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The days of relying solely on referrals and traditional advertising are fading. Today, over 70% of consumers will search for a company’s website before visiting their physical location. Simply offering great products and services is no longer enough to fuel business growth. That’s why businesses should turn to digital marketing to expand awareness of what they do and why they do it better.
Maximizing digital marketing to organically grow your business can be a sound approach if you proceed strategically. In this blog, we will cover some of the top strategies for building a strong online brand that leads to greater organic growth.
Building a Strong Digital Foundation
In today’s increasingly online world, your digital presence is more influential than ever before. Clients will make assumptions about your business based on what they see online, so it is important to put your best foot forward. Areas to focus on involve your website, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and content marketing.
Crafting a Professional and User-Friendly Website
Your website is one of the first places prospective clients will look when they are deciding if they will select your business for their needs. It is important that your website clearly represents your business and demonstrates that you and your team are credible professionals. Some key elements to incorporate are a clear value proposition, service descriptions, team bios with credentials, and easy-to-find contact information.
Of course, the most helpful website in the world is useless if it is hard to navigate or slow to load. Be sure to follow user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) best practices to make it easy for prospective clients to find what they are looking for on your site. According to Semrush, 63% of US Google searches are on mobile, so it is critical to also make sure your website is optimized for mobile users.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Visibility
You can have the most user-friendly, helpful website, but without Search Engine Optimization (SEO), not very many people will see your website. SEO is the process of improving a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages such as Google® or Bing®. This is key because the top-ranking sites for a search on Google see a 22.4% click-through rate. For comparison, the 10th position only has a 2.3% click-through rate. The higher your ranking, the greater your chances of being found by prospective clients who are searching online.
A great place to start optimizing your website for SEO is to identify the relevant terms your target audience uses (e.g., “retirement planning services,” “home insurance,” or “tax preparation services”). Then, optimize the content on your website to make it easier for search engines to find with tactics such as meta descriptions and title tags.
Content Marketing: Providing Value and Building Trust
Elevate your brand by consistently delivering valuable content that resonates with your audience. Providing relevant and helpful content will help boost not only your website’s authority with search engines but also build trust with your prospects and current clients. Establish your team’s expertise with blog posts, infographics, videos, webinars, and case studies. Focus on topics relevant to your target audience’s needs and concerns such as market updates, investment strategies, and financial planning tips to position your business as a go-to resource.
Leveraging Key Digital Marketing Channels
Once you’ve established your digital marketing foundation, it’s time to leverage digital marketing channels to share your content and reach new clients.
Social Media Marketing: Engaging and Building Relationships
Social media marketing increases your reach and brand awareness, and when done correctly, fosters client engagement and loyalty. 71% of consumers are likely to recommend a brand if they have a positive social media experience with it. The key is choosing the right platforms for your target audience and sharing content that resonates. Find and join community groups or industry-specific groups to build networks. Establish your brand as a leader via educational posts and industry insights. Connect with your clients and prospects by sharing team updates and highlighting their expertise.
Email Marketing: Nurturing Leads and Retaining Clients
Another powerful channel is email marketing. Unlike traditional marketing methods like mailing postcards, email marketing is trackable. With email marketing, you can track who is opening and clicking on your emails. From this information, you can better understand what content resonates best with your audience. Build an email list through website sign-ups and by offering valuable content. Examples include newsletters, event invitations, client updates, and promotional offers (where appropriate and compliant). Be sure to monitor your inboxes and promptly reply to any feedback you get to strengthen your client and prospect relationships.
Paid Advertising: Driving Targeted Traffic and Generating Leads
While SEO brings organic traffic to your site, paid advertising is another way to increase website traffic and revenue. Popular ad platforms include Google® ads and social media advertising such as LinkedIn® ads. The key is to develop targeted campaigns based on the demographics, interests, and online behaviors of your ideal prospects. Just as with any digital media campaign, it is important to set clear goals, track conversions, and optimize campaigns for the best ROI.
Measuring Success and Continuous Improvement
How will you know if your digital marketing efforts are having a positive influence on your revenue? Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) will give you a better understanding of what channels are performing the best and which ones need adjustment. Track and analyze data such as website traffic, conversion rates, engagement metrics (social media likes, shares, comments), and email open and click-through rates. Based on results and the data from your KPIs, you can experiment with different elements such as website headlines, email subject lines, or ad copy to improve performance.
Conclusion
Digital marketing presents an undeniable opportunity for businesses to unlock significant growth. Start by establishing a robust digital foundation through a professional website, strategic SEO, and valuable content. Then, actively engage audiences across key channels like social media, email, and targeted paid advertising, to expand reach, nurture relationships, and ultimately, drive revenue. Remember, the journey doesn't end with implementation. Continuously monitor your KPIs and adapt your strategies based on data-driven insights. Start implementing these strategies today to unlock significant growth for your business.