Entrepreneurship is taking center stage for the first time since 2008, fueled by a recession-ripple which roared to full force, post-pandemic. Consider the 31 million small businesses and start-ups operating in the USA in 2020 – and the estimated 582 million entrepreneurs spread across the globe.
It’s no coincidence that digital marketing and it’s experts were born in the 1990’s, and came of age in the early days of the internet. They are aware of the massive benefits of digital marketing, yet appreciative of the value of reaching potential customers on a personal level. The right digital strategy for you is the perfect amalgamation of head and heart, so let’s explore a few of the top digital strategies for entrepreneurs in 2021.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is the sale of products and services online, through the use of various digital marketing strategies, designed to help your business reach a broader market. A few of the types of digital marketing in use, or gaining traction today are:
- Social Media Marketing
- Influencer Marketing
- Content Marketing
- Viral Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- Referral Marketing
Digital Strategy Enabling Technology
Creating the right digital marketing strategy is a process of trial and error – but with the right tools, you can boost lead generation and close the big deals – while maintaining your asset health, and compiling more actionable data on which you can tailor your digital material to the right industry segments or customers.
An effective digital strategy is solid enough to create a clear roadmap, in an upward trajectory, yet flexible enough to pivot as needed to reach customers with the greatest potential. In addition to deploying the right technological solutions, entrepreneurs are increasingly seduced by several highly effective digital marketing strategies, proven to produce results.
Mobile Optimization Strategy
Mobile phones are a lifeline for everything from unlocking our cars to banking – and customers expect things to ‘just work,’ meaning it’s not surprising that customers are 60% less likely to make a purchase from a company who forces them to navigate a bad mobile experience. Optimize all your digital material for both PC and mobile viewing, and never miss another opportunity.
Go Beyond Pay-Per-Click Ads
Customers are becoming more savvy and spoiled for choice, meaning paid ads are slipping down the list of priorities in favor of more cohesive strategies. Most successful digital marketing strategies incorporate vehicles like Google AdWords, with email and social media marketing campaigns. While the ad informs, the content engages, creating a 360° experience for customers.
Superior Content
It would take 57,000 years to read everything on the internet. Choice paralysis is real, often resulting in customers abandoning a project entirely. Creating superior content is vital to a successful digital marketing strategy. Consider creating a suite of related digital marketing material including tweets, posts, e-mails, pictures, banners, memes, GIFs, hashtags and industry expert analysis and advice, for each product, saturating customers in both useful and engaging information.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
A great way to collect data, maximize web traffic and digital presence, and engage an otherwise passive customer, is with CRO in the form of a contact or subscription forms. With conversion rate optimization (CRO), as with most things, you get what you pay for, as partnerships with CRO companies are often required for analysis, optimization and testing of data gleaned from forms.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Visibility is the name of the search engine optimization game. SEO is the process of improving the visibility of your website, by ensuring your site appears first on relevant searches. This is done through a careful amalgamation of data driven research and keywords, combined with the crawlability and mobile-friendliness of your site. Effective SEO gets you the first shot at earning customer business.
Retargeting Ads
Retargeting ads is the process of staying in the forefront of the customer mind, by presenting them with relevant advertising content even after they leave your page. A customer who “window shops” your website has already expressed an interest in your product or service, and ideally you’ve established well constructed, intelligently designed and optimized content. Now you simply use retargeting ads to draw them back when they are ready to pull the trigger on their purchase.
Final Thoughts
The deep pool of digital strategy is seemingly bottomless and sometimes murky. The upside of navigating uncharted territory is the opportunity to be creative and try new marketing strategies, or combinations of strategies. Entrepreneurs create something new when they establish their business, making it unlikely that these forward-thinkers deploy more dusty and traditional marketing strategies. Forget the wave. Digital marketing strategies are the tsunami of the future, forcing entrepreneurs to choose to ride out the squall in a rowboat, or climb the nearest mountain to watch the show.
