The online world is constantly changing. This means that your digital marketing strategy needs to keep up to speed. Digital marketing requires a high level of engagement, some preliminary research (what’s trending? how are people sharing information?) and creative risk taking. If you wish your favorite brands would do a little more of the latter, a .SUCKS domain like StaleContent.Sucks can help you to celebrate the brands doing it right and offer constructive criticism and forward-thinking ideas to those who are still lagging behind.
Digital marketing can be finicky, and what works for one company might fall flat for another. Set clear goals before you start so you can evaluate your efforts and change strategies when necessary. It can be overwhelming when you are tasked with constructing the perfect online marketing campaign, so here are some steps to get you started:
Target Your Audience
Millions and millions of people sign up, log on and plug in to an endless number of websites, platforms and social channels every day. From cellphones to desktops to smart watches, it seems like everyone is connected online these days. It’s impossible to target everyone with your marketing strategies, so make sure you know who your primary audience is before you start. You should aim to establish a community around your brand and design your messaging to resonate with your intended audience.
Learn from the pros: Create and solidify your own community. Take American Express, who offers helpful articles written for and by business experts on their OPEN Forum. This not only draws people in, but keeps them around with the promise of ongoing collaboration and idea sharing. It also helps their team figure out who, exactly, their audience is, and to cater to these readers and their ongoing business needs.
Try New Tools
Are you putting your effort into Facebook and Twitter, exploring new social media experiences to stay ahead of the trends, playing with video content, trying to increase website traffic, reaching out to repeat customers with a newsletter or starting a blog? Your digital marketing strategy will shift depending on what platforms you are targeting. While you may have some rinse-and-repeat tactics up your sleeve, you should continue to assess what type of content and which channels may be most effective at reaching your current or desired markets.
Learn from the pros: Snapchat can be difficult to figure out but these brands took the plunge—and it paid off. Burberry was the first luxury brand to run an ad campaign with Snapchat’s “Discover” feature. They are also active on Pinterest. Pick what tools work best for your brand but don’t be afraid to experiment with new channels to reach web users.
Ad Some Value
Many companies stick to AdWords and Facebook ads to draw eyes to their brand. When revamping your strategy, you should keep in mind that in the busy world of online marketing, you not only want more eyes on your business but you also want people to engage with your brand. Will a banner ad be as effective as a highly-shared blog post? Is a Snap story enough, or will a longer video compilation create a stronger emotional connection with your audience? You should aim to provide value while getting your message across.
Learn from the pros: Entwine products and content. Fitness and lifestyle brand Equinox found great success with an online audience, leading them to build an online magazine called Furthermore. Furthermore not only establishes Equinox as an authority on high-performance lifestyles, but it provides valuable and informative health and fitness content to readers. While this additional endeavor undoubtedly cost a time and financial investment, the brand now has an arsenal of valuable content to repurpose and promote across social channels.
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Don’t Forget Mobile
Nearly 60% of online searches are made from mobile devices (cellphones, tablets, and so on). If your online marketing neglects mobile users (for example, if your website or newsletter doesn’t display well on smartphones), then you are missing out on a ton of potential hits. Companies should also use mobile in their cross-channel (or “omnichannel”) strategies (e.g. using mobile coupons to encourage in-store shopping).
Learn from the pros: Nissan created an interactive video advertisement that targeted mobile audiences with great success. The ad involved an SUV “battling” winter conditions and menacing animated snowmen, while users could tap different areas to learn about various features of the vehicle. Can’t afford a whole video campaign? A domain like WinterDriving.Sucks could lead users to a similar message.
The Takeaway
Everyone can benefit from a revised digital marketing strategy. It’s a great way to refresh your content and draw in new users and/or customers. If you’re looking to refresh your marketing strategy, a memorable domain might be the tool you’re missing from your toolkit.
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Photos: Shutterstock / SFIO CRACHO, Shutterstock / Uber Images, Shutterstock / funkyfrogstock
