For those who are inexperienced in digital marketing, what’s the number one thing they should know?

The one thing you should know is that you don’t know.

 You don’t know how it really works unless you’ve spent mountains of time working in it. You don’t know the extent to which people are making their decisions about what vendor to choose, what service provider to select, or what restaurant to eat at with it. You also don’t know just how bad you look as a business when you don’t even have a skeleton plan in place in it. 

Businesses we talk to often say “the best marketing we can do is word of mouth”, but even word of mouth is now digital in the form of review sites.

We work with small family-owned businesses frequently who have decided that they can just have their youngest niece or nephew do their digital marketing, until we show them what the real impact that person is having...which is generally nil because they just don’t know anything about the real science and process behind digital marketing. Then they hire us. 

We live in a digital society now, and the sooner you get together with someone who knows how to manipulate and take advantage of every facet of the digital realm (and make you look amazing in it at the same time), while also not ignoring traditional marketing techniques all under one roof, the faster your business will grow or recover. 

Why do some brands work, while others do not? 

Branding as well as marketing can seem unpredictable, confusing, even overwhelming for many companies—regadless of size. You're not alone. However, it doesn't have to be. Start with truly understanding and knowing your target (primary) customer.

Keep this simple reality close to your heart
Your story, your business, and your audience are unique. Not everyone will become your customer. The key to building brand loyalty is narrowing down your ideal audience—or in marketing lingo: isolating your target market. Once you've done this, then you can build your brand and deliver your message around their expectations. In the end, you'll save yourself time and money by making smarter decisions and your message will carry more impact.

Find your niche
In 1971, a little known coffee shop opened its doors with a vision of providing not just great service and better coffee, but also a unique environment where people could gather and feel connected. This became the soul of their culture. Today, with more than 17,000 stores in 55 countries, Starbucks has created a brand that is relished around the world—by knowing its customers and delivering to their expectations, without falter. 

More doesn't equal better
Today's technology has opened the doors to communicate in ways we could have only imagined a few years ago. At the touch of a button, we reach audiences around the world in just seconds. And with so many portable devices available, there are infinitely more ways to share your story than ever before. However, simply because advertising is more readily dispensed, does not mean that it is more effective. All too often, just the opposite is true.

A golfer's analogy for today's marketers
Whether you are a golfer or not, we all pretty much understand a few things about the game. Keep your eye on the ball, know the lay-of-the-land, and put it in the hole in as few strokes as possible. I'm certainly no golf pro, but I've played enough to know that the game requires skills and talent that comes with years of practice. The same can be said of marketing. 

Over and over again, I see more "Pro Marketers" taking a blindfold approach to their methods. It's important to realize that just because today's technology has broadened our marketing options, doesn't mean your efforts will be more effective. Imagine walking out on the course with a blindfold on and attempting to shoot eighteen holes of golf. Any golf pro would tell you that it would be next to impossible. Chances are, you'd never make it past the first hole. The same can be said of marketing. 

The challenges today aren't what they use to be. The days of departing your La-Z-Boy to turn the dial to a new channel are long gone. Instead of six channels to surf, there are hundreds-of-thousands (millions to be honest), including, of course, Al Gore's world-wide-web. There's a whole new class of marketers from all corners of the globe who are eagerly lining up to tee off from your home turf. 

At the end of the day, your potential customer has been saturated with media and is losing patience—desensitized and wary of whom s/he should believe in. 

Marketing 101 advice to navigate by
Starting with the basics; KEEP IT SIMPLE. Throw away the blindfold, get your eye on the ball, and focus on one hole at a time. The "dial" is still there, it just looks different now. Focus on marketing tools that provide personal connections, instantaneous results, and metrics to conclude your efforts. Build from there. 

Because of the internet, the world has gotten smaller, competition more fierce, and there are a myriad of new challenges to face. You can choose to look at it as a bag of new carbon-fiber marketing irons. Choose wisely and you'll be in the game. Invest adequate time learning which will work best for your business—and you might win. ALWAYS keep your eye on the flag (pay extra close attention to who your target customer is) and you might find that some (not all) of these nifty new irons will get you to the green in one stroke.

The days of hit-n-miss advertising are long gone. Today, with targeted email campaigns and web-based analytics such as those provided by Google or Alexa, your company's marketing efforts can be measured instantaneously. Instantaneously as in; you can send out a targeted email campaign and see the moment that it's opened, by whom, and what links were clicked. Furthermore, you can dial in your customer by their first name and build campaigns based on their preferences—right down to the socks on their feet (I don't think argyles are still a favorite for golfers). Follow that with a personal "Thank You" note, and you've hit a hole in one! 

A little help can't hurt (it might even help)
Sometimes it's best to work with someone who can help you learn the strokes and the lay of the land—and let's not forget that oversized bag of new tools. Anything worthwhile usually requires a little extra effort and time. An expert can help you mitigate both. Choose your coach carefully, don't rush it—they are like fingerprints—no two are the same. Make sure your budget is well defined and decisive. Unlike many corporations with endless pockets, you may have to start with baby steps and grow from there. 

Best Wishes—Steve

1. Define your customer very clearly. 
2. Define your product or service very clearly, with specific calls-to-action.
3. Make sure your website and social media match #2, to #1. Otherwise you're probably wasting money. 
4. Have Google Analytics and social pixels set up (correctly), to track what your audience is doing. 
5. Start your marketing plan with SEO. Marry your content marketing to SEO, otherwise you'll create great content, that nobody sees. 
6. Run A/B tests (from the tracking data you've set up) and optimize the traffic your marketing generates. 
7. Rinse and repeat.

Digital marketing is about connecting with your audience, not about selling to them. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok, users want to feel a human connection and an ability to carry on a conversation with their favorite brands.

I help my clients develop marketing plans that start with the most important piece, developing a brand story and message. Done correctly, that brand story and message can be carried out across all marketing mediums. 

Creating and then building your brand within the digital space used by your targeted clients/customer base takes time, effort, and continuous commitment and focus. And, I might add, skill and training. If none of the above fits into your business model and your training and experience, then find a company that fits you, and plan the plan then let them execute. You focus your 168 hours/week on QOL and doing what only you the business owner can do effectively. 

Realize that digital marketing is only part of the equation. Having a social media presence reminds your existing customers that you are still out there and open for business. For new customers, it lets them know you are a legitimate business. Each industry will have a specific niche for social posting, and not all businesses need to post every day or even every week. Find professionals who have experience in your business to lend a hand in developing the best strategy for you.

1. Important to have a website and social media accounts.
2. Create a business page (as many as you can handle), do not use a personal page for business.
3. If you don't know the how's too, look for help or ask.  it's going to be easier in the long run.
4. If it is the first time in social media, start low, but start,, dont wait to have all the elements you think you need before hand.
5. Be aware if you offer a service  through social media platforms, be there when people ask.
6. many moreeeee . . . .

Digital Marketing is not a subject you take in school. When you have a question, don't waste time reading lists like this. Get very specific!

There are 1000's or good resources on any niche topic. What to write better headlines? Talk to a copywriter. They have great discussion groups. You won't find 1 or 10 best but you will learn how they do it.

Same with any topic. 

When you see a list of "37 industry experts" you know it's not the depth you need. Not a bad headline if you for getting traffic but serious pros don't try to learn by a list of shortcuts.

The biggest thing business owners and brands can do when faced with any new scenario is one of the hardest -- admit that they may not know everything. This goes for digital marketing as well. Seek experts who can help guide you and perfect your brand's digital presence until you're sufficiently comfortable to take over the reins yourself, or perhaps continue with that trusted digital marketing partner, and concentrate your efforts on the things you do best - your business/brand.  

You can’t and should not do it all. Learn to align your marketing efforts with your business goals and choose which channels and methods can will you the most bang with the least amount of pain and effort. 

It’s easier said than done, many Fortune 500 companies don’t understand or fail to implement this concept. This is also why they hire marketing professionals to help them sort it out.