How digital assets work together to achieve desired results…
I recently read a very interesting blog by Sherrie Gossett on behalf of AIOSEO titled “SEO vs Social Media: How Do Their Roles Differ in Digital Marketing?” While the blog focuses on the key differences and unique roles SEO and social media play within the digital marketing ecosystem, I decided to write a blog that not only focuses on the differences but rather how each of these channels complement each other. Understandably, each channel should have its own set of objectives, but these all need to work and align to achieve the bigger marketing strategy objective.
Let’s begin with a brief overview of what digital marketing is, what this ecosystem comprises (we will keep this quite high level for now), and why we use digital marketing to help drive business.
Digital marketing, also called online marketing, is the promotion of brands to engage with all stakeholders and target audiences using the internet and other forms of digital communication. This includes website development (your website needs to be the core of the digital marketing ecosystem), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), social media, YouTube and LinkedIn, social marketing (or social paid advertising), email marketing, e-commerce, feedback, analytics, ratings and content creation, which generally forms the foundation of all digital marketing initiatives.
Marketing, simply put, is to get more people buying your products or solutions, or using your services more of the time. All forms of marketing can help your business thrive. Developing a marketing strategy (or marketing plan for those who are intimidated by the word strategy) that is aligned to the overall business objective and goals is imperative. No matter the size of your company, having a clear goal on what you need to achieve, ensuring you set your goals or objectives with a time frame, making sure they are measurable over the duration of the timeline, achievable and realistic is the start of building your marketing plan.
Digital marketing has become increasingly important because of how accessible digital channels are.
Digital marketing has become prominent largely because it reaches a wide audience and provides opportunities to profile your prospects according to age, demographic, geo-location, interests, job titles, business industry, etc and engage with them.
Here are a few reasons why digital marketing should form part of your overall marketing strategy:
- It’s where your customers are searching for information
- It’s where your customers are being entertained
- It’s where your customers are socialising
- Integrated Digital Marketing gives you the best return on investment
- Digital Marketing is results-driven
- Digital marketing is cost-effective
Digital Marketing Assets
Website – The Core to your Digital Marketing Ecosystem
Role: Acts as the central hub for your digital presence. All marketing efforts drive traffic to your website.
Complementary Channels:
- SEO: Optimises website content for search engines.
- SEM: Drives paid traffic to the website.
- Content Creation: Provides valuable information to visitors.
- Analytics: Tracks user behaviour and website performance.
Role: Develops valuable content to attract and engage audiences.
Complementary Channels:
- SEO: Ensures content is optimised for search engines.
- Website: Hosts and showcases content.
- Social Media: Shares content to drive traffic.
- Email Marketing: Distributes content to subscribers.
Role: Improves organic search visibility and drives free traffic from search engines.
Complementary Channels:
- Content Creation: Develops keyword-optimised content.
- Website: Ensures the website is search-engine friendly.
- Social Media: Shares optimised content to generate backlinks.
- Analytics: Measures SEO performance and adjusts strategies.
Role: Uses paid strategies to increase search engine visibility.
Complementary Channels:
- Website: Ensures landing pages are optimised for conversions.
- SEO: Uses insights from SEM campaigns to enhance SEO.
- Analytics: Monitors SEM performance and ROI.
Role: Engages with audiences and drives traffic to the website.
Complementary Channels:
- Content Creation: Produces shareable content.
- SEO: Shares content to build backlinks and improve SEO.
- Social Paid: Boosts posts to reach a wider audience.
- Analytics: Tracks engagement and traffic from social platforms.
Role: Focuses on B2B marketing and professional networking.
Complementary Channels:
- Content Creation: Develops industry-specific content.
- SEO: Optimises LinkedIn profiles and content.
- Social Media: Shares LinkedIn content across other platforms.
- Analytics: Measures engagement and effectiveness.
Role: Hosts video content to engage and inform audiences.
Complementary Channels:
- SEO: Optimises video titles and descriptions for search.
- Content Creation: Produces engaging video content.
- Social Media: Promotes videos on other social platforms.
- Analytics: Tracks video performance and viewer engagement.
Role: Uses paid advertising on social platforms to reach targeted audiences.
Complementary Channels:
- Social Media: Works with organic posts to maximise reach.
- SEM: Uses insights from social paid campaigns for search ads.
- Analytics: Monitors ad performance and ROI.
Role: Nurtures leads and keeps existing customers engaged.
Complementary Channels:
- Content Creation: Provides valuable information in emails.
- Website: Directs email traffic to the website.
- Analytics: Tracks email open rates and conversions.
Role: Builds trust and credibility through customer feedback.
Complementary Channels:
- Website: Showcases reviews and testimonials.
- Social Media: Shares positive reviews.
- SEO: Uses reviews to improve local search rankings.
- Analytics: Monitors feedback for customer insights.
Role: Measures performance across all digital channels.
Complementary Channels:
- Website: Tracks user behaviour and site performance.
- SEO: Monitors keyword rankings and organic traffic.
- SEM: Measures ad performance and conversions.
- Social Media: Tracks engagement and traffic sources.
- Email Marketing: Analyses open rates and click-through rates.
Role: Influences purchasing decisions through user ratings.
Complementary Channels:
- Website: Displays ratings to build trust.
- SEO: Uses ratings to improve search engine visibility.
- Social Media: Shares high ratings to boost credibility.
- Analytics: Tracks the impact of ratings on conversions.
Not all digital marketing channels are required to achieve your objectives. It’s crucial to select the channels that will best reach your target audience and that you are comfortable utilising to communicate your messaging. Whether you manage these efforts independently or with the help of a digital marketing service provider, ensure that you communicate regularly, with relevant, value-adding information and content that aligns with your brand and reflects your brand’s values and purpose. Keep your brand visual identity consistent to ensure top-of-mind awareness, to build trust and confidence, differentiating you from your competitors, but also remember to remain authentic, human and engaging.
Remember, each digital channel has a unique role to play and should be complemented by other channels.
Each channel cannot be seen in isolation but must work in harmony with the other channels you have selected to use within your digital marketing ecosystem. By integrating these channels effectively, you can create a cohesive and powerful digital marketing strategy that maximises reach, engagement and conversions – ultimately driving your business towards success.
