage over your competition.
Diversify Your B2B Content
An extensive range of content creation, including social media, videos, blog posts, and more, is encompassed in digital marketing. Although blog content is frequently prioritized as the most popular B2B content marketing strategy, broadening your content types can help you distinguish yourself from the masses.
The Content Marketing Institute, considered as the top expert on content marketing, reports that B2B content marketers utilize less than half of content methods like podcasts, online presentations, and live-streaming videos. Additionally, pre-produced video content, webinars, and infographics are also not used to the fullest extent, with usage rates being under 60%.
B2B enterprises and their marketing personnel typically concentrate on social media, blogs, and email newsletters, leaving room for you to develop and utilize content in distinct ways from your rivals.
To stay up-to-date in an ever-changing industry, incorporating innovative technologies and delivery techniques can give your company’s marketing plan a fresh perspective. While traditional mediums like blog content are important, they no longer stand out. Explore other approaches that complement traditional B2B content marketing strategies.
Know Your Target Audience
A recurring phrase you may be familiar with is this: understanding your audience is a crucial step in communicating effectively with them.
Fortunately, there is an immense volume of extremely valuable information available to you. Google Analytics is an excellent resource for discovering details about the individuals who frequent your website. You can glean a basic understanding of their demographics as well as more detailed insights such as which pages they frequent and the topics that interest them the most. This enables you to confirm whether your content is effective and gives you guidance for future planning.
The analysis of social media is equally valuable in determining the type of content that is being distributed. Is the digital transformation video generating significant response? It may be considered expanding it into a comprehensive blog post or conducting a webinar. Is the Industry Twitter discussing techniques on converting visitors to customers? Re-promote the article on conversion that was authored by your VP of Digital Strategy and published a few months earlier.
Make It Personal
After identifying your target audience, the next step is to customize it.
An approach that can be taken is to establish reader personas (comparable to buyer personas) and produce content tailored to each persona.
The way in which you communicate with the VP of Marketing will vary greatly from how you communicate with a Chief Operating Officer, as their objectives, worries, and knowledge differ.
The identification of your reader personas enables you to produce content that is more tailored, convincing, and significant. Using the vocabulary that resonates with each persona builds confidence, luring your readers to repeatedly consume your content.
A technique to consider is producing content that is tailored to specific groups. This can be achieved by categorizing individuals based on factors like geography, age, or occupation. Consequently, you can personalize content and direct appropriate information to the relevant audience.
Have A B2B Content Promotion Strategy
You may have created informative, valuable, and customized content, but unfortunately, it is not getting the attention it deserves. Content promotion has become indispensable in today’s digital era. The days of relying only on organic reach are gone, but there is a wide range of reasonably priced advertising options available as a solution.
Invest time and resources into devising a B2B content promotion strategy that includes a range of tactics, from targeted social ads on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, to more advanced techniques such as SEO enhancements and partnerships with other companies to expand your collective audiences.
Set Measurable Goals
It is not uncommon to become engrossed in producing content and disregard the evaluation of its effectiveness.
Incorporating specific objectives is crucial when developing a B2B content marketing plan, whether it be to boost website traffic or expand the number of subscribers on your email list.
Establish attainable yet impactful objectives and monitor them regularly. Ensure that they are easily understandable and definite to confirm that you are achieving your intended outcomes. Utilize the findings to refine your tactics and adapt your methodology as necessary.
It’s All About Trust
Establishing trust is crucial for the success of your B2B content, regardless of how great your storytelling skills are, how well-defined your target audience is, the diversity of your content distribution platforms, or the viewership of your B2B content.
Merely scratching the surface involves delivering informative, feasible, and instructive material (which prioritizes your audience’s requirements over your inclination to publicize your merchandise and resolutions).
It is clear that B2B content marketing aims to achieve various objectives such as increasing content shares, views, and discussions. The primary targets are to encourage your target audience to subscribe to your emails, participate in your webinars, and remain engaged when you share information.
In the end, the primary objective of all these aims is to establish a relationship of trust between your audience and your company.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, 96% of highly successful content marketers affirm that their audience perceives them as trustworthy and reliable information sources.
Every piece of content marketing you produce should primarily focus on building credibility. However, what are the steps to forming this significant connection?
To establish trust, you need to maintain consistency. It is important to consistently produce dependable content. Generating new and valuable content frequently can be a difficult task. Keep an eye on the latest trends in your field and predict queries your audience might have regarding new technology and ideas, in order to keep your content new.
