In the digital world, having an online presence is not enough; you need effective strategies that take your business to the next level.
From SEO that puts you on the Google map, to email marketing that allows you to reach your customers directly, there are a variety of powerful tools at your disposal.
But how can you use these strategies simply and effectively? In this article, we’ll break down each of these tactics in accessible language and give you practical examples that will show you how you can increase your profits with digital marketing.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
What is SEO and why does it matter in your digital marketing strategies?
Imagine you have a store on a busy street. The more people that pass by, the more chances you have to sell. SEO is like placing your store on that busy street, but in the digital world.
It is a series of techniques that make your website appear in the first results of Google when someone searches for something related to what you offer. And when more people find you, the more you sell.
1. Keyword research:
This is where it all starts. Think about the words or phrases that people would type into Google to find what you sell. For example, if you have a shoe store, they might search for “comfortable shoes” or “cheap sneakers”.
The idea is to find words that many people search for, but that don’t have so much competition. Tools like Google Keyword Planner (it’s free with your google ads account) can help you discover these magic words.
Practical example:
Let’s say you have an online store that sells personalized mugs. After doing some research, you discover that “mugs with funny phrases” is a phrase that many people search for, but there aren’t that many stores that use that specific phrase on their sites.
If you optimize your page using that phrase, people are more likely to find your store when they search for that type of mug, which could increase your sales.
2. On-page optimization (On-page SEO):
This is like fixing up your store window so that people passing by are interested and come in. Google also “looks” at your page and decides if it is relevant and useful to those who are looking for something.
Here it is important that the keywords you found are in key places on your page: in the title, in the descriptions and in the headings.
It is also crucial that the content is good, that is, that it really helps people.
Practical example:
Continuing with the example of personalized mugs, imagine you create a page on your site that is titled “The best mugs with funny phrases to give as gifts”.
If you use that phrase in the title, subtitles and description of the page, Google will know what your page is about and will show it to more people who are looking for that type of product.
Warning: it is not just using that phrase repeatedly but using variations and introducing them in the text in an organic way).
3. Off-page SEO (Off-page SEO):
This is about getting other people to speak well of your store, such as when a satisfied customer recommends your store to a friend. This is achieved by getting other websites (that are reliable and popular) to link to your site.
Google sees these links as a vote of confidence and rewards you by showing you in higher positions. It is also useful to be active on social networks, because that helps to get more people talking about you and sharing your content.
Practical example:
Imagine a popular gift blog writes an article about “The best personalized mugs” and mentions your store with a link to your page.
Not only will this attract readers of that blog to your site, but it will also signal to Google that your store is trustworthy and relevant, which could help you appear in the top search results.
Content Marketing
What is content marketing and how can it help you?
Content marketing is like telling stories that interest your customers. When you offer them something valuable or interesting, like a good article, a funny video or a useful tip, they start to trust you. And when they trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you.
1. Creation of relevant and valuable content:
The first step is to know your customers well. Ask yourself: Who are they? What do they care about or want to know? Once you know that, you can create content that really interests them.
You can write articles, make videos, create infographics or even organize webinars (online chats). The important thing is that this content is useful for them.
Practical example:
Imagine you run an online beauty products store. After some research, you discover that many of your customers are looking for tips on how to take care of their skin in winter.
Then you decide to write a blog post titled “5 Tips to Keep Your Skin Hydrated in Winter”.
This content not only helps your customers, but also shows them that you are an expert on the subject, which increases the likelihood that they will buy your products.
2. Content distribution and promotion:
It’s not enough to create good content; you also need to share it where your customers will see it. You can use your blog, your social networks or send emails to reach them.
It is also useful to promote your content on social networks, because that can make more people see it and share it.
Practical example:
Continuing with the example of beauty products, after writing the skin care article, you share it on your Facebook page, on your Instagram account and also email it to your customers.
In addition, you decide to invest a little in a paid promotion on Facebook to reach more people. As a result, more customers come to your online store and buy your products.
3. Content performance measurement and analysis:
After sharing your content, it’s important to see how it’s performing. This is where analytics tools like Google Analytics come in.
These tell you how many people have seen your content, how long they stayed and if they clicked on any links. With this information, you can adjust what doesn’t work and improve what does.
Practical example:
Going back to the skin care article, you use Google Analytics to see how many people read it and if after reading it, they bought something from your store.
You notice that the article had many visits, but few sales, so you decide to make a video explaining the benefits of the products you sell, to take care of the skin in winter.
This adjustment makes more people interested and end up buying.
Digital Advertising (PPC)
What is digital advertising (PPC) and why should you use it?
Digital advertising, also known as PPC (pay per click), is like placing an ad in a popular magazine, but on the Internet. Every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay a small fee.
It’s a fast and effective way to drive more people to your website, which can translate into more sales.
1. Choosing the right platform:
Before you start, you need to decide where you want to place your ads. There are many options, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads. Google Ads is great if you want people to find you when they search for something specific, like “best running shoes”.
On the other hand, Facebook Ads is great if you want to reach people with certain interests or if you want to re-display your ads to people who have already visited your site.
Practical example:
Imagine you have an online store that sells sportswear. If you decide to use Google Ads, you can create an ad to appear when someone searches for “winter running clothes”.
But if you choose Facebook Ads, you can target your ads to people who have already visited your website and are interested in sports, showing them your new clothing offers.
2. Creation of effective advertisements:
For your ads to work, they need to grab attention quickly. This means that the message (or “copy”) must be clear, direct and persuasive. In addition, it is important that the design of your ad is attractive, so that it stands out from the rest.
Practical example:
Continuing with the sportswear store example, you could create an ad that says “Stay warm this winter with our running jackets – buy now and get 20% off!”.
If the ad includes an eye-catching image of a person running in a wintry landscape, people are more likely to click.
3. Optimization of advertising campaigns:
Once your ads are up and running, it is essential to make adjustments to make sure they are performing well. This is accomplished with A/B testing, where you create two different versions of an ad to see which one works best.
You should also keep an eye on metrics such as how many people click on your ad (CTR) and how many of those people actually buy something (conversion rate).
Practical example:
Let’s say you have two versions of your running jackets ad: one with the text “20% off” in large and one with “Free Shipping”.
After a couple of weeks, you notice that the “20% off” ad attracts more people, but the “Free Shipping” ad generates more sales.
So, you decide to focus on the free shipping offer, because it is the one that suits you best to increase your earnings.
Social Media Marketing
What is social media marketing and why is it important?
Social media marketing is like being the life of the party at a meeting. You’re there to meet people, share your stories and, above all, make them remember you.
In addition to building your brand, social media can be a powerful tool to attract more customers and increase your sales.
1. Development of a social media strategy:
The first step is to choose the platforms where your audience spends the most time. Are they on Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok? Once you know where they are, it’s important to be consistent.
This means planning in advance what you are going to publish and when, so that you are always present and active.
Practical example:
Imagine you have a health food business and you discover that your audience is mostly on Instagram and TikTok.
You decide to create a content calendar where every week you post quick recipes on Instagram and short nutrition tip videos on TikTok.
By being consistent, your audience begins to see you as a reliable source of information, which leads them to buy more of your products.
2. Engagement with the audience:
Engagement, or interaction with your audience, is key in social media. This means responding to comments, messages, and sharing content that your followers have created about your brand.
This interaction shows that you care about your community and can get more people interested in what you offer.
Practical example:
Let’s say someone buys one of your health food products and posts a photo on Instagram tagging you. If you share that photo on your account and thank them, you not only make that customer happy, but you also show others that you value those who support you.
This can motivate more people to buy and share their experience, thus increasing the visibility of your brand.
3. Performance analysis in social networks:
It is important to measure how your social media efforts are working.
Tools like Instagram stats or Google Analytics help you see how many people are seeing your posts, interacting with them, and most importantly, how many of those interactions convert into sales.
With this information, you can adjust what doesn’t work and reinforce what does.
Practical example:
After a month of posting content on Instagram and TikTok, you check your stats and notice that the quick recipe videos on TikTok are having much more success than the posts on Instagram.
You decide to focus more effort on TikTok, creating more recipe videos and responding to the comments they receive. As a result, you see an increase in visits to your website and sales of your products.
Email Marketing Explained
What is email marketing and why is it so effective?
Email marketing is like sending a direct message to your customer’s inbox. It’s personal, it’s fast and it’s still one of the most effective ways to keep your customers engaged and increase your sales.
1.Building a mailing list:
To get started, you need a list of people who want to receive your emails. You can do this by offering something in return, such as a discount, a free guide or access to exclusive content. Make sure the subscription form is easy to find and easy to fill out.
Practical example:
Imagine you have an online store selling organic products. On your website, you place a form that says: “Subscribe and receive a 10% discount on your first purchase”.
Many people will subscribe to take advantage of that discount, and you will have a list of people interested in your products to whom you can send offers and news.
2. Creation of effective email campaigns:
Not all your customers are the same, so you shouldn’t send them the same message. It is important to segment your list, that is, divide it into groups according to their interests or behaviors.
Then, you can send personalized emails that really talk about what they are interested in. This makes them more likely to open your emails and click on the links.
Practical example:
Continuing with the organic store, you might have one group of customers interested in skin care products and another in health foods.
To the former, you send an email with offers of natural creams, and to the latter, recipes using your products. This type of personalization increases the likelihood that they will buy.
3. Email marketing automation:
Automation allows you to send emails at the perfect time without you having to be vigilant.
For example, you can set up a workflow so that when someone subscribes to your list, they automatically receive a welcome email with a special offer.
You can also send reminder emails if someone leaves products in their cart without checking out.
Practical example:
Imagine that a customer visits your online store, adds products to the cart, but does not complete the purchase.
You can set up an automatic system to send him an email reminding him of the products he left in the cart, perhaps with a small discount to motivate him to finish the purchase.
This strategy can recover sales that would otherwise have been lost.
Summarizing digital marketing strategies:
Digital strategies are like the gears of a finely tuned watch: each one plays a crucial role in keeping your business running smoothly.
SEO attracts new visitors, content marketing educates them, PPC advertising drives them to action, social media builds a loyal community, and email marketing ensures they always keep you top of mind.
But don’t forget that success in the digital world is not just about applying these strategies, but doing it intelligently and consistently.