By Kristine Aitchison
Author & Content Specialist
If you’re a business owner, you’ll know the importance of digital marketing. Gone are the days when you just put an ad in the paper, now business owners need a website, social media, Google Business Profile etc. But when you’re a busy business owner it’s hard to know where to focus your energy.
I recently listened to this podcast: ‘What’s working in digital marketing right now?’. It is produced by Scott Wilson the Founder of Digital Influence and was interesting for two reasons. Firstly, I loved how the title perfectly met my search engine needs. In researching this blog, I found no other title that perfectly answered this question. A smart use of SEO that targeted a potential client’s pain point. Secondly, the podcast contained a heap of information about what is actually working in digital marketing right now for businesses — another smart tactic — showcasing expertise and building trust by sharing tips and useful information. With that in mind, I wanted to share some insights from this podcast so you too can benefit from this knowledge.
#1. Email Marketing
Scott says that the first thing that is working for their clients is email marketing. Some of the things he talked about are ensuring you remove contacts who bounce from your database, as it’s not going to help your open rates, and sending your emails in smaller amounts to more highly engaged groups. He says that’s important because it can lead to better sales and more meaningful interactions.
Emails are a great way to nurture people, so he recommends thinking of your email list not just as a list but as real people. You want to send out consistent emails to nurture that relationship and maintain engagement.
He shares that he has worked with businesses with a database of 5000 people, but they weren’t sending any emails. So, when they started sending emails, they got a whole lot of unsubscribes. This is because the business wasn’t maintaining the relationship. Scott suggests segmenting off metrics by looking at the last time they engaged with you. Make sure you’re targeting the most active and engaged people and really providing them with value.
#2. Facebook Advertising
Next on the list was Facebook advertising. If you’re trying to get your product or service in front of the 35+ market, then you should be advertising on Facebook. He recommends using the data produced by Meta (Facebook/Instagram) to analyse what is converting and what is not and reduce your ad spend where necessary.
Furthermore, lead ads are performing well. He recommends utilising carousels and client testimonials and creating lead ads with question forms. A lot of social media platforms at present are rewarding brands that keep people on the platform for longer, so, lead ads that ask more questions are seeing more traffic. He says you may notice your cost-per-lead may be higher, but they have better conversion rates. He also recommends sending clients to a calendar where they can book an appointment, like Calendly.
#3. Video Marketing
Video marketing is a tool that is working well. Scott says they’re seeing smartphone short videos perform better than professional video content, with smartphone videos receiving more engagement. The benefit is that it is cheaper to produce, and you can create more content.
He says getting the team in front of the camera is performing well and producing quality leads and conversions. He recommends producing value and insights-driven content, but says his team are doing a lot of funny content where they have to think outside the box and make content that is memorable.
#4. Google Advertising
Scott says that Google advertising is working right now. But like with any marketing, it’s important to do your research. He recommends you have a solid plan and think through your key metrics to create better ads.
With Google Ads, it is important to ensure you’re targeting correctly, as you’ll get better performance out of your ads spend. He recommends you make sure every keyword is working for you. He says businesses can be spending $3000 a month at $40 a click on Google ads, so it is important to ensure you’re getting value for money.
He also recommends creating a solid plan for your messaging, one that matches your business goals and sells those key aspects. Furthermore, experiment with split testing, so you know what is performing well and what isn’t, and creating a negative keyword list. For example, if you’re Indian restaurant you want to be found for Indian food, not Indian jobs. You don’t want your ad to trigger for words you don’t want to be found for.
#5. SEO
Finally, Scott says that search engine optimisation (SEO) is working, but there have been a lot of changes in the SEO space, particularly because of AI. At present, the fundamentals still stand: make sure your users have a good experience on your website; that it is mobile optimised; create good quality content; ensure your contact details are easy to find; list your business in local directories and on a Google Business Profile; add pictures of your team, and ensure your content is up-to-date so Google knows your website is still active.
Written by Kristine Aitchison: Guest Writer and Content Specialist
Kristine Aitchison is a copywriting and content marketing specialist. Showcase your expertise with regular blog content for your website. Visit www.writeasrain.nz.
