BLOG – SEPTEMBER 2022 – DIGITAL MARKETING

Many business people are very confident about their knowledge and expertise in their own sector but when it comes to digital design and marketing, they are often out of date and confused. We hear comments like, “We gave it to the intern to design” or “I paid good money for a website five years ago”. Imagine letting a junior mechanic make important repairs to your car, or not servicing or even changing the oil in your car for years at a time. You wouldn’t dream of doing that, so why do so many businesses ignore their online presence? There is nothing more likely to put off potential customers than seeing a neglected, unprofessional website with out-of-date information. Your online presence today is yesterday’s shop window. In today’s world, especially since COVID-19, people immediately search online for information about a business, and are quick to consider or dismiss the business depending on what they see online. 

So, what is digital marketing? Digital marketing starts with a great website. This is the place that your target audience, potential clients and customers will go when they want to learn more. It needs to be crisp, clear, compelling, and represent your organization’s look and feel and tone. Your website should be user-friendly, accessible and fast, so that anyone who visits your website has a positive experience. It should visually tie together all the other strands of your well-thought-out marketing campaign. And these days it absolutely must be fully optimized for mobile users, as more people check websites on their cell phone than a computer. We all have the frustrating experience of trying to navigate a traditional “desktop” website on your smartphone! Devote resources to your website, spend time on its content, spend as much as you can afford and keep it updated. 

A good, solid social media presence comes next, Being not he right platforms for your target audiences (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.) is key to getting widespread engagement for your business or organization. We also recommend featuring a live feed of your social media posts directly on your website. For example, your website can include a vibrant gallery of your latest Instagram posts. This builds trust with your audience and provides a more dynamic and engaging experience. And don’t forget customer reviews and positive recommendations and testimonials – people want to know what other peoples’ experiences have been with you. 

Remember when we used to get excited to receive a newsletter or update from an organization or business by email rather than in the old-fashioned mail? Now, many people are overwhelmed by the number of these that they receive so while these online communications are very powerful marketing tools, they need to be targeted, offer valuable information to the recipients, be sent with people’s consent and not be too frequent or you will be blocked forever!

All these digital marketing needs should come together in a way that maximizes exposure in the right places. We do this for our clients in a number of ways:

• Social media marketing
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Content marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Content automation
• Data-driven marketing and many more.

In our view, the best digital marketing campaigns tie closely into our more traditional media outlets, including print, broadcast, and event management. Remember, for ANY type of marketing to be successful, it needs to reach enough of the right target audiences enough times with a message that convinces and prompts the desired action, change in behavior or opinions. 

LFPR is a full-service marketing agency offering a full range of website development and online promotion as well as traditional graphic design, social media services, advertising and public relations. 

Source: Richmond Hill Neighbors magazine | Issue September 2022 | Page 25