WHAT IS DIGITAL MEDIA?

According to www.learn.org, digital media includes any format or device used to convey content using digital signals. A mix of media and technology, some includes of digital media include digital images, digital video, video game, web pages and websites, including social media, data and databases, digital audio, such as MP3 and electronic books.

HOW TO USE DIGITAL MARKETING TO YOUR ADVANTAGE?

Identifying your goals prior to creating your digital marketing strategy ensures your business or project will be setup correctly from the start. Are you looking to increase site traffic? Are you looking to increase your followers on social media? Build your mailing list? Increase engagement? Create online giveaways and contests? Enhance brand awareness?

As you may notice, a single digital strategy would not hit all of these areas so plan accordingly. Which resources do I currently have? Which resources do I currently need? Evaluate the digital tools you’ve already invested in and determine if they’re viable, need tweaking, or should be removed to invest your money where it really counts.

By this time, you’ve probably tested the water with some digital advertisements and used personal money on the tools to do so. It’s not uncommon to forget that you’ve probably used some sort of subscription service such as Hootsuite or Mailchimp to kick-start your needs. You're not alone in this, as we've all been here before. Chances are, with your new digital strategy of building your online reputation, you can revamp your strategy, ultimately seeking a return on your investment.

WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY TOOLS FOR DIGITAL MARKETING?

1.) Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the easiest ways to be in constant communication with your customers. Send valuable company updates and promotions, ask your audience for testimonials, remind a client about their upcoming appointment.

• Trending Tip: Connect with your audience and personalize your emails, include subject lines over 70 characters in length, and optimize your emails by researching the best time and day to schedule your message.

2.) Social Media

With the ability to target customers, social media provides powerful tools to connect with your audience. Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest to name a few, you're able to reach the right customer on the platform that is best for your industry. If they’re millennials, Twitter and Instagram may be best. If you want to get more niche and you have millennials that are creative, consider platforms such as Pinterest or YouTube for additional alternatives.

• Trending Tip: Remember to streamline a process that is going to get you results and precise data. Stay consistent with your strategy and track your results on a quarterly basis.

2.) Content Marketing

Content marketing is great way to maximize your brand's voice. By including relevant valuable and customize content across your online marketing platforms increases your chance of generating consistent organic traffic. Considering incorporating blogs, videos, infographics, case studies, memes and gifs to draw leads to you based on search results.

• Trending Tip: Collaborate with influencers in your industry to generate strong results from the start. Take the time to target key people that will increase your online results. If you're on a budget, create an agreement that will work best for both parties. You'll be surprised at what you and or team can do.