By Donna Werking, Owner, Northern AZ Social, LLC
Many business owners are grateful 2020 has come to
an end, however, whether your business thrived in, or simply endured the COVID
year, planning your marketing strategies for 2021 is critical. Many companies
desire to begin the new year with a new budget, a fresh outlook, and a new marketing
plan to achieve new goals.
Digital marketing fell upon us, seems like only a
few years ago, however it is evolving fast. In 2021, we predict more digital
regulation, but only because there will be more ways to target your audience
online. By 2020, if your company has not optimized your website, implemented a Google
Adwords strategy, grown followers on your Facebook page or embedded Google
Analytics on your website, you may already be behind in the game.
Here’s a few digital strategies that business
owners should continue to rely on:
Google Adwords
proves to be a great strategy where users, “online consumers”, may find your
company through an online search. The Pay Per Click strategy
drives desirable users to a company’s website through search terms to learn
more about a product or service. If the user sees your ad, but it does not
apply to their search, they simply don’t click it. It’s a digital strategy that
is regulated so a user isn’t permitted to rack up your budget by clicking the
same ad ten times and companies can set a daily budget. You can target a
specific area you desire to reach. The ad also does not present itself to the
user unless the search is relevant to the user’s inquiry. Adwords continues to
be a desirable online marketing method.
Google Analytics
is code embedded on your company website that offers free tracking on visitors
to your site. If you are curious to see where your users are coming from, it is
encouraged to have Google Analytics. It also aids your rank with the Google
search engine.
Facebook is
still the number one social media networking platform for businesses to reach
consumers. Although the continuing algorithm and dashboard updates has made it
more complex to be able to reach your targeted audience, Facebook advertising is
still proven to be an effective method. There are more third-party integrations
for this platform than any other, which can also enhance your strategies. The
Instagram integration is simply another bonus. For many third-party apps to be
effective, it requires a minimum of 2,000 followers to your page. If you wish
to use this platform for business successfully, it may be time to grow your fan
following.
All digital strategies should always redirect to
your number one resource… your company website. If your website does not
feature your product or service in an effective, user-friendly way, it may be
time to audit your site and seek ways optimize your site or build a new website
from scratch. When considering your 2021
marketing plan, be sure to make your website a priority.
