One challenge of marketing in the digital age has to do with deciding where to devote your scarcest resources: time and money.
The average business owner doesn’t have enough of either to try everything, or at least to put together campaigns that are as comprehensive as they might like. So, they have to make choices – decisions to prioritize email over social media, for example, or search engine optimization rather than content creation.
These are the kinds of real-world calls that can make or break your bottom line. So, how do you find the right online marketing mix?
Here are some rules we follow when getting new clients sorted out.
Start With the Basics
No matter what kind of business you have, or what you want to accomplish with online marketing, you can probably benefit from putting the basics to good use. These include website performance improvement, search engine optimization, social media marketing, email, local online marketing, and pay-per-click advertising. If you haven’t at least tried these various channels for customer growth, it’s well worth making an attempt.
Keep Investing in Your Winners
It’s usually apparent within a few months that some tactics are going to be more successful and profitable than others, especially if you’re using Google Analytics to track the results. Once you have a good picture of where new business is coming from, the next step is to pour additional time and money into the campaigns that are paying off in the biggest way. That way you’ll get the highest return on your dollars and hours.
Refine Your Mix Over Time
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because something is working well today it’s going to be your most effective online marketing channel forever. Not only do customer preferences change, but so does your business. For instance, email might take on more importance as your subscriber list grows. You and your design team should check in occasionally to see whether analytics or market conditions suggest you alter your approach.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Once in awhile the best online marketing ideas come out of the blue. You decide to try something you’ve never dabbled in before or launch a new campaign that’s speculative. Not all of your experiments are going to work out, but it’s impossible to grow if you aren’t willing to take chances. Keep that in mind and mix things up in unexpected ways so you can see what happens.
Online Marketing is All About Measurable Improvement
No matter which online marketing tactics you are using, the goal should always be to find more and better customers over time. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels – or worse, wasting time and money – then this is your chance to course correct.
Contact our Philadelphia marketing experts at Biondo Creative today so we can help you build a stronger bottom line!