This question is a part of my Free Q&A Series where I answer questions posed by entrepreneurs around the world on sites like Quora, Clarity, and various freelancing forums.
You asked, “What are the best digital marketing practices in recent times?”
It is a bit of an unanswerable question. There are so many variables that could be considered “the best” depending who you are and your purpose.
Email spam is highly effective. As are the promises of money from foreign royalty.
Website exit-intent popups work well — for some brands. For others, they fall on their face and drive angry mobs to social media.
Content marketing continues to rule as an effective tactic. But brands who twist it into a press release will say content marketing is a waste of time and effort.
Social media is a strong vehicle for brands and consumers to connect, in fact, we have never had such a powerful platform for discussion and debate – yet we see, time after time, where someone spams it or the platform itself “changes the rules” and organic reach plumits.
Marketing automation is another fantastic improvement for sales and marketing teams, but, it too, has been ruined by folks who focus on the short-term gains and ruin the relationship with the consumer. Also, how have we not figured out how to replace {first.name} with the recipient’s actual name??
I draw this out, not to be sarcastic, but to prove a point. There are SO MANY wonderful tools available for digital marketers. But there will always be an example of it not working or someone ruining it. The same could be said for in-person sales (used car salesmen).
The best digital marketing practice is one that is designed with the needs of the customer at the center. A brand that is willing to temporarily remove their selfish motivator and willing to invest some time and energy to building a relationship first.
A website with high-quality content published on a constant basis will serve most brands well. Having a landing page where the visitor can sign up for a free resource, webinar, or download will serve a brand well. Investing in on-site SEO and building backlinks will serve a brand well. Having a nice CRM to accompany their marketing automation efforts will serve a brand well. Investing some time to learn the social media platform to connect with their customer will serve a brand well.
Most brands are being sold, and buy into, the idea that digital marketing, as a whole, is a silver bullet that automates every aspect of the sales cycle and can replace the human element. A “set-it-and-forget-it” answer to their frustrations and busyness. That simply isn’t true.
Instead, digital marketing is a tool that can either highlight your strengths or highlight organizational failures.
All the best,
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