Today Evolution of modern technologies come up with new platform to run your own business, small and medium businesses are doing everything they can to keep up, which can be said true for the rest of human society. Brick-and-mortar businesses are either changing their business models to an online one, or beefing up existing marketing efforts with digital marketing business plan – in an attempt to capture a growing and very lucrative online marketplace.

For it is the process of attracting targeted audiences online that will spell the difference between a successfully thriving business – and a failed one. Even if you receive tons of daily traffic to your website, they would not amount to anything unless they convert to leads or sales. In the digital arena where business and commerce are heading to, Digital Marketing tools and techniques provide business owners the best chances for competition, survival and even business growth.

What is Online Marketing?

Before it is possible to understand the different strategies and marketing tools that are available, it is important to identify what online marketing is and how it promotes a business.

Online marketing, which is also called internet marketing or online advertising, is any tool, strategy or method of getting the company name out to the public. The advertisements can take many different forms and some strategies focus on subtle messages rather than clear-cut advertisements.

But, the way that it promotes a business is simple: it builds up the company reputation by increasing its ability to be found online. A large number of potential customers browse the internet, look for information or simply enjoy their favorite pastimes with an internet connection. By taking advantage of the online tools and resources, it is possible to get the company name out to the public and encourage potential customers to look further for information.

Define your goals

Before you can begin shaping your digital marketing plan, you must first determine your end business goal if you haven’t already. With a goal to work towards, it’ll be easier to determine if a certain effort is worth investing time and money into. Will X help you get closer to your goal? If the answer is ‘no,’ you may need to consider an alternative plan.

A clear goal also gives you a benchmark to measure your success against, which makes it easier to track your progress. If you find that you aren’t making significant progress towards your goal, you’ll know right away that there are areas in need of improvement.

A personal trainer, for example, might set the following achievable goal: “I want to obtain 20 new clients from my website by the end of the year.”

Simply creating a new goal will spark a few follow up questions:

• How can I optimize my website to increase conversions?

• How can I expand my reach online?

• How can I nurture prospective customers and turn them into happy clients?

In this way, your goal becomes the beacon for every online marketing effort moving forward.

Identify Your Target Audience

Finding the right customers for your business is crucial to its success. When you concentrate on the people who are most in need of or interested in your product or service, there is mutual benefit: You allocate your resources to the right efforts, and your customers spend their money on what they actually need. It is important to identify your target audience, so that you can maximize the effectiveness of your marketing. This post will go over the definition of a target audience, and provide some guidelines for identifying and understanding yours.

What is a Target Audience?

A target audience is a specific group of consumers that will be the most receptive to your products, services, and promotions. The specificity of the group is based on factors like age, location, income, and more. For example, if you are a physical therapist, your target audience might be athletes who are recovering from injury; senior citizens looking to maintain mobility; or middle-aged men and women with back pain.

Look at the Data

Consumers don’t always know what they like. In fact, we may think we have one preference, only to find that our actions are in line with a different preference. This is why you should use Google Analytics or other analytics platforms for your website and marketing activities. Data will identify behavior patterns of your customers and business website visitors. You can see which pages they frequent or which channels they’re coming in. This provides you with a solid understanding of your target audience, that you can  preferences, that you can leverage for marketing success.

Create your Digital marketing business plan

Company website

Websites are to brands like hives are to bees. They’re the central hub and source of information about your business.

This is a must-have for any business, and we can’t emphasize that enough. Whether you’re starting from scratch or simply updating your website, be sure to keep the following in mind:

Design

Your website design should be easy to use and have a color scheme that is consistent with your branding and easy on the eyes of your visitors.

SEO

Throughout each page of your website, include searchable keywords. Keywords appease the search engine gods, making it possible for people to discover your business online.

Content

Your homepage should clearly outline what your business is all about, and make it easy for visitors to contact you. Update content regularly to ensure it’s current and accurate.

Mobile optimization

Mobile devices account for 80 percent of all Internet users in the india, so your website should be mobile-friendly. There’s nothing more frustrating than visiting a website that cuts off the screen.

Email

Want an easy way to stay connected with customers and prospects who visit your store or your website? Email is the way to go. Not only is it 40 times better at getting new customers than Facebook and Twitter, email can be easily measured and is known to deliver high returns.

Not sure if you have the time to dedicate to a robust email campaign?

With the help of an email service provider, you can automate your email campaigns so that communication is a piece of cake. Simply create a sign up form on your website to collect subscribers and follow up with awesome email content.

To reach customers offline, make sure you always have access to a sign up form whether you’re at a conference or selling your products face-to-face. To do this, use a tablet or smartphone with a mobile email sign up app such as AWeber’s Atom App, or go old school with a “pen and paper” form!

Content for your email campaign can include product updates (e.g. featured or discounted items), upcoming sales, coupons, and anything else you think your customers will want.

If you’re worried about being able to write the perfect content for your emails check out this “What to Write Guide“ which includes free email content templates to help you get started!

Social media

Maintaining an active presence on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter is a great way to engage with customers and raise brand awareness among prospects at low cost.

While it’s important for any small business owner to set realistic goals, (it can take years before acquiring 5,000 “Likes” or followers), remember that the more effort you put into engaging your social followers, the more you’ll reap as a result.

Contests, helpful tips, and discount codes are all great ways to encourage followers to interact with your business on social media. To further expand your reach, you might want to consider paid advertising and promoted posts on platforms that are most relevant to your brand.

As you set up your social media accounts, don’t forget to set up your online business listings (e.g. Google+, Bing, Yelp) as well. This will bring more credibility to your company and provide people with an alternative way to learn more about your small business.

On all platforms, however, be sure to also manage customer feedback — especially the negative kind. This is crucial to maintaining your brand’s reputation, as well as providing your customers with the personal interaction they desire.

Blog

Trust is essential to sustaining healthy relationships — and the relationship between a consumer and a brand is no exception.

Years ago, marketing was a one-way street. Brands told consumers what to buy and why to buy it. Today, consumers hold the power and determine where a particular brand fits into their individual lives. And a big part of that decision is based on trust.

While social media is a great place to breathe life into your brand and showcase your trustworthiness, you need to focus on other ways you can build relationships with your customers — such as your company blog.

By creating content that focuses on helping your customers improve their lives (while also remaining relevant to your brand and industry), you can work towards creating a trustworthy brand. As you develop a deeper connection with your audience, it’ll show that you want to do more than make a sale — you value those who purchase from you and remain loyal to your brand.

Not sure if you can handle the challenge of writing for your company blog? Here aresome tips to help you get started.