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“Digital marketing.” Say it; how do you feel? Anxious? Confused? Unclear? Sounds about right. In the ever-changing tech and digital landscape, it can be overwhelming to try and understand what, exactly, “digital marketing” means in the marketing landscape. In fact, 76% of people think that marketing has changed more in the past two years than it did over the previous 50. Without doubt, then, it seems clear that if you aren’t doing what you can to keep up, the industry is more than likely to leave you behind.
But, then comes the next overwhelming question: where to start—especially when the stability, let alone growth, of your business is dependent upon your success in this arena? In this article, we will discuss how you can master digital marketing for your business and use it to get ahead.
Learn the Terminology
Before getting started, you have to know at least a little something about the landscape. Start with the basics. It’s essential to learn about the digital marketing ecosystem and how to navigate through industry terminologies and core concepts in order to create a successful digital campaign.
An introduction course from Open Campus, The New School’s portal for continuing and professional education, offers courses such as The Digital Marketing Ecosystem: An Introduction that can help jumpstart your knowledge quickly. It will introduce the four P’s of marketing: product, promotion, price, and place in the context of the digital arena to rapidly prepare you for a deeper dive into the marketer’s mindset.
Build your Brand
Now that you know the basics, you should identify what sort of brand your business will have. A strong online presence can often be the deciding factor when someone is vetting new businesses. Having an online presence increases your visibility and can help you better define what sort of audience you are looking to target. By identifying your brand, you can better see what your digital marketing strategy should be.
Learning strategies from courses like Get Creative: Marketing Strategy from Open Campus can help equip you with the tools to build your brand. By identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can implement an effective digital marketing strategy that is unique to you and your business.
Familiarize yourself with SEO
SEO, or search engine optimization, is an essential part of digital marketing. It is one of the best ways to discover if what you are doing is working or not. If you utilize effective SEO techniques, then you might appear higher on the list for search engines. 91.5% of the average traffic goes to the sites that are listed on the first page of Google searches. Putting out good content on a regular basis, using backlinks, and making sure you have a good website structure are excellent ways to improve your SEO. Implementing these tips into your digital marketing strategy could reap results.
Social Media
There are 3.196 billion global social media users in 2018, which is about 42% of the population on earth. Not using social media means you could be missing out on a huge market. Adults 18-34 who are online are extremely likely to follow a brand via social media. Social media is incredibly influential to what people buy or their opinion of brands. Social media trends change fast, so you want to make sure you continually reevaluate your marketing plan for social media. Think about who your audience is and see what sort of social media they are using and get on it!
If you need more help navigating social media marketing, try an online course. Open Campus’ Social Media Marketing online course that helps you from start to finish to create a digital marketing strategy for social media. They provide you with tons of tips to get you going so you can see results fast.
Don’t Forget About Mobile
Most people never leave their home without their cell phone. A mobile-optimized website can go a long way. It can help increase your visibility in a crowded market and help you reach new potential clients. According to SiriusDecisions, 67% of the buying process takes place digitally. Flurry also reported that the average American spends an astounding 5 hours per day on their mobile phone.
By not including mobile in your digital marketing strategy, you are missing out in a huge market. Open Course has a Programmatic, Mobile, and Native Marketing course that could help you fully optimize your strategy. There, you can implement strategies that can help you fully leverage media tools to your advantage.
Never Stop Learning
If you feel like you are in a rut at work, a course can be a great way to help get you out of it. A study by Pew Research found that 87% of learners who took a class or got training for job-related pursuits say it helped them become a more well-rounded worker. 65% of those learners say that they expanded their professional circles by taking additional courses and training.
The ability to master digital marketing for your business does not come overnight. Through hard work, you can achieve your goals. If you need a helping hand, the online courses available at Open Campus have helped many students to grow their skill sets and develop their projects and careers further.
Open Campus also offers a digital marketing online certificate to help your business regain their relevance in a digital age. Five courses long, it provides with a comprehensive view of digital marketing to help give you immediate and actionable insights for you and your business. Earning a certificate in digital marketing can make you more hirable in the future and might even help you earn a raise at your current job.
Digital marketing is an essential part of your business. Taking courses and acquiring a digital marketing certificate can help you broaden your knowledge and make vital connections that could help your business down the road. Visit Open Campus today in order to learn how to market your business digitally effectively.
