Digital marketing is any way you choose to promote your company on the Internet. This could be free or paid for, and could include a range of complementary tools including SEO, SEM, PPC, Facebook ads, Twitter ads, websites, other social media and email marketing.
FiG can help you to identify the best marketing mix to maximise your online profile and performance. With all the different jargon and technical terms it can seem confusing, but it’s important to ensure that your content is every bit as carefully considered as your ‘delivery system’.
If your message has substance, is delivered to the right people in an engaging format and is backed up by fast, reliable communication with those who respond, then you have a good chance of standing out in an often confusing and cluttered marketplace.
The key thing is to put the right content in the right place to reach the right people. Whether you pay for promotion, provide content for free to use a combination of both, the potential is huge, from SEO, SEM and social media to targeted ads, websites and emails.
The many facets of digital marketing are often interconnected, so for example the number of backlinks you have (these are links to your website from others) will influence your importance in the eyes of Google and their search engines.
The key is to define and implement the best combination in your overall digital marketing strategy.
Conquering the digital world is easier said that done. But it can be done, and FiG can help you to navigate the many options to get the results you’re looking for.
Let’s explain some terms that may be familiar but can often benefit from a bit of extra explanation.
SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the hidden alchemy behind getting your name higher than everyone else’s on the lists presented to people who search the Internet on Google or other search engines.
Being at the top of page one when people search is clearly a good thing, especially when your business is in a highly competitive market where many others offer similar products and services.
As an SEO agency FiG takes a pragmatic look at your SEO activities to identify the best way forward for your company, including how to use common and specialist terms to enhance your visibility when people search, and to use this alongside a broader marketing strategy.
SEM
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a more formal arrangement where you bid on keywords or phrases, which enables your ‘ad listing’ to appear in a more visible position – even at the top of the page – that hopefully leads more searchers to your website or other online sites.
Depending on your business and its goals, FiG can help you to decide whether SEM – a popular example is Google Ads (or GoogleAdWords) – is a good option to include in your marketing mix, and then help you to make it as beneficial as possible.
This is an investment that requires careful consideration to make sure the returns justify the costs and we can help you to assess eg. the percentage of people that click or visit who are likely to actually buy or become a valuable connection.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Pay-per-click (PPC) is another potential investment that needs careful consideration. Essentially you place ads on different content or social media websites and you pay every time someone clicks on it to access your site. It’s similar to Google Ads, with common options including Facebook Ads and Twittter Ads.
FiG can help you to work out the best way to stand out, convert clicks to interest and sales and also maintain relationships with those who were interested enough to have visited and therefore could become future contacts or customers.
Affiliate Marketing
This is another way to reach more people by working with other companies who may have some market connection to your own. Essentially you refer people from your website to theirs, and they do the same.
This is the world of referrals, backlinks and link building. As with any relationship, choosing the right affiliate partners is crucial, and FiG can help to identify potentially fruitful partnerships and then build relationships that are beneficial for both sides.
Email Marketing
This is a traditional but surprisingly effective way to reach the right people. You have to make sure you have permission to contact everyone on your mailing list, but as it’s likely they are on the mailing list in the first place because they have expressed interest, then these links normally have good potential.
Your mailing list will include people with whom relationships are already up and running. Of course, all content, offers and information needs to be engaging and useful, but FiG can help with that too.
Content Marketing
This is online content that helps to promote you, your products and services. It may be free or come at a cost, but the crucial elements are relevance, engagement and usefulness.
Examples might be tutorials, lifestyle videos, guides or any other content that people will enjoy, subscribe to and associate with your company in a positive way. It’s another way to build relationships that foster positive feelings and encourage people to find out more.