The world of marketing has changed. Marketing was once a rather up-in-the-air effort with high costs and no really good metrics to judge how effective it was. But with internet use having become the rule rather than the exception, smaller budget players can hit paydirt these days by spending their marketing budgets on digital campaigns. That’s pretty old news, but even the world of digital marketing keeps changing – and the competition keeps growing because you’re not the only one who knows that promoting businesses online is more profitable than traditional methods.
Here’s how you can make the most of what’s going down in the world of digital marketing today.
1. Professionally Produced Videos
The importance of videos in marketing is no longer a matter for argument. Research shows that videos make a far greater impression than text or even still images. By now, just about everyone’s on the bandwagon and internet users are bombarded with videos from every quarter. In 2021, the trick is not so much going to be in having a video (anyone can do that) but in having one that actually gets watched.
Your video content needs to be interesting, entertaining, and above all, professional. There must be no jarring elements. Grainy footage, mechanical-sounding voice overs, bad sound-quality, and anything that smacks of the amateurish are out. You also need to grab attention fast, because if you don’t, you just lost your viewer. Post production services are a huge help in ensuring that your audio is as compelling as your video content. Don’t overlook the need to appeal to the ear as well as the eye. Ever watched an ad just because it had a great soundtrack? That’s what we’re talking about!
2. Content, Content, Content – GREAT Content
Search engines are getting smarter and smarter at judging how good content is. The May 2020 Google algorithm update was all about content, and what the search engine wants to see before it’s going to give your site a good ranking. What is it looking for? The answer is “quality.” Ever since plagiarism and keyword-stuffing got the boot some years ago, we’ve known that content is under the microscope, and search engines’ ability to judge what’s “good” in content keeps getting better.
Depending on what’s already on your website, you may be delighted – or devastated to discover that search engines are looking for great, shareable information that covers topics pretty comprehensively. It’s also cracking down on spammy and sensational titles and other signals that scream “junk!” to the seasoned internet user.
The bottom line? Content is bigger than ever, and you can use this to your advantage better than ever. Not sure what constitutes good content? Not great at writing? Short on time? You may need to outsource content reviews and content creation, as it will be a good investment in the future of your website and your business.
3. SEO Audits
By now, everyone knows that a website can be a great way of introducing a business to its prospective customers. Their ability to find that website is obviously the first criterion for its success. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), when done right, can help to draw traffic to your website, but when it’s using old techniques and certain tricks that search engines like Google don’t like, it can actually earn you penalties. December 2020 saw the introduction of new algorithms and there are reports of previously-well-optimized sites getting a severe drop in traffic. The bottom line is that 2021 may be the year to give your SEO elements a thorough go over to ensure that attempts to make your business website more searchable in the past aren’t having the opposite effect now.
Are you ready for 2021? By now, we’re ready for anything that isn’t 2020! Be sure your business is ready to meet the marketing challenges of the coming year by implementing these three tips.
