The world has turned a new page in 2021 when it comes to Online Advertising and I am still excited about it.
But wow… I see things starting to change. Google and Facebook are pushing their limits with privacy and strange updates within Online Advertising. How many companies are even adhering to the email standards set out by GDPR?
It is this kind of unfolding drama that makes me believe in organic search even more. Real SEO means tangibly applying it into the equation for online marketing.
Keep This In Mind
I believe you should consider working for your customers by creating content that reaches them where it matters.
A lot of companies focus on educational pieces that help inform customers on how to use their product or service. On the other hand, others focus on entertaining them. Engagement is based on evoking emotion.
Either way, considering content and optimizing it for their searchability provides you with the opportunity to cut through the advertising noise. You’ll be able to meet your customers at their convenience, instead of bombarding or harassing them with advertisements.
What about Social Media? Is it Invasive?
I would say that Social Media is a complementary component of creating content for your customers. This works by focusing on brand awareness and providing insights or snippets into the meat of your larger content piece.
Remember, content can be videos, articles, audio (podcasts) which can transcend into posts on your Facebook page or even stories on Instagram. These act as small insights into a greater story or more expansive piece of content that customers may want to further expand on.
Paid Vs Earned Online Advertising
The vast majority of spending goes into advertising – it can be somewhere in the 90th percentile. A lot of business owners or executives are happy to fire away huge sums of money towards the advertising budget. However, the intention may be all well and good, but how does that playout in the results?
Well friend, I recommend you focus on being profitable everyday of the week when it comes to your marketing budget – the same as you’ve come to expect from your sales team when closing deals.
You see, when you earn your customers, retention rates go up and the lifetime value lives longer.
For example, the first page on Google now is (usually) at least half filled with paid spots. This results in untintential clicks and costs you a lot of money – even skewing your results. Whereas thoughtful and intentional content that is optimized to rank higher, in other words, provides meaningful responses to the search query, will yield better results over time.
Both marketing channels serve their purpose. The amount of effort deployed into them will depend on the product or service you are selling. Also, don’t forget the strategic intent behind each campaign – are you doing broad reaching brand awareness?
Having a good marketing team to understand this is what I have been building my team around for years!
What is the right choice for your business?
I like to tell my clients that we are not just some agency. We are an extended arm of the business and like to inspire the confidence of an inhouse team member. This is because we do not win unless our clients win.
Here is what I will tell you, even if you’re not my client!
You have to focus on your customers and approach digital mediums as an opportunity to leverage and nurture those relationships. Whether in the form of visual or audio, remember, nobody likes a loud horn blaring in their face.
Therefore, if you were to spend money on advertising you can try focusing on brand awareness or a momentary promotional campaign. The power of SEO and Content are remarkable long term assets that should work together with your paid advertisements.
Contact my team today for a free website audit and consultation!