Finally, the part 2 in the series is here. If you are reading this and you have not read the part 1, I suggest you do although you could still grasp this without going through the part 1.
Most people make a lot of noise about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Don’t get me wrong, it’s very relevant. But the truth is that sponsored content always have an advantage in search engine results. There is a point a lot of people never stress in Organic Digital Marketing. It’s called Networking.
NETWORKING
Networking
Building a strong network is central to your SEO strategy. In addition to your SEO tactics, it is very important to build a network of people to whom you advertise directly. Putting out content on the web and using the right keywords is only the first step. There is also the need to get those content to the right audience who need them. Besides, when you write on your blog or advertise your product on your website, what are the chances that people will search keywords that will bring them to your website if there is no previous awareness or engagement on your brand? What are also the chances that the trending searches/topics on social media or trending keywords on search engines (which you may have observed from your analytics) are going to correspond with your own content? These are the kind of questions that put SEO in doubt sometimes.
It is therefore important to identify your audience and build the a network of the right people to engage with. The network could includes your clients, potential customers and even competitors. With this kind of strategy, you create a niche within which your business has a stronghold. Creating this network properly would depend on how well you approach the first point in part 1; targeting. After identifying the right people for your network, you have to reach out and connect with them. You could tag them in your posts or tweets and even send some of your ads to them directly in a DM (Direct Message). You don’t have to create a group on social media specifically for the people in this network (although that could be helpful). What’s important is that you identify them and form a bond. You could engage them using email newsletters where you could notify them of new content on your website, product launch, special offers, changes and other information that would be required to adequately engage them and possibly drive sale, brand awareness/acceptance. This kind of mentality makes organic digital marketing a psychological process because to some extent, it involves studying human behaviour.
It’s good to also have a filter in mind to spot the right people. Your filter could involve things like this:
Filter
- The age range of people who would like your product or service
- The gender of people who would like your product or service
- The social status of people who would like your product or service (rich, middle class or below middle class)
- The right social media platforms for the kind of people who would like your product or service ( it is always better to hit harder there when you identify it).
- The social or professional circles where your potential customers could be found
- People who are doing a similar business to yours (competitors)
- Social media influencers
- People with interests and engagements on social media that are related to your industry.
- Digital marketers and brand managers
- Entrepreneurs (for potential investment)
Using a filter similar to the above stated is helpful in targeting specific categories of people who can develop your online presence by their reactions to your content and others who can become your customers.
Growing your network is a painstaking process. You have to be patient and selective in order to grow slowly right from the bottom up to the very top.
CONTENT
This need for quality content cannot be overemphasized. Writing content, design and concepts are the framework for your organic digital marketing. Images and videos first of all, are very powerful in digital marketing but your concept and message are even more potent. These things are the life wire of your digital marketing work.
Your content must be designed to suit the ‘way of things’ in that particular social media platform. It is always good if it keeps up with trends as well since that always comes with a huge wave. Whether it is an article, tweet, facebook post or instagram picture, your content needs to be simple, precise and it could always do with a touch of humour. If you don’t have some, do something about it.
Good content on social media always have a harmony between image and text or image and audio as the case may be. Your images need to be striking. Most times that’s what brings people to read your text in the first place. People need to get the concept behind your advertising or else it is useless.
Also, in order to build a strong social media presence it is good to comment and post other things that might not be exactly related to your work. For example, trending events. It’s good to put out positive opinion on other social matters in order to endear people more towards your brand. Spot other industries and interests that people in your network have in common and post things along those lines. It helps to expand your network and strengthen the bond/engagement.
Your content on your website and social media platforms needs to be regular and engaging. Sometimes brands do things like a quiz or an opinion poll. Many businesses also have a blog column on their website where they post articles. Some companies like Ueno, a digital design company also have a gallery for displaying images on their website; images that are not even theirs. There is no limit to what can be a part of your content. All these things keep the audience engaged in various ways and increase your traffic rate. With proper and regular content, organic digital marketing has no boundaries.
CORRESPONDENCE
People think organic digital marketing is different from paid digital marketing because one is free and the other isn’t. That’s not only wrong, it shows a lack of understand. This very point is one of the defining lines between organic and paid marketing.
For a successful organic digital marketing campaign, you have to maintain consistent correspondence with customers and people in your network. This encompasses direct emails, direct messaging on social media, phone calls, SMS, feedback and instant messaging systems for websites. Now, while paid marketing strategies all use these things, it is more natural in organic marketing. The approach to keeping consistent correspondence in organic digital marketing
is ‘customer-centric’. This means that the correspondence is geared towards forging a strong business-to-customer relationship and not just gaining sales leads.
A good organic marketing campaign should always make room for suggestions by customers on social media. E-mails sent to clients have to be personal and not just bulk mails which people would generally consider as spam. The idea is to respond to the customer directly with phone calls and messages in a style that is engaging for the client. Sometimes for organic digital marketing to be efficient, it is necessary to be more casual and less professional in keeping correspondence with clients.
Customer service here goes beyond waiting to attend to enquiries and resolve issues. It involves going forward to keep the customer informed and ensuring positive customer experience in using your online services.
So far, one important thing you can note is that organic digital marketing is not so far from the marketing a regular trader a marketplace does. It’s as natural but more digital.
THAT WILL BE ALL FOR NOW FOLKS. KEEP IN TOUCH FOR PART 3
