OMNINVENTION

Digital marketing involves marketing to people using Internet-connected electronic devices, namely computers, smartphones and tablets. Digital marketing focuses on channels such as search engines, social media, email, websites and apps to connect with prospects and customers.

Definitely. Though companies in many business categories continue to approach digital marketing with skepticism, avoiding digital marketing denies your business access to the media the majority of consumers turn to first and at all hours of the day.

Digital marketing has evolved to the point where an immense array of specialists consult with brands to develop effective strategies or implement programs. If you’re new to digital marketing, or lack experience or resources, you should consider engaging an experienced and versatile digital marketing consultant.

Blowing their own horn. Yes, of course, the primary goal of marketing is to create leads. However, in the age of digital media a brand-centric, salesy approach deflects interest in your company. Make your marketing customer-centric.

Websites that go for long periods with no updates and new content are unlikely to perform well or support any useful digital marketing objectives. Though a static website technically qualifies as a website it’s bound to be more than a digital brochure that produces little or no leads.

Email, social media, search and other elements of your digital marketing mix will depend on delivering useful content. Though video outlets, podcasts, and media galleries present other options, a blog is by far the most used tactic for distributing marketing content on a channel over which you have complete control.

A content marketing strategy is a plan for building an audience. Elements of content marketing strategy include establishing objectives, audience personas, a value proposition, content marketing mission statement, a buyer journey map, and plans for creating, promoting and analyzing how content marketing assets and programs perform.

Mobile phones are the most used technology in the world. Most of your prospects spend the majority of their media time—and hours—using a smartphone. Mobile marketing focuses on mobile strategies like messaging, mobile applications, and mobile websites. A brand that ignores mobile marketing is doomed.

Content marketing is the creation and distribution of educational and/or entertaining information assets for the purpose of generating brand awareness, traffic, leads and sales. Marketing content is generally free and does not explicitly promote your brand as an ad would.

There can be no all-encompassing answer to this question except to say you should create content buyers will find relevant and useful. Leading candidates include blog posts, articles, ebooks, infographics, microsites, videos, courses, case studies, newsletters, visuals and various forms of interactive content.

You can pursue a variety of strategies to earn mentions and links. The three most prolific are likely to be: (1) Secure opportunities to write guest posts on influential blogs (2) Create relationships with influencers in your industry, and (3) Consistently create and promote content worthy of mentions and links.

Keywords are the words and phrases searchers use—usually with search engines—to find relevant pages, images, videos, or any kind of information when looking for answers, knowledge, products, or services. SEO professionals consider keywords and the topics they suggest when optimizing content for search.

First understand this: search engines will learn to index your site as often as you publish content. However, neither your audience or search engines value garbage content. The answer(s) to this question is you should (1) create content as often as you can create great content, and (2) you must consider your costs and ROI.

Great headlines are the key to getting people to read, watch or listen to your content. Over time, however, your reputation becomes a factor too, so you need to build and honor it. I like to say, “The goal of your content is not to get people to visit your website; it’s to get people to subscribe to it.”

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of using onsite and offsite tactics to help get content presented by a search engine. Done well, the practice increases the quantity and quality of your traffic.

The majority of web traffic is generated by search and those that come by way of search have a greater degree of commercial intent than most other channels.

PPC stands for pay-per-click. Essentially, it’s a way of buying web traffic. Advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Search engine advertising is the most popular form of PPC, however numerous channels including Facebook now offer PPC ad models.

Local SEO is the process of optimizing your online properties to generate traffic from location-based searches. It helps businesses promote products and services to local customers when they need them.

This question is the source of endless speculation and debate because search engine companies such as Google will not answer it. Experts generally agree rankings are based on relevance and authority, but the factors that determine them are many—and inconsistent. The best way to achieve a high search engine ranking is to create one of the most thorough web pages possible for a specific keyword or topic.

Hmm… a hotly debated question. I submit short-form content takes its rightful place on social media channels where the audience is flying fast and taking in oodles of media. Long-form content tends to perform better on search and gives your blog more substance to help establish your expertise.