 Boo! OK settle down my little goblins. It’s time to overcome your fears of digital marketing and create a scary-good plan that’s sweeter than pumpkin spice. Digital Marketing is a fear many business owners and entrepreneurs have when launching or growing their businesses. Not knowing where to start can keep you frozen in place. Well don’t worry, like a self-designated tour guide in a haunted house – or that one friend who doesn’t scream at jump scares – I’m going to take you through this scary process one step at a time.  I’ve curated an easy-to-follow list of steps you can take to get started with digital marketing. As you move through this list, you’ll start to feel more comfortable and confident. Step 1: Outline a Strategy If you don’t do this first, I can guarantee that you’ll have to rework steps 2-6 over and over until you get it right. Finding out you’re creating content for the wrong audience or creating content that doesn’t convert, is a tough lesson to learn! And it costs you more time, money, and resources in the end. And honestly, that should scare you the most! So, stick with the order and you’ll come out on top. Write down the answers to each of these questions. Don’t just think about the answers as you read this. Take the time to write down the answers so you have an actual plan when you’re done with this.
Thinking through these questions will you help you keep goals and priorities in mind as you continue down the list. Step 2. Build a stable foundation with your websiteStart with your website. This is your home base. Even if you sell on Amazon and Etsy, you need a website. NEVER rely on a 3rd party site 100% of the time for your sales. You should always be prepared for the bottom to drop out of 3rd party sites. I’m not telling you to not use them. I’m telling you to be ready for the winds to shift, because, my dear, they will. And it can ruin a small business. If you think of your website as a foundation to your business, then you’ll understand that it needs to completely support you and help you reach your goals. You should include:
Don’t forget Mobile & SEO:
Step 3. Pave roads that connect with your audience Ok! Your foundation is built and ready for the world. Now it’s time to pave roads toward connection. These are all the ways you’re going to reach out and communicate with your audience. These roads are BUILT BY YOU and you control how often you’re communicating via these channels. Who’s going to hop on these roads you’re paving? You audience can consist of:
Make sure you’re communicating to everyone! Different roads could have more of one audience than another, so pay to attention to what they respond to and where they are in your sales pipeline. Roads toward connection could be:
Remember these are roads that you’re building on your own. You choose what it looks like, what the experience is, if they walk alone or with you. Take time to think about the experience you want your audience to have. Step 4. Start showing up online While building your own road and experiences above, you also need to start reaching out to audiences in their own spaces. Join their conversations and meet them where they are. Where are your prospects and customers online?
It’s important to watch your prospects/customers, find out where they go for connection, and meet them there. Send everyone back to your website (your foundation) where they can take an action with you. This is called a call to action and it’s sooooo important to growing your sales. Calls to action you can use:
Step 5. Keep creating! Now that you’re putting yourself out there, it’s time to start creating more content. There are so many ways to provide education, entertainment, and encouragement without giving your products and services away for free. If you need ideas for content, I recommend you sign up for Inspire-Starter, a subscription services that gives you ideas every day via text and a monthly content planning worksheet to map out ideas and start creating! Think about what kind of content you want to create for:
Re-use content as much as you can! Share your Reels on TikTok and your TikToks in a Reel. Use video for stories as well. Another great idea is to embed tiktok videos and Instagram posts in blog posts or on landing pages. This saves you time and allows you re-use great content. Step 6. Start paying for ads Here’s the part that no one loves, but if you’ve been showing up online, on social media, and creating content, then this step is going to come easier to you than it would have before.
Set up an advertising account on the platforms you want to use. Most will try to give you an easy-to-navigate process. On the plus side, once you start advertising and spending money, many platforms will give you ad credit (ex. LinkedIn likes to give $50 to those getting started). Start here: Following these steps in order will help you get started with a solid foundation and build confidence along the way. Confidence is writing messaging, using new technology, and doing what it takes to meet your goals.
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AuthorFirst, I'm the mother of three crazy, sassy, sarcastic, hilarious children. Second, I work in the world of social media, email, digital marketing. Third, I'll probably try to tell you what to do. Archives
August 2023
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