Effective digital marketing is an application of modern tools and adapting to the ever-changing behavior of consumers. It is marketing that people love.
Digital marketing is defined as promoting products or services using one or more forms of electronic media. Traditionally, marketing is broken down into the Four P’s (product, price, place, promotions). Digital marketing narrows it down to three. Place has already been defined — the internet.
It is about attracting the right people, converting these people into leads, eventually turning them into customers and brand ambassadors.
The Need to Be Effective
People’s buying behaviors have changed. Companies are no longer in control of information.
Before, consumers relied on companies to get more information about their products and services. This gives tremendous power to the company because they can choose what information to release to the public.
Consumers were at the mercy of the brands.
But that is no longer the case. The internet gave the end-users the power to obtain these information from the companies. Before buying anything, people nowadays research and ask other people about their experiences with this company.
By the time they talk to a representative from the brand, they have almost always already made a decision if they are going to buy or not. They are just validating a few more things.
If there is one important lesson brands and businesses should know by now, it is this:
If you are not found online, to your customers (or your noncustomers), you do not exist.
You have to be present in the entire buyer’s journey if you want to stay relevant. Digital marketing is simple, but it’s not easy to execute effectively. There are a lot of components in digital marketing. These include websites, blogs, social media, and much more.
10 Commandments for Effective Digital Marketing
Best practices for effective digital marketing are prevalent. They come from individuals and companies alike who have tested these theories and achieved results themselves.
I researched extensively about these best practices myself and achieved outstanding results as well. Probably the only thing that separates this list from others is I made it easier for you to understand and implement as well.
I have compiled these best practices and elevated their position from a best practice into a commandment, where non-compliance is committing a sin in this internet age. Using the same Biblical reference, if you do not follow them, you are doomed to fail in your digital efforts.
Commandment 1: Be Helpful
Provide resources to your audience for free. Answer their questions. Solve their problems without charging them or asking for anything in return. That is how you build credibility and trust. Give. Give. Give.
Commandment 2: Be Human
Greetings! *Fail*
Communicate as if you would communicate face-to-face. Send email and social media updates as a person. Use “I” and “we” and “us”. Don’t hide behind the [email protected] email.
Commandment 3: Stop Selling
The world has changed a lot because of the internet. The sooner you realize this the better you can focus on being helpful. People buy when they want to buy, not when you want them to buy. Focus on creating value.
Commandment 4: Stop Guessing
The internet enables companies to stop guessing at how people behave because they can gather all these data and analytics at no additional cost. The problem lies in knowing where to get it and how to analyze it.
Commandment 5: Learn Code
The internet is still made by humans. There are basic rules to be followed. Learn the basic HTML codes and their importance so your efforts make an impact.
Commandment 6: Honor Search Engines
Honor Google and search engines.
In the internet age, if you are not seen on the first page of search engine results, you do not exist.
Know how these SERPs work and honor the best practices and trends. That way, you can future-proof your business.
Commandment 7: Stop Wasting Resources
Thou shalt stop wasting resources.
Analytics and data abound everywhere. After installing proper metrics, if you find an activity (or social media platform or campaign) is not working, get rid of it quickly!
Commandment 8: Content Is King
Remember that content is king.
The internet is a place to find resource and information, whether it’s about your product or not. If you don’t produce content for your audience, they won’t find you.
Commandment 9: Design Matters Too
But don’t forget design matters too.
Before a viewer gets to actually read your content, they already judged your website. In that split-second, they already made decisions about you and your brand. If it is not pleasing, they won’t even bother. And remember, design doesn’t just involve graphics and how nice it looks. It involves the entire user experience.
Commandment 10: Never Stop Learning
Never stop reading and learning.
The internet is still at its growth stage. A lot of things will change and is changing. Best practices today will be challenged. Dedicate time daily to learn. Always read about the latest developments.