A Home Service Business Owner’s Guide to Digital Marketing 101
Digital marketing is commonly looked at as the future of marketing. It’s becoming increasingly important to rely on the tactics within this strategy to get and retain customers, and increase the bottom line.
Digital marketing, or online marketing, is defined as the promotion and advertising of a brand using the internet and other digital forms. It helps retain customers, get customers and generally increase sales.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Ads Display Ads Video Ads
Search engine marketing is also referred to as paid advertising on digital platforms. Most businesses rely heavily on SEM to drive traffic and revenue through various online advertising channels. Paid search ads, display ads and video ad campaigns are some of the most popular forms of SEM used by businesses to target their audiences and generate leads.
It’s easy and free to set up a campaign on Google Ads for your business, and it works with a wide range of budgets, whether you’re looking to spend just a few dollars a day or a few hundred dollars per day.
Pros:
- Great for most budgets
- Generate lots of data
- Experiments available
- Can target specific audiences
- Highly effective for seasonal products and services
Cons:
- Requires a good website with clear direction for visitors
- Can take time to get familiar with the tools
- Does require dedicated time every week
Use search engine marketing if you’re willing to spend some money, are looking for quick results and are willing to take the time to learn how to best use the platforms. You’ll also want to use these tactics if you love data and want to experiment with your specific ads.
Search Ads
Search ads are the ads that appear at the top of Google search results pages. Several ads are also displayed at the bottom of the page. In some cases, search ads are displayed in the map portion of a Google search when someone is looking for a certain type of business, like plumbers, in a specific geographic area or with the words “near me.”
Pros:
- Quick results
- High visibility
- Detailed analytics
Cons:
- Can be highly competitive
- Learning curve
- Easily ignored by consumers due to the prevalence of ads
Use Google Search Ads if you’re promoting a specific product or service, want to increase website traffic and are venturing into a new market or demographic.
Display Ads
Display ads appear as banners along the top, side and bottom of some websites using images and videos.
Opt for display ads if you’re looking to increase brand awareness, have a lot of strong images and are looking to re-engage with past consumers or site visitors.
Pros:
- Generate brand awareness
- Less expensive than search ads
- Large audience
- Can be shown to highly targeted audiences
Cons:
- Easy to avoid
- Lower click rates
- Lower conversion rates
- Requires striking visuals
Video Ads
Video Ads appear as short video clips that are shown before, during or after online video content.
Pros:
- Engaging and attention-grabbing
- Can convey complex information quickly
- Highly targeted audiences
- Can increase brand awareness and sales
Cons:
- Can be expensive
- Requires high-quality video content
- May not work for all products or services
Opt for video ads if you want to create a highly engaging ad that can quickly convey complex information, have high-quality video content, and want to increase brand awareness and sales.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization centers on your website and where it’ll appear on different search engines (like Google) when different terms are searched. This centers around adjustments to your web design and content.
When you work on search engine optimization, you’re making improvements that will better the visitor’s experience, making them more likely to turn into revenue-generating leads.
Opt to work on SEO if you have a limited marketing budget, have the time to put into it and are willing to make changes to your website. SEO work is also a great place to start on digital marketing as it centers on making direct improvements to your company’s website.
Pros:
- Great for limited budgets
- Has long-term benefits
- Makes you more competitive
Cons:
- Takes longer to see results
- Requires continuous work or you risk falling down the results
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Management Social Media Paid Advertisements
Just like it sounds, social media marketing is the use of various social media platforms to promote your business and overall brand. While social media marketing doesn’t lead to many direct conversions, it’s great for building a community and promoting brand recognition.
With social media marketing, you might need to start small. If your brand has absolutely zero social media presence, maybe start by just creating a Facebook page. Then create a plan with clear goals for when to get on other platforms. Overall it will be less overwhelming if you expand onto one platform at a time.
There are two approaches within social media marketing: social media management and social media paid advertising.
Platforms to Consider:
X/Twitter
TikTok
There are several platforms to consider, and the best platform to use will depend on the nature of your business, including the service or products you offer and the demographics of the people you’re looking to engage. For more information about choosing the right social media platform for your business, check out our blog that goes more into detail on the topic.
Social Media Management
Social media management is the general creation and maintenance of a social media account.
Your company should opt for this approach if you’re willing to engage with your audience, want to get creative but have a limited budget, and are able to keep your expectations realistic.
Pros:
- Free to post
- Can generate highly targeted audiences
- Helps build brand awareness
Cons:
- Takes time to build an audience
- Doesn’t lead to many direct conversions
- Requires you to maintain presence through regular posting
Use social media management if you want to build brand awareness, engage with customers and are willing to put in the time to maintain your presence.
Social Media Paid Advertisements
These are paid and sponsored posts that appear based on a viewer’s interests.
You can run ads through your business’s social media accounts that will appear more frequently and as sponsored content. These will appear like regular posts on someone’s timeline or feed but marked “ad” or “sponsored.” While they may look like posts, they also won’t appear on your business page as a past post.
Pros:
- Can use a highly targeted audience
- Helps build a social media presence
Cons:
- Cost money to run
- Best when a social media presence already exists
You should use this method if you have some money to spend and already have a social media presence or are looking to build one quickly.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is just what it sounds like; it’s marketing through sending emails. You’ve probably seen some marketing emails in your inbox before. Email marketing incorporates all of the company newsletters, abandoned cart and discount-enclosed emails sent by businesses.
Using a list of all of the email addresses gathered, emails are sent with an engaging message to get the attention of past, present or future customers with the intention of getting them to use your service or buy your product.
Pros:
- Large return
- #1 communication channel
- Builds relationships with customers
Cons:
- Takes time to grow and manage an email list
- Requires a platform to send emails
Use email marketing if you have the time and resources to put toward regularly communicating with customers or potential customers and are willing to put in the necessary time and effort to get a successful email campaign running.
Start Designing Your Digital Marketing Strategy to See Your Revenue Grow
With an understanding of these tools, you’ll be ready to figure out a strategy that best fits your business so you can see an increase in leads.
Need More Leads But Feeling Overwhelmed?
Navigating the complexities of digital marketing can be daunting, but you're not alone. With ThreeSixty's expert team, you'll create a tailored plan focused on driving customer leads, ensuring a seamless and result-driven campaign that meets your unique business goals. Contact us to start discussing options for your company.
For More Information Like This
To find more information about digital marketing tools, check out this blog post about designing an advertising program.
