Best Digital Marketing Channels 2015: Choose Efficiency

In the first installment of our two-part blog series on digital marketing campaigns (“How to Build a Marketing Network for Your Business”), we discussed the basics involved in getting ready to launch your own digital marketing campaign. Now, in this second post, we delve into what is arguably the most crucial step in conducting a marketing campaign in the cloud this year: selecting the best digital marketing channels 2015 for your business.

Starting in Your Own “Backyard”

The first step begins in your own “backyard,” and that means optimizing your website as well as your CMS (content marketing system). Just think of it – why go to all the trouble to develop a marketing campaign intended to attract more visitors to your website if your site is poorly designed, slow or hard to navigate?

digital-marketing-steps-own-backyard

Website and CMS Performance

A good place to start is with your load speed – aim for 2 seconds or less. Remember that the quickest way to lose a potential customer is with a slow load speed. Be certain that you have the bandwidth to accommodate the increased traffic that will come as a result of your marketing campaign. Make sure your site includes plenty of eye-catching graphics. Remember the old adage that a picture is worth 1,000 words? That still holds true, even in our digital age. Chances are you already utilize a CMS, but are you certain you’re optimizing that system? Our staff at PointClick can help you make sure that your website is functioning at the highest possible level of efficiency. And we’re CMS experts as well, so contact us today for more information and assistance.

Improve Your Blogging Efforts

Producing high-quality blogs that are compelling and interesting to your customers is a critical part of increasing your rank in search engines. This is called content marketing, and it plays a huge role in the success of any digital marketing campaign. Including a blog section on your own website is an excellent way of attracting new visitors to your site – particularly if you publish “teasers” from your posts on Facebook and Twitter to garner attention. You might also consider expanding your blogging efforts by submitting content to other blogs that will be of interest to your customers. Content marketing takes time, but the payoff can be huge for your business.

Little Things Matter in Managed Hosting

It’s All about SEO

Most businesspeople understand the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how it contributes to obtaining higher rankings in search engines, driving more potential customers to your website and, ultimately, increasing revenue for your company. But SEO is a world unto itself, and making SEO mistakes can be costly. If you don’t have an SEO expert on staff, it’s worth considering hiring a professional to handle this task for you. Selecting high-ranking keywords for your blogs, for example, can mean the difference between truly effective content marketing and posting articles that no one will read. And remember that having your website optimized for SEO isn’t just a “nice-to-have” – it’s a necessity.

Assessing Other Digital Marketing Channels 2015

One thing is certain: there is no shortage of channels from which to choose. The trick is to select those that have proven to be most effective for your industry and your target market. Watching how your competitors run their digital campaigns and which channels are most effective for them can be a good starting point.

no-shortage-channels

You may choose to do this by conducting a competitive analysis, as we discussed in our first blog “How to Build a Marketing Network for Your Business,” or you may opt to observe your competitors’ activity in a less-structured way. Whichever means you choose, it’s important to remember that the list of digital marketing channels 2015 is a long one, and not all of them will work best for your business and target audience. Keeping all that in mind, here are some of the channels you’ll be choosing from:

Facebook

Facebook isn’t just a handy social media outlet for keeping track of friends and family. It continues to be an extremely powerful marketing tool if it’s used correctly. You may choose use the Custom Audience feature, which allows you to reach out to a Facebook Lookalike Audience – in other words, people that resemble those on your own customer list, which you can upload onto Facebook’s advertising platform. Another option is to pay for a promotion on Facebook (if your budget allows), which will significantly increase your contacts. Facebook continues to provide exceptional marketing opportunities for virtually any size business.

Twitter

With over 600 million registered users “tweeting” 58 million times a day, Twitter is a terrific platform for growing your business. Create a hashtag, then ask your followers questions about that hashtag. Engage with other Twitter users by complimenting them on a tweet or a blog. When it comes to Twitter, it’s all about interaction – the more you interact, the more effective this digital channel will be in your marketing campaign.

Instagram

If your target audience includes the younger generation, Instagram can be an important social media platform for spreading word about your company. With over 300 million monthly active users, and about 20% of all Internet users now using this platform, Instagram has evolved into a massive presence in social media. We’ve already discussed the power of images when they’re used on a website. The same is true on Instagram. Use high-quality, powerful images to promote your products and services on this social media giant.

Google+

While it’s true that Google+ won’t garner the attention of a lot of other social media platforms, it definitely plays an important role in SEO. Post content onto your page to get more reviews and more followers, and the higher your ranking will be for search terms.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising – or paying a publisher or website owner for ad space – is, without a doubt, an effective means of increasing your sales. Each ad network charges different fees and has varying track records when it comes to results. It will definitely pay (literally) to do your homework before choosing the best one for your company. When it comes to PPC, there are several options. Here are just a few of the most popular networks to consider:

  • Google Adsense
  • Infolinks
  • net
  • Chitika
  • Bidvertiser

YouTube

We’ve said it again and again – images are super effective sales tools. So it only makes sense that videos are too. In fact, online videos can be one of the most effective publicity avenues for your business. YouTube videos can also help your search engine exposure since Google owns YouTube.

Email

There was a time, not too long ago, when direct mail marketing was a common method for marketers to get the word out about their company, product or service. Email is the 21st century counterpart to the old-fashioned direct mail method of advertising. If you’re not sending out regular email blasts to your customer list, you’re missing a huge opportunity to increase sales.

The Best Digital Marketing Channels in 2015

Choosing the best digital marketing channels 2015 is crucial to the success of your campaign. At PointClick, we understand marketing. In fact, many of our long-time clients are professional marketers. Contact us today for more information about how we can help you prepare for your digital marketing campaign.





The Little Things that Matter in Managed Hosting eBook




Scroll to Top