Having dominant online presence is not a choice anymore. With shift towards digital transformation and internet, brands have been forced to adopt online marketing, and it can be confusing in many ways, especially because there is too much to grab. For most businesses, the toughest task is to create a strategy that would be comprehensive and all their digital marketing needs. Often, this means choosing between choices, because budget always remains a concern. Also, experts from any known SEO agency don’t always recommend firing all guns at once for online promotions.
Here we are decoding 5 very important components of digital marketing.
#1 – SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the backbone of your digital strategy. This is an organic process, which means that you have to focus on all the relevant aspects related to search engine algorithms and trends. With SEO, you want to be sure that your website is optimized for users, and things like keyword research, inbound linking, and guest posting are conducted as per a pre-decided plan. SEO also has a lot to do with good content, so your content strategy needs to be on point. There is no way you can skip SEO in any way for digital marketing
#2 – SEM
Search engine marketing, or SEM, is the paid version of SEO. In this case, you want products and your brand to appear on the top of search results as a paid ad. You are essentially paying the search engines for that, and therefore, SEM comes for a cost. It is important to understand that brand visibility with SEO can take a lot of time, which is why search engine marketing is critical in many ways. Of course, you can work around the budget and decide on monthly spending.
#3 – SMM
Social media marketing, or SMM, is closely related to SEO and branding. People like brands and businesses that have a voice on social media, and these platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram offer both parties to connect with one another. Mentions on social media also boosts SEO, and therefore, in many ways, social media marketing and SEO are connected.
#4 – ORM
Online reputation management is one aspect that many brands end up ignoring. This basically refers to the process of maintaining a positive image for a business. No matter how hard you try, there will be bad reviews, negative feedback from some customers, and ORM basically creates a strategy, so that such contents don’t impact your brand’s value. ORM requires a dedicated content strategy, and it can be a hard nut to crack at times, which is why hiring a reliable marketing agency always makes more sense.
#5 – Email marketing
Email marketing is your go-to tool for driving sales and keeping your customers in check. It has to be done in a way that customers find interest in your brand and are not put off by promotional mails time and again. There are automation tools and digital marketing agencies that can simplify email marketing and reduce the effort behind the process. Email marketing, when combined with other forms of paid marketing, can yield great results, and the returns on investment is huge.
Creating a strategy
For most companies, creating a digital strategy is all about balancing these five components. It can take time and effort, but it’s always worth every penny spent. If you still had to choose between these, we would recommend that you consider social media, SEO and online reputation management of paramount importance. Get a digital marketing agency on board to make the most of your budget, and it wouldn’t have to cost a fortune with adequate planning.
