In a world that’s fueled by digital technologies and the internet, your brand needs to have dominant online presence. The term “digital marketing” is comprehensive and can mean different things for different businesses and websites. However, one thing remains constant- every website needs to be promoted, and the right digital mix is critical for the same. Creating your digital marketing strategy could be a confusing affair, and there are a few components that cannot be ignored. In this post, we are talking of the ideal mix that should be remaining unchanged for every marketing plan.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, is an all-inclusive term that comprises of everything that helps in pushing your website in search results. SEO is often called unpaid or organic marketing, primarily because it doesn’t require any payment. You are basically using strategies and practices that search engines will appreciate, so things like content marketing, link building and on-page SEO become important. SEO alone can push your website’s authority and presence, and it is often considered to be the foremost step in online marketing.
Most SEO agencies will start the process with a website audit, which will offer a fair idea of the on-page elements that must be fixed. Following this, the actual off-page SEO plan will be chalked out.
Search Engine Marketing
When you look for something on Google, you will find that a few sponsored ads crop up ahead of the search results. These are ads for which brands are paying, and that’s the essence of search engine marketing, or Pay Per Click. The good news is search engine marketing, or SEM, is absolutely scalable, so you can actually decide on the amount of money you want to spend per month. Also, you don’t technically pay for the ads, but for each click on those ads.
Search engine marketing can be really handy when it comes to gaining more exposure instantly and to boost sales.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing, or SMM, is closely related to SEO and SEM. Firstly, social media marketing could be a mixed thing, where you can use Facebook and other forms of advertising for paid promotions, besides using content for organic marketing. Social media mentions, brand connections and shares can actually boost your brand value considerably, and these platforms are actually great for connecting with your customers.
Social media, used rightly, can help in building brand identity, and there are many companies that actually spend more on Facebook ads rather than on search engines.
Online reputation management
You don’t just want to have online presence – You need positive online presence, and that’s where online reputation management comes in the picture. Competitors can go to any length to actually outperform others, and even when there is no fault, you may realize that your brand is being portrayed in the long right. In simple terms, ORM is all about burying all the negative content and promoting good content for your website and business. It could mean a lot of content marketing, and the right agency will help in creating a strategy that will make sense for your brand’s current standing.
ORM, when done aggressively, can work as an extensive branding tool and will become a component of SEO and paid marketing.
In conclusion
If you want to make the most of digital marketing, ensure that that ORM¸ SEO, SEM and SMM are a part of your campaign. Make sure that you have evaluated the budget and have hired an agency that aligns its expertise for the needs of your website. Think of these components for the long term before giving nod for a campaign.