When you think of superpowers, what comes to mind? Maybe you want to read minds or walk through walls. Perhaps you want to be able to fly or turn invisible at the blink of an eye. If you’re a digital marketer, these superhero powers might come in handy, but what you’re really looking for are leads, growth, and audience engagement. If you can figure out how to nail these three elements, you’re a digital marketing superhero in your own right. The question is: how exactly do you create marketing strategies that attract local consumers? Let’s take a look!
Understanding Digital Marketing Today
The short way of defining digital marketing is to say it encompasses any strategies that bolster your brand online. This is a wide umbrella, beneath which can be any number of strategies and technologies can be incorporated, such as:
- Search engines
- Social media
- Websites
- Blogs
- Landing pages
You’re likely already utilizing at least one of these, if not all of them in your marketing today. The key lies in putting forth a comprehensive strategy that covers all aspects and builds your online presence in an accurate and consistent way.
Trends in Digital Marketing
It doesn’t matter what industry you work in (or what products and services you offer), digital marketing is a mainstay in successful companies’ overall strategy. As a business leader, it’s smart to your finger on the pulse of digital marketing trends so you can have the confidence in your online presence as being fruitful. Sometimes, that’s easier said than done, though, as things tend to change quite quickly in this realm. That’s why you have us to help you discern some of the most important facts that could alter the way you approach digital marketing going forward.
- Facebook still reigns supreme, but your ideal customers may be spending their time elsewhere. Forbes reports that nearly half of Facebook users (41%) in the United States are aged 65 or older. For those of you in the home improvement industry, this still fits a big piece of your target audience perfectly. However, if you’re an Optometrist marketing to all age groups, this means you could be wasting your advertising dollars. As a small local business, it’s important to explore other platforms to bolster your online presence beyond what Facebook can support.
- Speaking of which, Instagram has a huge following. If you’re not on IG, you’re probably missing out on a huge number of followers who would love your brand. Much of the platform’s user base is under 30, and more than 1 billion people use the app every month. In fact, 500 million people use Instagram Stories every single day.
- Chatbots dominate customer service nowadays. Chatbots, which are artificial-intelligence customer service robots, have popped up all over the internet. They’re able to interact with customers in a natural way, often freeing up human employees’ time so they can get their work done without answering everyday questions. They also provide 24-hour assistance, don’t need any breaks or holidays, and never ask for overtime pay. With that said, it’s still important to have a great team of customer service people on your side, as consumers have been slow to adapt to the idea of living in a chatbot-only society.
- Video has gone from being a fun added bonus to an essential piece of the puzzle. 92% of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy. This is a substantial increase from just a few years ago, when 78% of study respondents stressed the importance of this messaging channel. In 2021, it’s estimated that people will spend an estimated 100 minutes watching online videos each day; if you’re trying to get your brand in front of new eyes, that’s a number you should pay attention to!
- Good content is just as important as great context. When it comes to marketing your business online, you need to be able to tell people who you are, what you sell, and what your company believes in. In doing so, you’ll also be informing the search engines about your company so they can send people your way when consumers are searching for the types of things your company distributes. Bear in mind that it’s important to create content that flows and reads naturally. After all, voice search is quickly becoming the preferred method of searching online and on mobile, and Google’s recent algorithm changes are looking for more fluid content that’s filled with contextual language and valuable information.
Challenges with Digital Marketing in Today’s Landscape
Although digital marketing is an essential part of an overall marketing strategy these days, it doesn’t always come easy. There are plenty of pitfalls and obstacles you have to overcome if you want to enjoy long-term success. It’s not always easy to:
- Produce effective results quickly
- Generate high-quality traffic
- Incorporate video or photos when you’re a novice image-maker
- Convince people to purchase from your brand over your competitors
- Keep up with changing trends
- Put your customers first when you have so much else to deal with
- Create a consistent brand image and voice across multiple digital channels
In the end, a lot of the responsibilities business leaders are tasked with can be overwhelming when it comes to marketing. That’s why it’s important to consider an investment in high-quality software that’s accompanied by a great team of local marketing pros who can become a part of your team from a distance.
Digital Marketing’s Impact on Growing Your Business Profitably
You need marketing to get the word about what you do and who you are, and today, that means you definitely need to incorporate digital channels into your strategies. For starters, digital marketing is far more cost-effective than traditional advertising. It also enables you to track (in real-time) how your campaigns are doing and what’s not working well so you can pivot losses and look for new opportunities at a moment’s notice.
When you embrace the power of digital marketing, you can also target only the prospects you want to see your ads, so you’re more likely to get qualified leads from your marketing efforts. You can easily measure metrics, check in on target demographics, and learn more about your consumers’ behaviors at the few clicks of a mouse, particularly when you incorporate local-focused SEO and marketing software into the mix.
Simplify Digital Marketing with These Local Marketing Superpowers
Now that you know a little more about digital marketing, let’s explore the local marketing superpowers you can use to bolster your brand’s presence online.
1. Super Speed
Use automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to take action at lightning speeds. AI can help you collect data, identify new customer segments, and create a more unified marketing approach faster than a speeding bullet.
2. X-Ray Vision
See your ROI at all times and identify the channels generating the best leads—and those which are converting the most customers. When you have the ability to visualize your ROI by way of the various digital marketing channels you’re using, you’ll be better able to invest in the places that will make the most of your investments.
3. Extraordinary Intelligence
Use technology and marketing artificial intelligence that’s not found anywhere else to outsmart your competition. When you have extraordinary intelligence built into your marketing campaigns, you can do extraordinary things with your branding efforts.
4. Telepathy
Better understand your customers by getting into their brains and knowing what they’re thinking. The key to gaining new customers is understanding how your target base thinks, feels, and acts. This superpower will enable you to create content that speaks to your audience’s needs, thereby eliciting the types of emotions that will make them love your brand.
5. Super Gadgets
Have an arsenal of marketing tools at your disposal so you can overcome any challenge. No superhero goes without his or her own specific gadgets. In the world of marketing, if you want to be your own superhero, you need the tools that go above and beyond what mere mortals are using.
6. Invisibility
Monitor and watch the competition without them ever knowing you’re there. The ability to be invisible while keeping tabs on your competitors can reap great rewards in the long run. You’ll know what they’re doing so you can be better than them.
7. Flight
Leverage marketing software to grow your business without restriction. The sky is the limit! Soar to new heights you didn’t even know were possible.
Gain These Superpowers with Local Marketing Software and Tools
Sure you could look for separate tools that work for each of these individual superpowers, but why wouldn’t you just opt for a platform that gives you all these tools in one easy-to-use place? This is where Surefire Local comes into the picture. Thanks to our robust platform of local marketing superpowers, you’ll soon be flying high on search engine results, capturing the attention of your audience, and gaining the kind of trust that turns searchers into loyal customers. Request a demo today so you can harness all these superpowers in one single place!