Digital marketing is key for small and medium-sized enterprises, but competition out there is fierce. Every company has a digital presence, whether it’s a website, a Facebook or Instagram page, an e-commerce site, or all of the above, and every company has a digital marketing strategy. Without a presence or marketing strategy, your company is basically non-existent or invisible in today’s digital world.
If you Google digital marketing strategies, you might be overwhelmed with how many different approaches there are to marketing online. Which ones are most or least effective? Which ones apply or don’t apply to your business? Which ones are quick and easy, and which require specific skills to achieve? Here is a list of strategies that will help you get started.
1. SEO
Arguably the most important of them all is SEO or search engine optimization, a process to gain organic traffic to your website via search results from search engines like Google. SEO is a bit complex, as nobody truly understands how Google’s algorithms work—and because SEO tactics change somewhat often—so it’s recommended to have an expert handle your SEO and come up with strategies.
Having a blog on your website is a great way to improve organic traffic and SEO as a starting point. Writing content that includes popular search terms, or keywords can help drive people to your website who might not have found you otherwise.
Related article: How to Leverage Local SEO to Help your Tourism and Hospitality Business Succeed
2. Paid search
Search engine marketing, abbreviated as SEM and also known as paid search, goes hand in hand with SEO. Again, you will most likely want an expert to handle your SEM, not just because the strategies intertwine with SEO, but because Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is fairly complicated.
SEM is all about Google Ads and search and display ads that appear when users enter a search query in Google. These ads include YouTube pre-roll video ads, graphics display ads, text-based search ads, or ads that appear in-app on your smartphone.
Google Ads have a high return on investment, with the average business earning $2 for every $1 spent, so it’s obvious why SMEs want to use paid search and display advertising.
3. Social media marketing
Another marketing strategy that has completely revolutionized how businesses advertise, social media marketing is essential these days. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and LinkedIn are incredibly popular with generation Z, millennials, and generation Xers alike, making them excellent places to advertise to your target markets.
However, not all social platforms are the same. Each has its own culture and purpose, and transferring one campaign to another without adapting it for the different audiences is basically ensuring its failure. Your strategies need to be tailored to each platform – one size fits all doesn’t apply on social media.
Another challenge with social media marketing is that it’s oversaturated. Because every brand and company is doing it too, there’s a lot of content for users to sift through, and a lot of noise for your brand to cut through. Content needs to be unique and interesting enough that it will have thumb-stopping power.
Learn how digital marketing will help your Hotel.
4. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is an extension of social media marketing but is robust enough that it deserves its own category. It’s a well-known and proven strategy that involves hiring influencers (people with a large following in a specific niche who have “influence” over their followers) to promote your brand or product.
Some micro-influencers will post content in exchange for free product and exposure, but macro-influencers usually require contracts and monetary payments.
The benefit is that you directly reach your target audience coming from a voice they trust, respect, or idolize. The influencers add clout to your brand or product, and 82% of consumers say they are highly likely to follow an influencer’s recommendation and purchase a product or service mentioned.
Related article: When Influencer Marketing Works for Hotels and When it Doesn’t
5. Content marketing
The trick to content marketing is to make your content valuable, so your target audience can gain something from it. Writing blog posts with interesting and useful content, like how-to’s or tips and tricks, is a great way to attract an audience to your website or social pages.
Offer your audience some insight, or teach them something important they didn’t know before, and they will value your brand more, leading to increased brand awareness and retention.
Down the line, this can translate into increased sales, since you’ve hopefully created a captive audience and following. Without keyword stuffing, include relevant search terms in your long-form content to improve your SEO as well.
Related article: How to Build Highly Effective Content Marketing Strategies That Create Big Results for Hotels
6. Remarketing
Remarketing is a valuable strategy that involves retargeting any potential customers who have visited your website, or engaged with marketing content but didn’t take any action. By tracking these users’ cookies, you can place new ads that “follow” them around the internet. Remarketing helps your brand stay engaged and connected with potential customers while improving brand awareness and increasing conversions.
This marketing strategy can be done on Facebook via Facebook pixel, where you can retarget social media ads to prospective customers. It’s most popular with Google Ads since remarketing is another strategy that goes hand in hand with SEM.
Related article: How Hotels Can use Facebook pixel
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
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We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Digital Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.
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