Digital Marketing 101

Presented by: Hugh Garrett

Foundations of Internet Marketing

• Website• Search Engine Optimization• Social Media• Email Marketing

Important Definitions

• Inbound Marketing - advertising through: – Blogs and podcasts– Video and eBooks– Email newsletters and whitepapers– SEO and social media marketing

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural” or un-paid (organic) search results.

Websites

Why Are Websites Important?• Home for all business information – Products and services– Staff and company history– Location(s) and contact information

• Your 24/7/365 salesman

• Drive business through SEO

• Drive business by using website URL in “traditional marketing” mediums (print, billboard, etc.)

Good or Bad?Stock duck?

What?

Just no.

Good or Bad?Clean and concise navigation

Calls out main focus

Highlights benefits

Leads into the rest of the site

Elements of “Good” Website Design

• Clean design with eye-catching graphics

• Clear and intuitive navigation

• Informative (and original) content

• Pages do not extend too far “beyond the fold”

Best Practices for Website Content

• 300 – 400 unique words per page

• Proofread!

• Keep it interesting– Use subheadings– Utilize bullet points– Helpful graphics

• One page per topic/service area/product

• Write for people, not for search engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Why is SEO Important?

• 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results

• SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate; outbound leads (direct mail or print) have a 1.7% close rate

• Search beats social media by 300% when it comes to driving traffic to websites

On-Site Ranking Factors

Keyword Research

• 2- 3 keywords per page– Choose based on page relevance– Use Excel to “map” keywords to pages

• Mix short and long-tail keywords– Short: “Digital cameras”– Long: “Canon power shot digital camera”

Meta Information

• Page Title

How Meta Information Appears in Google

Page Title

Meta Description

Benefits of Blogging

• Google LOVES fresh content• Blogs = more pages indexed • More pages indexed = more traffic• More traffic = more leads• More leads = more business!

Blogging Ideas

• Company news– Announce a new client/division– Interview a new hire

• Industry news• How-to guides• Top 10 lists• Photos around the office

Building Quality Backlinks

• Share blogs/pages via social media

• Press releases– Only write press releases when you have news– Distribute to journalists/reporters in your niche

Ever Wonder How This Happens?

Improving Local SEO• Add photos and videos

• Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google+ Local page– Don’t post fake reviews– Don’t remove negative reviews (respond to them)– Don’t post negative reviews about competitors

Social Media Marketing

The Definitive Social Media Purpose Guide

Benefits of Social Media for Business

• 64% of Twitter users and 51% of Facebook users are more likely to buy the products of brands they follow online.

• 50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a recommendation through a social media network

• Facebook shares have the greatest influence on Google search rankings in the U.S.

Increasing Social Media Engagement

• Hold contests or random drawings– Photo/video contests– Sweepstakes

• Types of posts– Links to your site/blogs– “Like if..” posts– Questions– Polls

Building a Fan Community

• Like/follow other businesses on Facebook/Twitter– Respond to and/or share their content– Reach out to partner for cross-promotion

• Don’t just share your own content– Share links within your industry– Tag authors/publishing brands

• Talk TO your fans, not AT them

Email Marketing

Email Marketing is NOT Dead

• A 2012 survey of consumer channel habits and preferences found 77% preferred to receive permission-based promotions via email

• Email marketing pieces should be:– Targeted – Informative – USEFUL

Building a Qualified Database

• NEVER buy an email list

• Place an email newsletter signup form on your website– Place in a prominent location– Promote in blogs and on social media

• Give people a REASON to receive your emails

Crafting an Email

• Short and concise subject

• Content ideas– Use recent blogs posts from your site

• Drives traffic back to your website• Summarize 3 – 4 blog posts, include images, and link each back to

your website

– Share a new page on your site (new products, services, etc.)

• Include social media links (with giveaways/contest information)

View this Presentation Online:

www.PinnacleCreativeMarketing.com/Digital-Marketing-101

Contact:

Hugh Garrett

HGarrett@PinnacleNS.com (843) 662-1581 Ext: 1004