1. BRANDING – Developing a brand online that consumers want to be associated with is critical to the success of your business growth. Brand development online is often perceived as challenging. For some businesses, this can be true however for many more it is not, where an authentic brand exists the market can be very responsive.
2. LEARN FROM YOUR MARKET – Digital Markets have one key cultural difference when it comes to marketing –
3. THE CUSTOMER IS IN CONTROL – For a successful online campaign the customer should dictate everything you do. From Search Engine Marketing to Social Media Marketing, PPC Campaigns etc. Reading, analysing and understanding your google analytics, reviews, market feedback and responding to this will ensure success.
4. EDUCATION – Globally there is a massive digital skills shortage but there are fantastic supports and training programmes and free online material available, so I highly recommend educating yourself, it is well worth the investment. There are also so many automation tools available these days, in fact, the biggest challenge is finding the right one that works for you and the way you work. The private sector and public education boards throughout the world are working together to narrow the skills gap, so training programmes are becoming more and more advanced. According to Forbes the key areas to focus on in developing your digital skills include:
Digital skills – analysing and managing data, software development, programming and digital security;
Business skills – project management, decision making, business processes, visualisation and operations management;
Workplace skills – critical thinking, effective communication, cross-cultural awareness and analytic reasoning.
5. BUILD YOUR ONLINE NETWORK – You don’t have to market your business alone. Collaborating with influencers, complimentary service providers, friends or groups who want to support your business is a great way to build your online network. It opens a lot of doors and allows you to access new markets.
6. RISE OF THE INFLUENCER – Influencers have access to very large markets and can make it very easy for businesses to access potential customers and key markets. Influencers are present in every industry both B2B and B2C. Do you know the influencer in your industry?
7. BE SOCIAL – If you are the kid in the playground who doesn’t talk to anyone, you’re in trouble. You must be communicating with your market. Building a website, setting up a social media page and hoping for the best is not enough for success. You have to have the confidence to go to market. Continually communicate with your market, harness their feedback, adapt and respond to their needs. The most popular kid in school is usually the one who has the confidence to be themselves no matter what.