7 Strategies That Should Be Part of Your Digital Marketing Plan

It's a well-known fact that most small businesses don't succeed. But how can you avoid being among the 20% of companies that close every year? The answer lies in your marketing team.

One of the best ways to preserve your company is to have a well-thought-out digital marketing plan. You can create one yourself, but following these seven strategies to ensure the plan is effective is much easier.

Keep scrolling for insider tips to help your business stand out in today's digital world.

1. Focus on Education Over Entertainment

Increasing your credibility is the first step to building an online reputation. After all, you can't build an audience if people don't trust what you say. So make it a point to prove that you're a specialist in your field.

You may think, "I'm not an expert on anything!" That's fine. No matter who you are, there's something you know well enough to teach.

Just find something interesting and relevant to your products or services. Then share it with others.

If you're a consultant, write white papers on industry trends. If you're a real estate agency, publish blog posts about how to buy property in your city. And if you're a B2B promotions agency, share posts on how businesses can promote themselves more effectively.

If you're not sure where to start, look at other brands that are doing an excellent job of educating their audiences. The eco-friendly Patagonia brand can offer some ideas.

Patagonia has an entire section of its website dedicated to environmental issues like climate change and ocean conservation. They don't just talk about these things because they want people to buy their clothes. They also want customers to know how important these issues really are!

2. Create Highly Personalized Messaging

You can't personalize content if you don't know your target market well. Take a few days to study their desires and fears. Become so familiar with them that it's easy to speak directly to your target audience in social media posts.

When creating landing pages, ensure each page highlights what the customer wants from the product or service offered. For example, are they looking for long-term results or short-term ones? Focus on these needs during your content creation.

Use specific keywords your audience searches for (i.e., "weight loss" instead of "lose weight"). Your posts will reach more people already interested in products related to those terms.

3. Develop and Maintain a Clear Brand Identity

Brand identity is the personality of your brand. Your posts must look and sound like they're from the same company across all your social media platforms. This means consistent voice, color scheme, font, and style.

All companies that have reached the billion-dollar mark follow this strategy.

For example, the Coca-Cola Company has a signature red container that smoothly identifies its product. It's also easy to recognize its iconic logo.

Apple is another industry giant that has stuck to a theme. Their sleek design aesthetic is world-renowned. Even though the company has many products, each release maintains a minimal look that makes it easy for customers to determine their products.

4. It's Time to Go Back to Blogging

Blogging will help you maintain a high ranking on Google search results pages. Here are some tips for making the most of your blog.

First, don't rehash old information. Write posts that offer fresh perspectives on current events and trends within your niche market (or even outside of it).

It also helps to include links to other articles on your website. Backlinking keeps traffic flowing through your site and allows readers to learn more about related topics.

5. Focus on Robust Partnerships

71 percent of marketers believe working with influencers gets better results than any other marketing tactic. If you go this route, you'll increase your brand's visibility.

Some partnerships require a fee. The rate depends on how much exposure (or "clout") they can provide for your company.

You may be able to negotiate with the influencer and eliminate the fee. For example, you can offer to write articles for their website in exchange for a link back to your blog.

As a note, B2B marketing benefits most from partnerships. Large companies prefer to work with people already trusted in the industry.

6. Update Your Content Regularly

You've got a blog and a website, but that's not enough. You need to keep them updated with fresh content regularly.

If you're not updating your content every month or so, your site probably isn't getting the engagement you're looking for.

Content management systems like WordPress and Drupal make posting fresh content easier. You can add blogs and update pages in one place. There are also timestamps so you can keep track of your B2C marketing.

7. Try to Use More Videos

Videos are a great way to deliver information, but their real power is helping you show your products in real-life scenarios.

All you need to get started with video marketing is a tripod, a camera, and a script. Just be sure to keep the content short—under two minutes in length is a great starting point.

Why It's Vital to Build a Better Digital Marketing Plan

If you're trying to revise your digital marketing plan, remember these seven strategies. They can really make a difference in providing your customers with even more value and helping your company reach lofty goals.

But, of course, there are always more ways to impress your target audience. Check out our blog for more strategies and other tips.