Digital Marketing Guide: SEO, SEM, SMM & More

Posted on Aug 16, 2024 in Other subjects

1. Digital Marketing Job Description

Digital marketing promotes a company’s products and services through digital channels like social media, the internet, and websites. This approach recognizes that modern customers are constantly connected online. Here are some key tasks in a digital marketing role:

  1. Develop and execute online marketing campaigns across various platforms like social media, websites, and apps.
  2. Track website traffic and optimize it for maximum visibility and engagement.
  3. Implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to improve website ranking.
  4. Identify emerging industry trends and analyze customer behavior.
  5. Manage website development and content optimization.
  6. Execute social media strategies to enhance key performance indicators (KPIs) such as likes and shares.

2. Three-Year Digital Marketing Budget for Online ERP Software

This budget plan outlines the digital marketing investment for an online ERP software targeting small-sized banking industry clients over three years:

Year 1: Start-up Stage

Budget: $4,000

Rationale: In the initial year, digital marketing efforts should be moderate, focusing on raising awareness and educating potential customers through email campaigns and social media. The budget will cover Google AdWords for SEO, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, and other yearly subscriptions.

Year 2: Growing Stage

Budget: $6,000

Rationale: As the business grows, digital marketing efforts should intensify to boost sales and reach a wider audience. The budget will include Google AdWords, PPC, and a Salesforce.com online CRM subscription for lead generation, tracking, and sales conversions.

Year 3: Maturity Stage

Budget: $4,000

Rationale: In the maturity stage, the focus shifts to maintaining sales volume, retaining existing customers, and maximizing profitability. The budget will cover PPC advertising and the Salesforce.com CRM subscription.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and its Importance in E-commerce

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a technique used to enhance a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing website content and structure around relevant keywords, businesses can attract more organic (non-paid) traffic.

SEO is crucial in e-commerce due to the vast number of products, brands, and competitors. Effective SEO helps businesses stand out and capture the attention of online shoppers.

Tasks of SEO Professionals:

  • Improve SEO rankings for targeted keywords.
  • Analyze SEO data for predictive analytics and strategic insights.
  • Enhance overall SEO performance.
  • Optimize website content for better online visibility.
  • Build organic links from reputable websites.
  • Provide regular SEO performance reports.
  • Manage campaign landing pages and dashboards.

4. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and AdWords

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) involves using paid advertising to increase visibility on search engine results pages. When users search for specific keywords, SEM ensures that a business’s website appears prominently, often at the top or side of the results page.

SEM encompasses both SEO (organic optimization) and PPC (paid advertising). While SEO focuses on improving organic rankings, PPC allows businesses to bid on keywords and display ads when users search for those terms.

Google AdWords is a popular platform for SEM. It enables businesses to create online ads, target specific audiences, and track ad performance.

5. Affiliate Marketing and Platform Selection

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing model where businesses reward affiliates for each customer brought in through their marketing efforts.

Steps to Create an Affiliate Marketing Program:

  1. Define your goals: Determine what you want to achieve with affiliate marketing (e.g., increased sales, brand awareness).
  2. Build a quality website: Ensure your website has valuable content and a user-friendly interface.
  3. Choose an affiliate platform: Select a platform that aligns with your business needs and target audience.

Google AdSense is a popular affiliate program run by Google. It allows website owners to display targeted ads and earn revenue based on clicks or impressions. The platform manages ad delivery and provides reporting tools.

6. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social media marketing (SMM) leverages social media platforms to connect with your target audience, build relationships, and drive business objectives.

Goals of SMM:

  • Increase brand awareness and reach.
  • Generate leads and drive traffic to your website.
  • Build a loyal community around your brand.
  • Boost sales and revenue.

Difference Between SMM and Social Media Presence:

Social media presence refers to simply having active profiles on social media platforms. SMM, on the other hand, is a strategic approach that involves creating and sharing valuable content, engaging with your audience, and running targeted campaigns to achieve specific business goals.

How Different Social Media Platforms Can Be Used for Business:

Example: Instagram

Instagram is a highly visual platform ideal for businesses with strong visual content. Businesses can use Instagram to:

  • Showcase products or services through high-quality photos and videos.
  • Run contests and giveaways to engage followers.
  • Partner with influencers to reach a wider audience.
  • Use Instagram Shopping to enable direct purchases from the platform.

7. Google Analytics and Benchmarking

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that provides valuable insights into website traffic and user behavior. It helps businesses understand how users find and interact with their website, track conversions, and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.

Benchmarking in Business

Benchmarking involves comparing your business performance against industry best practices and competitors. It helps identify areas for improvement and set realistic goals.

Types of Benchmarking:

  1. Performance Benchmarking: Comparing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction.
  2. Competitive Benchmarking: Analyzing competitors’ strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.
  3. Internal Benchmarking: Comparing performance across different departments or time periods within your organization.

8. Visitor Evaluation and Prospect Management

Evaluating Website Visitors

Evaluating website visitors involves understanding their behavior, interests, and engagement levels. This information helps tailor content and marketing messages to specific audience segments.

Prospect Management

Prospect management is the process of identifying, qualifying, and nurturing potential customers (prospects) through the sales funnel. It involves tracking interactions, understanding their needs, and guiding them towards a purchase decision.

Indicators for Prospect Management Feedback:

  • Website engagement metrics (time on site, pages visited).
  • Content downloads and form submissions.
  • Email open and click-through rates.
  • Sales calls and demos scheduled.

9. Website Stickiness and its Indicators

Website stickiness refers to a website’s ability to keep visitors engaged and encourage them to spend more time browsing. A sticky website typically has low bounce rates and high average session durations.

Indicators of Website Stickiness:

  • Low Bounce Rate: A low bounce rate indicates that visitors find the website content relevant and engaging.
  • High Average Session Duration: Longer session durations suggest that visitors are spending more time exploring the website.
  • High Page Views per Visit: More page views per visit indicate that visitors are navigating deeper into the website.
  • Frequent Return Visits: Repeat visits are a strong indicator of website stickiness and customer loyalty.

10. Traffic Resources and Digital Marketing Plan Evaluation

Traffic resources, such as website analytics and marketing automation tools, provide valuable data that helps evaluate the effectiveness of a digital marketing plan.

How Traffic Resources Help:

  • Data-Driven Decisions: Use data to make informed decisions about marketing strategies and budget allocation.
  • Identify Past Successes: Analyze past marketing campaign data to replicate successful strategies.
  • Integrated Marketing: Ensure a consistent brand experience across all marketing channels.
  • Content Optimization: Create a clear content path that guides users through the buyer’s journey.
  • Email Automation: Reach customers at the right time with personalized messages.
  • Buyer Journey Mapping: Understand customer behavior and tailor content to their needs.

11. Content Evaluation

Content evaluation assesses the effectiveness of your website content in achieving its intended goals. This includes evaluating text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements.

Points to Consider During Content Evaluation:

  • Originality: Ensure that content is original and not plagiarized.
  • Privacy: Avoid disclosing sensitive personal information.
  • Appropriateness: Ensure content is appropriate for the target audience and aligns with brand values.

Content Evaluation Process:

  1. Determine the number of evaluators.
  2. Define website goals.
  3. Outline tasks for users to perform on the website.
  4. Have evaluators perform tasks and provide feedback based on usability heuristics.

12. The Funnel in Planning, Controlling, and Taking Action (Goal Setting Example)

Planning

Planning is the process of defining goals and outlining the steps needed to achieve them.

Types of Planning:

  1. Operational Planning: Short-term planning focused on day-to-day operations.
  2. Tactical Planning: Mid-term planning that translates strategic goals into actionable steps.
  3. Strategic Planning: Long-term planning that defines the overall direction of the organization.

Steps in Planning:

  1. Establish Objectives: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
  2. Determine Investment Style: Align investment strategies with risk tolerance and financial goals.
  3. Evaluate Investments: Regularly assess the performance of investments.
  4. Choose an Investment Plan: Select an investment plan that aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance.
  5. Execute and Monitor: Put the plan into action and track progress regularly.

Example Business Drivers for Goal Setting:

  • Upgrade office space.
  • Increase building capacity.
  • Attract and retain top talent.
  • Consolidate operations.
  • Support a merger or acquisition.
  • Implement a new workplace strategy.

Controlling

Controlling involves monitoring progress towards goals, identifying deviations, and taking corrective actions.

Key Aspects of Controlling:

  • Track progress towards organizational goals.
  • Identify and address deviations from the plan.
  • Implement corrective actions to get back on track.

Controlling Process:

  1. Set Performance Standards: Establish clear benchmarks for performance.
  2. Measure Actual Performance: Regularly track key performance indicators (KPIs).
  3. Compare Performance to Standards: Identify any variances between actual performance and established standards.
  4. Analyze Deviations: Determine the root causes of any performance gaps.
  5. Take Corrective Actions: Implement necessary adjustments to address deviations and improve performance.

Taking Action

Taking action involves implementing the planned steps and making necessary adjustments based on feedback and results. It’s an iterative process that requires flexibility and adaptability.