In our rapidly evolving digital planet, whatever does not become better, faster and smarter inevitably faces extinction. In the run for the survival of the fittest, everyone wants to save time, energy and money but at the same time it is equally important to reinvest some of the time, energy and money to revisit and improve key areas of strategic development.
A self-review may often reveal small knacks and hacks that have helped you increase your productivity and attract new customers. Here are some of my digital marketing hacks:
Grow your network
Build the network you will need tomorrow, today. Start with your existing contacts and peers you enjoy working with most. Then actively search for people you want to learn from and work with. Use smart tools like SocialBro to find people of interest on Twitter. Organize your contacts on LinkedIn and Google+ into folders and circles. Connect with people before you are about to meet them at a conference. In the chaos of social media marketing, it is very easy to get distracted and the key is to stay focused.
Steal ideas
Yes, I said steal. Steal ideas from other industries. Expand your reach and interact with people with widely different expertise than yours. Make use of knowledge transfer and who knows, a fantastic new idea might just be a conversation away.
Integrate
Work with as many partners as you can. Not only would this make your product or service more valuable to the customers, but it will also help you tap into an audience that would not be aware of you otherwise.
Simplify your website
Use Google Analytics to determine which page of your site drives most traffic. See what does not get attention. Is that even needed there? Start by removing one thing that your site can do without and continue the process of elimination until you are left with the absolute necessary features and content. When you remove something, whatever is left behind has an even greater impact than it had before in all that clutter.
Display testimonials and brands you have worked with on your website
After you are happy with your elimination process, consider displaying some strong testimonials on the homepage. Good reviews work. People want to see what others are saying about you. Make it convenient for them to find out. Displaying logos of the brands you have worked with also builds repute.
Make it easy for audience to fill out forms
Do not ask too many questions. Do not ask what you do not need. People want things easy, fast and simple and often they will share a little bit of information for what you have to offer but not be keen on filling out tedious forms. A simple email address from your customer should be enough for them to click on the adjoining download, join or subscribe button.
Emails and free downloads
Create smart emails for your clients and customers to help them understand how your product or service is solving a certain problem. This could be in the form of infographics, cheat sheets or a PDF of tips and hacks. Everyone loves a free download.
Write guest posts
Appear regularly on blogs that reach out to your target audience. Focus on quality and continuity. It will not only give you new avenues to reach out to potential clients but also help you build your voice in the digital arena.
Create Idea Pools
Dedicate time for reading and catching up on industry trends. Copy and paste anything you find interesting in a separate document. This will grow to become your idea pool. When something interesting happens at work, when your suggestion works for a client for instance, make a note of that. Add that to the pool. A suggestion that worked for one client can help hundreds more out there. This will make your pool even stronger and when you sit down to write your guest blog, you will always have great ideas to choose from.
Stand in the shoes of your customer
Why should anyone come to you for your services? Ask yourself the hardest question and then make sure you find a satisfactory answer. Use your mobile phone and tablet to visit your website regularly. Go through links. Find reviews. Fetch reviews. See what others are saying about you. Respond to questions through social media. In doing so you will reinforce your position as an industry expert and strengthen your existing network.
What are some of your digital marketing hacks? Please share your ideas for better, faster, and smarter digital marketing with me and others @ @jennifered #DMHacks
