So, you’ve spent time and money getting your website up and running. The content is done, it’s live, and you’re finally showcasing your business to the world. That’s it now, right? Well, yes – but actually, no. Getting your website online is only the first step on what will prove to be a very long staircase. Your website may be online, but if no one is visiting, is it even worth the money you’re spending on hosting?
Enter the complex world of digital marketing. Half technical know-how and half the digital equivalent of reading tea leaves, digital marketing is essential for growing your business. An umbrella term for various career paths, digital marketing refers to the pursuit of getting a website onto the retinas of potential customers. It encompasses the following:
- Website content and management
- Social media content and management
- Ensuring your website ranks well on Google
- Email campaigns
- Planning, delivering, and reporting on campaigns
- Pay-per-click ads
- Analytic reporting and analysis
It is a broad remit but crucial to the success of your business – and yet, it is often overlooked by smaller businesses and start-ups. Large corporations have entire teams dedicated to each strand, meaning that those starting out will be at a disadvantage.
The temptation will always be to handle this yourself as a business owner, but digital marketing is a subtle yet complex art. Doing it yourself will require developing your skillset and investing a significant amount of time and effort to succeed.
If you’re a smaller business, there are traditionally two ways to achieve success in the digital marketing sphere: you either hire a digital marketer in-house or hire an external agency. There are strengths and weaknesses to both:
- Hiring a digital marketer in-house ensures that there is always someone dedicated to your efforts. Even if you plan to use an agency, it’s beneficial to have someone knowledgeable and trustworthy to manage expectations, generate content, and monitor analytics. The main problem is hiring. Small businesses are notorious in the industry for having unrealistic expectations, heavy workloads, and low pay. If you want someone with experience, you need a compelling reason for them to join. Alternatively, you can hire a graduate or someone just starting out. This approach is good, as everyone needs a chance to start somewhere, but you must hire them knowing they will likely move on after they’ve cut their teeth. Digital marketers are a nomadic, skittish bunch.
- Hiring an agency provides a comprehensive solution to your digital marketing efforts. Agencies usually have the team and expertise you lack while building your presence, but you will be regularly throwing money at their services. Digital marketing agencies often have an unfair stigma as sellers of snake oil due to high costs, slow results, and technical jargon. However, you will get quicker results from an agency than in-house. Shop around, find an agency you trust, and give them the time they need to succeed.
These are the usual routes to support your digital marketing efforts, but at STRIDE, there is a third, more cost-effective solution: internships. Our partnership with the University of Plymouth allows us to approach student services on your behalf and arrange for a student to intern at your business. This is usually mutually beneficial, as the business gains support for its digital presence while the student gains experience that can jumpstart their career. It’s a great way to access the skills of someone learning the cutting edge of digital marketing and get the ball rolling. On top of this, STRIDE can also offer their skills and expertise as part of our Team X initiative. If you’re trying to wrap your head around SEO, web design, strategy or a hostile competitor we can help and advise. If this could be useful for your business, get in touch, and we’ll be happy to discuss your options, as well as a range of other services we offer that can help your innovation or business grow.
Oh, and if you clicked this article because of the kitten: Congratulations! You’ve been digital marketed.Â
Photo by Nadezhda Nikolaenko on Unsplash