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Is Digital Marketing Right For Me? 

Is Digital Marketing Right For Me? 

by | Aug 4, 2022 | Digital Marketing

When running your business, your main focus is often how to get people in the door, whether literally or metaphorically if you are an online business. 

Just like the old faithful dress which you have had since you were 17, many people will turn to the failsafe traditional forms of marketing such as posters, newspaper adverts and flyers. 

Others may believe in their product/service so much that it is just a matter of time before customers fall at their feet, lucky for some! 

Now, people who follow these strategies will find some customers and gain a trickle of business, but this is totally unsustainable! So, “Is digital marketing right for me?” I hear you ask…

No matter how old or new your business is, digital marketing is a great way to generate leads and turn these leads into loyal customers. 

Are you ready to be out with the old and in with the new? We’ve got a sneaky feeling that you are!  

Though you might need to know the answers to these questions first: what is digital marketing? How can digital marketing benefit me? And how you can start your digital marketing journey today! 

What is Digital Marketing? 

Digital marketing is referring to all marketing efforts which take place on the internet.  

We’re talking: 

  • Social Media 
  • Email Marketing  
  • SEO 
  • Blogging 
  • PPC 
  • Website Development 

Your digital marketing could involve all of these or just a couple. There is no right or wrong way to do digital marketing, every business is unique and will have a different goal. 

Digital marketing doesn’t just have to bring in customers, it can be used to achieve various goals such as building brand authority in your industry, keeping customers returning and rebranding your business. 

You may be thinking, “brand authority, what’s that?” but it’s more common than you think! 

Let me guess, if you think of trainers, do you think of Nike? They have made their Swoosh (yes, that is the technical name for that tick) a renowned icon and their business is one of the most well known in their industry. THAT is building brand authority. 

Did you know that 72% of marketing budgets in the UK wen on digital marketing? 

There’s actually more to digital marketing than you may think! Wayyyy too much to cover in here, if only there was somewhere else you could check it out… (pssst! Here!) 

How Can Digital Marketing Benefit Me? 

Digital marketing can benefit you and your business in many ways. First of all, the number of potential customers you can attract online is a much larger number than any you could attract using local (traditional) marketing. 

Let’s look at an example: 

If you run a business selling shoes, you may put out a poster on a street advertising your brand. This poster will only be seen by people who walk down that specific street and consciously look at the poster. There is no guarantee that on any given day a person who is intending on buying shoes will see your poster. 

Now, imagine you are the same company, but instead you decide to set up a website. You can make that website SEO-friendly (more on this here) and immediately your brand is more likely to be found by the right audience.  

By having marketing that is directed toward your ideal demographic, you are ensuring that none of your marketing efforts is wasted on people who would never buy your product in the first place!  

Now that you have read our example, let’s take a look at some of the other benefits of digital marketing which you could achieve: 
  • Remove geographical boundaries: Traditional marketing techniques are often focused on a small geographical area whereas digital marketing can target anywhere in the world. 
  • Personalisation: You cannot personalise a flyer or poster for every single potential customer however, you can personalise an email campaign to include the recipient’s name, fancy! 
  • Tracking: One key benefit of digital marketing is the ability to see your marketing analytics. You can track how many people visit your website, how much engagement your social media posts receive and even where someone clicks on your email campaigns! This allows you to edit your marketing strategy in real-time to maximise these statistics. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a nerd to appreciate a good graph every now and again. 

Here’s a statistic for you right now! 

75% of agency marketers rated email marketing as the most effective means of digital marketing in terms of return on investment (ROI) 

How To Get Started 

Now that we have shown you the magic of digital marketing, we bet you are rearing to get started but where should you begin? 

Well, this truly depends on the amount of time you are able to commit to digital marketing. Whether you can spend 1 hour a month, 1 hour a week or 1 hour a day, any time spent doing digital marketing will be worthwhile! 

Most of us already are familiar with social media, this is a great place to start when it comes to digital marketing. Of course, any business can use any social media, however below are our top recommendations for social media platforms. 

For B2B businesses (business-to-business) we would recommend using: 

  • LinkedIn 
  • Instagram 

For B2C businesses (business-to-customer) we would recommend using: 

  • Instagram 
  • Facebook 
  • Pinterest 

In 2022, social media marketing is more important than ever and giving your business a stellar online presence could give you an edge on your competition. Do you want to find out more about social media strategies to use in 2022?  

Most businesses will also benefit from using a video-based platform such as TikTok. You may think that TikTok is only for young people doing dances in skimpy outfits (technically, they are there, but that’s not all of TikTok, we swear!) but, trust me, you can find any and all business types on there; even CREATIVE in TiME! 

Is Digital Marketing Right For Me? 

So, after all this, let us answer “Is digital marketing right for me?”

We think that digital marketing is for EVERYBODY! 

The brilliant thing about digital marketing is that it is not one-size-fits-all, when you use a digital marketing agency such as CREATIVE in TiME you will get a bespoke marketing strategy to suit you and your business. 

If digital marketing just isn’t your style, it is definitely ours! 

“Andrea, Fred and the team are not only experts in the marketing field, but approach businesses with the enthusiasm and drive that you would expect from a leader within your own team. They truly care about their clients and you can really feel that in all that they do.” 

It’s no secret that Marketing Agencies don’t have a great name. The common complaint is that they just don’t return value. We believe that the missing link time and time again is understanding. 

Understanding your business and your goals, understanding your customers and understanding your expectations. Because we spend the time in the beginning asking the ‘right’ questions, we can provide you value and achieve deliverables in record TiME. 

Get in touch now to find out how we can help get your business up and running in the world of marketing. 

What is Digital Marketing? 

What is Digital Marketing? 

by | Jun 20, 2022 | Digital Marketing

Digital marketing. It’s one of those phrases which gets said often but most people don’t really know what it means. Is it the latest viral Stranger Things meme or is it those helpful online guides telling you everything from cooking to cats? 

Well, I can tell you this…it can be both! Now, not every business will need guides and not all businesses fancy a spicy meme but what does your business want?  

Digital marketing which can also be called online marketing is a phrase referring to all marketing efforts that take place on the internet. 

It can cover many forms such as social media (yes, that can include a good meme) to email marketing, website SEO and strategy. In practice, any marketing which uses electronic devices is digital marketing. 

Digital marketing is usually compared to ‘tradition marketing’ methods which are not found on the internet, this could include billboards and flyers. There are differences between digital marketing and traditional marketing, other than the obvious which we will cover later. 

Read on to find out about the different types of digital marketing, what the difference is between digital marketing and traditional marketing, and how digital marketing can benefit your business… 

Types of Digital Marketing 

As previously mentioned, there are many different forms of digital marketing to ensure that you can reach all audiences depending on your marketing needs. Many people will use multiple, if not all, of these types of digital marketing on their business journey, so let’s take a closer look: 

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

Search engine optimisation, also known as SEO, is the way in which you can get your website found online. By improving and optimising your SEO you can drive more traffic to your website and therefore generate more sales (no one’s going to be complaining about that!). 

SEO includes many factors which you need to consider including: 

  • Mobile-friendliness 
  • Keywords 
  • Backlinks 
  • Meta descriptions 
  • Headings 

The main reason is to rank higher on Google, the algorithm is like a living organism which is always changing which makes it important to monitor the success of your website and make SEO changes accordingly. Click here if you want to find out your SEO ranking now. 

Content Marketing  

We love creating articles (blogs), posts, quotes, and top-notch content to deliver to your audience through your website, email campaigns, and social media. 

Did you know that 90% of digital marketers who used content marketing in 2021 have continued to invest the same amount in 2022? 

Content marketing and SEO go hand in hand, with SEO perfectly complementing your content. Using these forms of digital marketing in sync will ensure that your content reaches the right people and your ideal clients. 

Email Marketing 

Email has been with us for some time, but do not underestimate the power and reach of regular email marketing campaigns. 

With current digital technology, you can make your email marketing campaigns completely unique to your business and reach your clients in their own inboxes. 

Small business? Try including your customers’ names in the subject line to make it personable. 

Quirky brand? Don’t be afraid of emojis and puns! 

When in doubt, play on current events! Here in the UK, we have just dealt with a heatwave turning sunbathing into sun-baking! Use current affairs in your email and subject line to intrigue your customers. 

One of our last email campaigns which got our HIGHEST open rate was titled “DO YOU HAVE TOO MANY POINTS OF ENTRY? 😉” 

Email marketing software allows you to create personalised marketing campaigns which then can automatically be sent to your mailing list/s and then will collect analytics such as the open rate. Many websites, such as Mailerlite,  are drag-and-drop editors which means you can create interesting emails without having technical knowledge! 

Social Media Marketing 

Today, social media is used by the majority of the population and most businesses for good reason. Social media marketing is the way in which you can drive traffic and build brand awareness by engaging your audience online. 

The main social media platforms which businesses should utilise, depending on your specific audience, are: 

  • TikTok 
  • LinkedIn 
  • Pinterest 

Social media marketing is becoming more popular every day with it being the most popular form of B2C marketing at 96%! Social media marketing involves audience participation and is therefore a great way to connect with your audience through posts, videos and even MEMES. Depending on your targeted platform, many have built-in engagement metrics which allow you to track how well your business is performing. 

Your main goal of social media marketing may not to create a direct impulse purchase. If your target audience is older or if your product/service is not appropriate for impulse purchases then you may focus on building a community, starting the dialogue and being informative. 

Pay-per-click Marketing (PPC) 

PPC marketing is when you post an ad on a platform (such as social media) and pay every time someone clicks on it. 

The complicated part is how and when people see your ad. On Google, for example, the algorithm will prioritise ad slots based on many factors such as ad quality, keyword relevance and page quality. 

PPC campaigns are built towards goal conversions such as signing up for a newsletter or making a call. You can choose your target goal conversions which you can then track to see how well your campaign is performing. 

What is the Difference between Digital Marketing and Traditional Marketing? 

Digital marketing and traditional marketing are both valid forms of marketing, but they serve different purposes.  

Traditional marketing focuses on media such as magazines and newspapers whereas digital marketing looks at websites and social media. Some businesses utilise both forms of marketing, but it often depends on your business. 

Digital marketing has overtaken traditional marketing in effectiveness and cost so let’s take a deeper dive into the benefits of digital marketing… 

Benefits of Digital Marketing 

It is no secret that digital marketing is becoming more and more popular in this technological age. People are using the internet more and more often so it only makes sense that your marketing should take place there too.  

Making the switch to digital marketing over traditional methods can be scary, especially if you have a tried and tested method which is no longer working the same so let us tell you a few of the many benefits of digital marketing: 

  • Broad reach. Think of posting a flyer through a door, that piece of information is only able to be viewed by the people in that house. Now imagine posting an ad on Facebook using the same information, which is going to be seen by more people? Marketing your business digitally also enables your customers to share your business with others with ease. If you know your business relies on referrals, then digital is the way to go. 
  • Measurable results. One way in which digital marketing excels over traditional marketing is that you can measure digital marketing. You can view how many people open your email campaign, how many people purchased your product on any given day, where people have landed on your website and more. This allows you to change your marketing strategy as and when you need to so that you get maximum results.  
  • Personalisation. You can’t personalise a billboard but you can personalise an email campaign! No matter the size of your business, you want your customers to feel important and valued and the best way to do this is through personalisation. Simply including your customer’s name in an email campaign shows that thought has gone into that content to tailor it to that audience.  

Who are CREATIVE in TiME? 

We are a digital marketing and business advice agency. We audit, advise, mentor and manage your marketing requirements underpinned with business advice and support capabilities. CREATIVE in TiME specialise in SEO (search engine optimisation) and expert business advice. 

We specialise in being your partner on your business journey, and our customers appreciate having access to director level, manager at level and team level expertise in business and marketing without the need to employ all levels at great cost to your company. 

If you would like to find out more about the individuals at CREATIVE in TiME then click here to see what our team is all about and put some faces to this work! 

Why Is Digital Marketing Important 

Why Is Digital Marketing Important 

by | May 12, 2022 | Digital Marketing

We all know that the internet is big right? Right?! So, what if I told you that the number of people who go on the internet every day is STILL increasing? 

That’s right, “constant” internet usage among adults has increased by 5% in the past 3 years. This has also meant that people are shopping and purchasing more online than ever! 

You need to market to where your customers are looking, which means if you aren’t already, it’s time to go DIGITAL with your MARKETING. 

Digital marketing is important for a variety of reasons because it connects your business to your online presence and your ever-growing digital customer base.  

Digital marketing is effective in all industries and all businesses should utilise it as such, if you aren’t using digital marketing then it is time to jump onto the bandwagon and get rolling! 

Utilising digital marketing allows you to connect with ideal customers through search engines such as Google using search engine optimisation, through social media using social media marketing and through email using email marketing. 

So Why Is Digital Marketing Important? 

1. Affordability 

If you want bang for your buck, then digital marketing is for you. It is considerably less expensive than more traditional forms of marketing, however, this is dependent on what you are doing, but generally, overall spending tends to be lower with a higher impact. 

It is also more affordable as you can narrow down where your money needs to go by selecting the correct platforms. If your followers are most active on Instagram, then you should focus your efforts there and not on Twitter. If you are looking to advertise to other businesses, then try LinkedIn rather than Facebook.  

Digital marketing can save you time and money by excluding people who would never buy from you and digital marketing agencies can often be more affordable than hiring a marketing team for your business. 

2. Mobile-Friendly 

Mobile-friendly - Why is digital marketing important?

Did you know that over 48 million people in the UK use their mobile phones to go about their business such as mobile shopping and social networking? If you are looking to reach this large audience, then you will need to hone in on this mobile market. 

When someone is interested in your niche, business or product, the first thing they will do is take to the internet to research you. In the age of mobile phones, this can be done with just a few taps on a screen making it even more important to take care of your online presence. 

If your customer can’t find you online or finds you have a subpar online presence then they may assume your business is illegitimate, inactive or just not worth buying from. 

You need to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly so that visitors can experience your content easily. You do not want large blank areas or cut off text boxes, no one likes having to scroll to see full images or menus. This may involve creating a different page structure for desktop vs mobile. 

Look at your website from a user perspective, what would you change? 

3. Flexibility 

When you market yourself digitally, you open a wide range of possibilities for strategies, and with your marketing strategy at your fingertips, you can make real-time changes such as stopping poorly performing campaigns. 

You can make tweaks and changes depending on the interest you receive; this is something you would not be able to do if you used a different form of marketing such as using paper leaflets. 

Flexibility also means that you do not have to wait to produce leaflets, flyers and posters. You can create content and post it immediately, perfect for keeping up with special dates, doing flash offers and even amending typos. 

4. Creativity 

Creativity - Why is digital marketing important?

If you are looking for creativity, then digital marketing will steal your heart! You have the opportunity to create banners, email campaigns, social media posts, blogs, and the list goes on and on! With digital marketing, you have the creative freedom to bring your visions to life using your brand colours and style. 

Your creativity should flow across all of your digital marketing streams to create a cohesive brand image. When a user views your social media or a blog post, they should instantly know it is your business. If you are interested in creating a social media strategy, then click here to find out the best strategies for social media marketing in 2022. 

Top Tip: Avoid using different names, colour schemes and writing styles as this can give the impression of different businesses which have the same/similar names. 

5. Tracking 

As well as connecting and communicating with customers, digital marketing allows you to track their activities. You can see how many people open your email campaigns, how many people engage with your social media platforms, where people spend time on your website and how they get to your website amongst other things. 

This is valuable information to hone in on your target audience and find out what is or isn’t working and adjust your strategies accordingly. 

When dealing with an audience, a marketing strategy which you think will do amazing could flop or vice versa so it is vital to keep track of how each part of your strategy is performing. 

Digital marketing is a valuable asset to any business and is important in all the previously mentioned ways, it can however be time-consuming to get right especially since you will need to research and implement an effective digital marketing strategy to get the full potential out of your marketing. 

Yes, unfortunately, digital marketing isn’t a one-hit-wonder and needs constant work! 

If you are a business owner who wants to improve their digital marketing but doesn’t have the time or expertise, that is where digital marketing agencies such as CREATIVE in TiME come in. 

We understand the people, the resources, the processes, and the tools that go into making your business run smoothly and we get the struggles which businesses experience in the world of digital marketing. 

Do you need help with your digital marketing? Get in touch now to find out how we can help you. 

Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

Strategies for Content Marketing in 2023

by | Apr 14, 2022 | Blog, Digital Marketing

Picture this, you have a business (old or new), and you are ready to smash your target market but have you considered your content marketing strategy? 

Your strategy, which worked in 2020, may have been successful then, but the likelihood is that it will not be successful in 2023. Traditional marketing methods of the past are becoming less desirable, irrelevant paid ads are a great example of this.  

People want to search for solutions as and when they need to. This is where content marketing is king, and creating an effective strategy can leave you victorious. 

So, what is content marketing and why does your business need an effective strategy? 

What is Content Marketing? 

Content marketing is a form of marketing that involves creating and sharing online content such as blogs. The objective of content marketing is not to explicitly promote your brand but to pique interest in your services/products and build your authority on the topic. 

When people consistently notice your content being informative and worthwhile, your business will be at the top of their minds when they need to buy what you sell. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Great!” but still be wondering what content marketing actually entails. 

Different Types of Content Marketing 

There are many forms of content marketing but that does not mean your business needs to utilise every single one to be effective. You need to know which forms of content marketing are appropriate for your business, audience and products. 

To help you along this journey, let’s look at the most common and effective forms of content marketing which you may wish to implement for your business. 

Blogging  

When you think of content marketing, I’m sure the first thing that came to mind was blogging, and for good reason, blog posts are the most popular form of content marketing and the easiest to start with. 

All you need to create blog posts is a website and content. 

Blogging is an ever-growing market and the need for information from the internet is constantly increasing. There are currently over 600 million blogs in the world! 

Well-written blogs are key for both your business and your users. For you, they provide more traffic to your website, increased lead generation and build site authority. For your users, they provide useful information, create trust and become a source of information in the future. 

The main reason businesses avoid blogging is because they don’t know where or how to start. If you want to find out how to start blogging in 2023, just click here. 

Video content 

Video content is the up-and-coming new kid on the block in terms of content marketing. It has swiftly become one of the most popular forms of content marketing, and that is down to one platform, YouTube. 

Where blog posts can often lack creativity and engagement, videos soar and thrive on their interactivity and ease of distributing information.  

Some of the best ways to use video in content marketing are: 

  • Behind-the-scenes videos: people love seeing the people behind the brand. It allows for a human connection and shows authenticity. Customers get to experience your brand and may view it in a new light, especially if you are a small business. 
  • Demonstrations: whether your product is simple or complicated, has two steps or 20, you can bet someone out there needs help using it for the first time! These should be descriptive, informative and clear- imagine you are explaining it to your mum. Would she understand it? 
  • Customer Testimonials: never underestimate the power of a review. Videos of customers are high-quality pieces of content marketing that you can use on all platforms. 

Podcasts 

Following the use of video, another form of content marketing is podcasts. 

Podcasts have the opposite pull than videos as they are solely focused on audio instead of visible information. 

A podcast is the most convenient form of content marketing, all you need to do is press play and listen! This allows your listeners to multi-task whilst listening especially since 69% of podcast listeners use a mobile device to listen. This can be especially important if you are marketing your product to another business, busy people need accessible information otherwise they won’t listen. 

Podcasts are also a vital way in which you can become a thought leader in your industry and build credibility in your business. If you are providing valuable content which helps or educates your listeners, then they will begin to think of you and your business as an expert in the field. 

Try answering customer questions, problem-solving, discussing how the product is made, any industry news which could be relevant, having guests on your podcast to bring in new listeners, and making sure your podcast is engaging and entertaining. 

Infographics 

Infographics are another engaging form of content marketing due to their eye-catching and fun nature. 

This makes them great to use in all forms of content such as the previously mentioned blogs and videos. Being able to repurpose your content is key to success, spreading it to all platforms is vital to reaching the widest audience. 

Infographics have another benefit…they make you look smart! Sharing content that is both colourful, valuable and informative is a sure-fire way to gain interest from other people in your industry, especially on social media platforms such as LinkedIn. 

They are also a great way to show tangible data in a digestible way that people can understand without technical knowledge. Similarly, they can be a game-changer in niches that could be called “boring” as they capture and retain user attention. 

Why is Content Marketing Important? 

We have just explained to you the most prominent forms of content marketing to begin your journey, but why is it important? 

Content marketing is a vital form of marketing, did you know that 70% of marketers actively invest in content marketing? This is because, in comparison to other forms of digital marketing, it has a greater return on investment (ROI) in the long run, exactly what you want to hear! 

Content marketing has many benefits for you and your customers, let us tell you some now: 

  • Improve ranking in search engine results (SEO) 
  • Builds a community 
  • Builds customer relationships 
  • Helps with lead conversion 
  • Raises brand awareness 

So, does content marketing sound like it could benefit your business? Depending on your business, you may wish to implement one of these forms of content marketing or all of them! There is no right or wrong amount as long as they are relevant to your business. 

If you want to start but need some expert help to get you off on the right foot, get in touch now! 

Top 4 Best Keyword Tools for SEO 

Top 4 Best Keyword Tools for SEO 

by | Mar 21, 2022 | Blog, Digital Marketing

When running your own business, using keyword tools for SEO can save you lots of precious time and they are often free or inexpensive. 

Do you know what an SEO keyword is? If not, click here to find out. 

As a small business owner, your time is valuable, and time spent finding keywords for your SEO and blogging can feel like it is taking you away from other responsibilities. We understand this and have created a comprehensive list of our top 4 keyword tools for SEO to help streamline and improve your SEO.   

Learn from the experts, this is what we do! 

Ubersuggest 

Ubersuggest is a free to use keyword tool which assists in keyword idea generation and aids in search engine optimisation (SEO). You can also pay for it which unlocks more useful analytics and allows you to search for keywords without a limit. 

When used to search for keywords, you can see search volume, keyword suggestions, how difficult it will be to rank for the keyword and even more.  

You can use Ubersuggest to analyse your competitors and see what keywords they rank for. This allows you to see what is working for them so that you can adopt your strategy accordingly.  

As well as seeing related keywords, you can also see a table of 100 Google search results for that keyword. It included estimated visits, a domain score, backlink numbers and how often that page is shared on social media. 

A useful feature of Ubersuggest is the ability to analyse your websites SEO as it can tell you any SEO issues which need fixing such as headings and meta descriptions. 

AnswerThePublic 

Do you ever want to create a blog post but need help knowing what people are searching for? Or not know what questions people REALLY want the answers to?  

AnswerThePublic is a free online keyword tool where you input a keyword and it will tell you the most common questions searched in relation to this keyword.  The information can be viewed in a list or as a visualised infographic such as in the image below. 

This is a useful tool as the keyword suggestions are based on Google and Bing’s auto-suggest feature. The free version of AnswerThePublic is great but you can also pay to be able to complete more searches per day. 

SEMrush 

SEMrush is an SEO tool used to perform keyword research. Using the keyword overview tool, you can find out everything that you need to know about your selected keyword such as how many people are searching for it per month, how its trend is changing and all sorts of other useful information. 

You can also use it to find out similar keywords to use alongside your keyword and it also shows a list of organic search results for competitor research. 

Using the topic research tool can give you an extensive set of related topics to your keyword which can guide you with your content and blogs to improve SEO. 

Google Trends 

You can use Google Trends in two ways to perform keyword research, let’s look at the first. 

The first way is to enter a specific keyword and then take a look at the “related queries” section to find out what other people have been searching for regarding this keyword. This can help you find more keywords, questions that people need answering and what everyone is searching for. 

The second thing you can do is view whether your keyword is growing or declining in popularity. Take the image below as an example… 

In blue is the term “digital marketing” and in red is “content marketing”. You can see that digital marketing has been growing and staying at a steady search rate whereas content marketing has plateaued and is no longer gaining momentum to improve.  

Now, this doesn’t mean that content marketing is a bad keyword, it is searched less which means you will have more chance at ranking highly for it whereas for digital marketing you may struggle to make a dent. 

Keeping track of keyword trends allows you to switch up keywords if suddenly another keyword has a rise in searches. 

All of these keyword tools for SEO are brilliant but you may wish, and we would also recommend, using multiple tools as they all serve an individual purpose. AnswerThePublic does not show the amount each keyword gets searched whereas a tool such as Ubersuggest does show keyword traffic. 

If you need help with your SEO keywords and want our marketing agency to work on your keywords then get in touch now. 

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