A Google search for digital marketing strategies can be overwhelming:
“You should be posting on social media every single day.”
“Email. Email. Email!”
“You should be live-streaming and posting Stories.”
“You should be interacting with your followers daily.”
“Did we mention EMAIL?”
The “should’s” for digital marketing seem too demanding before you even get started. Plus, you might not have additional resources or time for digital marketing efforts if you’re a small business owner or don’t have a marketing team.
Before you throw in the towel, we have good news: you don’t have to tackle every “should-do” and “must-have” digital marketing list to share your passion with others.
You only have to start somewhere, and the new year is the perfect time!
We’ve created an “on-ramp” guide to marketing your business online. Here are four simple ways to get started.
1. Create a website.
We know — we told you we’d list some easy ways to venture into online digital marketing. Creating a website sounds like a big first step, but it doesn’t have to be! Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy, and other hosting services offer templates and easy-to-use tools to create a simple website for your business.
We also wrote a blog last week titled “5 Questions to Ask before Launching Your Website.” Of course, you want a website that catches the eye with good design, but these questions will ensure you’re creating a site with copy and design that sells your product or service too.
2. Start an account for your business on 2-3 social media platforms and create one post a week.
Don’t feel pressured to have an account for your business on every social media platform. Choose 2-3 platforms and make a goal to post once per week at the beginning. Consider these questions when choosing which platforms you’ll use:
- What platforms does your ideal customer spend most of their time on?
- What platforms are you already most comfortable with?
- Will your content primarily focus on photos, videos, copy, live-streaming, or a combination?
- What marketing options are available on each platform, and which ones are best suited for your budget?
Once you’ve decided which platforms you’ll use, start planning a weekly post for each of them. You can even create a content calendar so you have posts planned in advance. If you and your team easily forget to post on socials, try scheduling posts in advance with free services like Hootsuite or Creator Studio.
3. Write a bi-monthly blog on your website.
Blogging is another way to create digital marketing content, and you don’t have to do it every day or even every week! Start with a bi-monthly blog on your website and share it on social media.
You might be wondering how a blog can sell your product or service or worry you’ll run out of content ideas fast. If you’ll ask this important question every time you set out to write a blog, it gets easier:
What can I write about that 1) serves my target audience and 2) showcases the value of my product or service?
In other words, what can you offer for free using words?
We’re giving away our secret to Marketing Mondays. In our blogs, we send free digital marketing tips to serve readers, and these tips also give you a window into what we offer at Sigl Creative.
If you’re a coffee company, send a bi-monthly blog with recipes for different coffee drinks to make at home. Email some recipes that include your product if you’re in the food industry. Create a vlog every other week where you style an employee using pieces from your clothing line.
Keep a running list of ideas so you’re not scrambling every other week for content. Then get creative with copy that serves your readers and highlights your product or service.
4. Begin emailing current subscribers on a consistent basis.
Email marketing is on every digital marketing “must-have” list for a reason. A strong email marketing game allows you to build relationships with prospects, leads, current customers, and even past customers.
Before you send an email, make sure you have a way for people to subscribe to your email list on your website.
Then start small. Email your bi-monthly blog to subscribers. Send a short email letting them know about your latest social media post. This way you don’t have to create any new content for the emails. You only need to write short, catchy copy inviting them to visit your socials or website.
When you’re ready to up your email marketing game, create a welcome flow for new subscribers. A welcome flow is a series of 3-5 automated emails sent to new subscribers over several days. These emails further build the relationship between you and your target audience by identifying their pain points and how your product or service solves them, sharing more about your business, and serving them by sending valuable content.
We’ve shared some ways to elevate your emails here. You don’t need to start with a million flows to have a good email marketing strategy. You only need to be consistent.
We recommend these ideas for getting started, and our team at Sigl Creative is here to help you in 2022. We specialize in each of these digital marketing services and love helping people like you pursue their passion. Schedule a call today, and let’s talk about what strategy works best for you.
