Let’s be real for a second. Most brands treat digital marketing kind of like a disastrous first date. They spend the whole time talking about themselves, and if the other person doesn’t respond to that in the way they’d like, they ghost and move onto the next person, hoping for better results from the same approach.
In this economy, that strategy is not an effective use of your marketing budget.
If you want to actually scale, you have to stop thinking about “one-and-done” interactions and start building an ecosystem. You really don’t need fifty different platforms or a bunch of viral videos to get digital marketing to work for you. Instead, you just need three essential tools that work in a recursive and consistent loop.
Here’s how to stop ghosting your potential leads and turn a casual scroller into a lifelong customer.
The Foundation of it All: A Search Engine Optimized Site That Actually Converts
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t just about pleasing a fickle, ever-changing algorithm. It’s about being the answer to someone’s problem at the exact moment they’re looking for it.
But the insider truth that a lot of people don’t know: ranking #1 is useless if your website isn’t set up for conversions. A high-performing site needs to be focused on capturing leads. Think of it this way: if you invite people over to your home, you want to make sure the lights are on and someone opens the door. Otherwise, they’re probably going to leave!
A few tips for making your site more conversion-friendly:
- Don’t use “Contact Us” as your site’s ONLY Call to Action (CTA). Without specific motivation to do so, people probably aren’t going to be inclined to provide you with their contact information.
- Strategize: Offer a high-value lead magnet to motivate people to provide their email address, like a discount or a free consultation. A great example of a successful strategy is the way a lot of clothing websites offer a discount upon your first visit if you provide your email address. You just have to make the discount worthwhile enough to motivate them to do it!
Once you have that email address or contact info, your website has done its primary job: turning anonymous traffic into a tangible relationship you now have with that potential customer.
Building a Community: Social Content & Meta Ads
If your website represents your home– again, you want those lights on and somebody home to receive guests!– social media is kind of like a party happening down the street. It’s where you get the opportunity to build brand personality and find your audience.
Organic reach is great for community building, but running Meta ads is a great way to make a big difference. This is where a lot of brands get it wrong by trying to force a sale too early. The magic happens when you approach your ads strategically.
People don’t really want to feel like they’re being advertised to, because all of us are constantly being advertised to. So instead of trying to get people to buy your product or service right off the bat, provide content that’s worth something to them– inform, educate, or entertain.
Use a consistent posting schedule to drive people to your site. Your content should resonate with your intended audience and also signal to search engines that your site is valuable, which boosts your organic rankings.
Keep Them Around: Monthly Email Campaigns
Making good use of marketing emails is kind of like following up with someone after a date. Showing consistency in communication (without spamming!) is good advice for relationships, and it’s good advice for digital marketing.
In some ways, email is an incredibly underrated tool because it’s the only platform you truly own. While social media algorithms can gatekeep your audience, your email list is a direct line to your audience– which means you have to use it responsibly!
Email marketing is a great time to reiterate. A lead might see your ad, visit your site, and get distracted by some other notification. Email is how you can tap them on the shoulder and say “Hi, remember us? We’re still here and still valuable!”
A solid monthly email marketing campaign does three things for you:
Educates: Provides value and information so it’s not all about sales.
Redirects: Sends people to the website to see new work or blogs.
Reinforces: Includes links to social accounts to keep them in your orbit.
How It All Works Together
The beauty of this strategy is its long-term strength and consistency.
Imagine this: a potential client searches for a solution of some kind, and the search engine points them toward your SEO blog. They’re not ready to buy yet, so they grab your free lead magnet, which adds them to your email list.
A week later, they receive an email that links to your social media post. They follow you, which leads to them seeing a Meta ad that directs them to your services… and eventually, they head back to your website to seal the deal.
Someone finding your website and taking the steps to purchase your products or services isn’t the result of dumb luck. It IS the result of a consistent digital marketing strategy that uses the three tools outlined above.
Ready to build a marketing strategy that works for you, but not sure where to begin? Well, that’s where we come in. Let’s talk about it!