Digital Advertising

Oh, Digital Marketing … we’ve tried that

Believe it or not, “digital marketing didn’t really work that well for us”, is something we hear a lot.

Many of our clients have tried digital banners on news sites, let the local radio station set up an Adwords campaign, or run some boosted posts on social media – and it’s left a bad taste in their mouth.

When we get to the bottom of what went wrong we usually discover there was a disconnect between the goal and the execution. Sometimes the right kind of digital marketing wasn’t used, but more often than not it was in the details; the campaign wasn’t set up with the right user experience to prompt action on their part.

It’s not as simple as it seems

Think of it this way. If you’ve ever attempted do a home renovation project or upcycle an end table you found on Craigslist, you may have found yourself at the Home Depot staring blankly down an isle of sanders (Curse you Chip and Joanna for making it look so easy).

Once you’ve figured out if you need a hand, orbital, belt or vibrating palm sander, you then make your way to the giant wall of sandpaper with different levels of grit and grade. Who knew there were so many choices?

Digital Advertising is very similar. Just like there are different types of sanders to achieve different types of results, there are different types of digital marketing products.

Then, once you pick the right product for the job, you need to get granular. This is where building your campaign with the right keywords, audiences, messaging, and follow through makes all the difference. And you guessed it; choosing the wrong ones won’t leave you with that smooth, shiny finish.

The right tools for the job

Not all digital advertising “products” are created equal, however, each has their own uses and benefits. Some common ones include:

• Paid Search: Get found for the products and services you want to sell more of
• Display: Increase the visibility of your brand, products, or services
• Video: A great way to tell a story or show off features
• Remarketing: Talk to the people who are already familiar with your products or services and remind them to make a purchase or provide them with a special offer
• Social Media: A great way to try any of the above on an engagement focused platform

Instant gratification where it matters

You might be thinking all of those options sound pretty cool, but why not just save some money and do it all through good SEO or organic posts?

• Time is money: Digital advertising is a great way to build up traffic while your site is crawling its way to the top of the search results page rankings. Building credibility can take time and there is only so much room on the first page of Google. With a well-executed blend of digital advertising, you can instantly show up at the top of relevant searches and gain authority in Google’s eyes by having an increase in new users to your website.

• Built with goals in mind: Digital advertising campaigns give you the ability to design the messaging, audience, and action in a way posting content or good SEO just can’t deliver. Whether you are trying to engage a specific kind of customer, increase sales of a defined product or service, or ensure that your brand gets more exposure, a targeted campaign can be created to drive results.

• Data-driven: While you can get a good deal of information from organic search and traffic via Google Analytics, the reporting doesn’t come close to the insights provided by digital advertising. Platforms like Adwords provide stats on popular keywords. let you know if your landing pages are not doing great, and even suggest ways to improve your results. By using this data you can not only adjust your current campaign to perform better but make changes to your site or offer to yield better results outside of your digital advertising.

• Clicks that convert: Clicks are great, but action is better. Because paid advertising is targeted and built around specific goals, it typically results in a higher level of user engagement. Those that click via paid digital tend to have a higher rate of following through and converting.

At Strategy Maine, we specialize in digital marketing campaigns that meet your goals and get results. We pride ourselves on delivering a high rate of return on your online investment and providing insights that help your business grow offline as well.

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