Having a solid digital marketing strategy is essential for any business in Philadelphia looking to grow. It can help with expanding your online presence and reaching target audiences effectively. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you develop a digital marketing strategy to deliver results.

Step-by-Step Guide to Digital Marketing

Define Your Goals

Start by clarifying what you want to achieve and set SMART business goals. Business goals are predefined targets a company aims to achieve within a specific timeframe. They are often broken down into short-term and long-term objectives. For example:

• Do you want to increase brand awareness?
• Are you trying to generate more leads?
• Is your focus to improve engagement and boost sales?

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals provides direction and allows you to track progress. POP THE PIXEL will work with you to plan your SMART approach to marketing online. Whether you’re a restaurant on Rittenhouse Square, a coffee shop in Mt. Airy or a roofing company in Conshohocken, we can help. Click here to learn more about our Digital Marketing services.

Know Your Audience

Understanding your customer is key and it can be helpful to develop detailed buyer personas. This knowledge helps tailor your messaging and select the right channels for delivering it. Your analysis may include things like:

• Demographics: Demographic data in Philadelphia can include age, sex, race, ethnicity, income, education and occupation. Businesses use demographic data to segment their target audience, tailor marketing messages and choose the most effective channels to reach specific groups.
• Interests: Audience interests refers to the level of attention, engagement and involvement towards a specific message, content, event or product. Businesses customize digital marketing efforts, advertising strategies and content creation to resonate with target audiences based on their interests.
• Online Behaviors: Online behaviors include how customers navigate websites, make purchases, interact with social media and engage with online marketing campaigns. Businesses analyze online behaviors to personalize and target advertising, improve website and product experiences and enhance internet marketing and sales strategies.
• Pain Points: Customer pain points are problems or frustrations customers experience while interacting with a business, product or service. Businesses identify and address customer pain points to improve customer experience, build relationships and gain a competitive edge in the Philadelphia marketplace.

Knowing your audience allows you to craft content that is tailored to their specific needs and interests. POP THE PIXEL will work with you to develop an understanding of customers in the Greater Philadelphia tri-state area so you can maximize the effectiveness of your internet marketing campaigns. We’ve worked with more than 200 brands, so we know a thing or two. Our clients include a Yoga Studio in Ambler, PA, Financial Management in King of Prussia, PA, and Occupational Therapy in Blue Bell, PA, just to name a few.

Conduct Competitive Analysis

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors’ in Philly, all 576,000 of them. Analyze their online presence, keyword targets, content strategies and other SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics. This insight helps you find opportunities to differentiate and position your brand effectively. To conduct a competitive analysis, you need to:

• Identify Your Competitors: Identify competitors by searching online for products or services that are similar to yours and see what pops up in search engines like Google. This is a great way to identify which local business in Philadelphia are capturing your leads and stealing your business.
• Gather Information: Gather information on other businesses in Philly by conducting research online and using competitive intelligence tools powered by AI. With the help of tools like SEMrush and Sprout Social, you can review customer feedback, analyze websites and monitor social media of your competitors.
• Analyze the Data: Analyze the data you find in service or product offerings, pricing and social media marketing. With this data, you can identify who you’re up against and develop actionable insights for your Digital Marketing strategy to gain a competitive advantage to capture and covert that potential customer.

Conducting a competitive analysis helps businesses in Philadelphia stay proactive and make more informed decisions about pricing, marketing and product development. Additionally, it allows for benchmarking performance, tracking competitor strategies and improving conversion rates. Send us an email if you want some help checking out the local competition in Philly.

Choose the Right Channels

Not all digital platforms suit the same needs for every business. Decide which channels align with business goals, target audience and budget. Here are some examples of Digital Marketing Channels:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Improving your website’s visibility in search engine results like Google, Bing and Yahoo.
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Using paid advertising to promote your website in search results.
• Social Media Marketing (SMM): Engaging with your audience on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
• Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and engage your target audience.
• Email Marketing: Building relationships with your subscribers and promoting your products or services through email marketing campaigns.
• Web Design and Development: Creating a user-friendly and mobile-friendly website that effectively highlights your story, products or services and communicates your brand’s message.
• Mobile Marketing: Reaching your audience through mobile devices and apps.
• Voice Search: Optimizing your content for voice search queries, otherwise known as AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).

Consider the strengths of each channel, what your competitors are doing and the types of content you’ll create. Evaluate the potential of each channel to reach your audience and achieve your objectives. Commit to a three-month strategy so you can test their effectiveness. Continue investing in the channels that work, and drop those that don’t.

Develop Compelling Content

Content is at the heart of digital marketing. Create valuable, relevant and frequent content to stay connected and engaged with Philadelphians. Keep engagement high by alternating a mix of innovative blog posts, viral video campaigns, creative social media content and value-packed email campaigns. Here’s how compelling content benefits digital marketing:

• Attracts and Engages: High-quality content that resonates with audience needs and interests keeps them coming back for more.
• Builds Trust and Credibility: By providing valuable information and addressing concerns, content can establish a brand as a thought leader and trusted source.
• Improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Content that incorporates relevant keywords can improve a website’s ranking in search results, leading to more organic traffic.
• Generates Leads and Drives Conversions: Engaging and informative content can educate potential customers and lead them down the sales funnel.
• Enhances Brand Awareness: Compelling content helps establish a brand’s identity and differentiate it from competitors.
• Creates Loyal Customers: By providing ongoing value, content can foster lasting relationships and turn customers into brand ambassadors.

Develop a mix of content to serve as the foundation for various online marketing tactics. Include it on your website and share it on social media, in email campaigns and advertising. POP THE PIXEL offers Content Marketing services to entrepreneurs and local business in Philadelphia, helping to create and share material online to boost visibility and sales. Call 323-848-4465 or email us to get started with your digital strategy.

Set a Budget and Allocate Resources

Determine how much you’re willing or able to spend and allocate resources accordingly. Be honest about it, it’s OK. There’s a strategy option for every business and it’s important to have one in place. Consider things like:

• Website Development and Maintenance: Costs associated with creating and maintaining a functional and user-friendly website, which is often the first part of digital advertising efforts.
• Online Advertising Campaigns: Expenses incurred on platforms like Google Ads (AdWords) and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: Costs paid for each click on an online ad, a common method for reaching target audiences.
• Social Media Promotions: Expenses related to boosting posts, running ads or engaging with followers on social media platforms.
• Graphic Design and Content Creation: Fees for creating visually appealing ad banners, social media graphics or other marketing materials.
• Email Marketing: Costs associated with building and maintaining an email list, creating email campaigns and sending promotional emails.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services: Expenses for hiring SEO specialists or agencies to improve website ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Affiliate Marketing: Commissions paid to affiliates for driving traffic or sales to a business.
• Website Analytics Tools: Subscriptions for tools that track website traffic, user behavior and campaign performance.
• Digital Marketing Agencies: Fees paid to agencies for managing and optimizing online advertising campaigns.

Final Considerations

• Implement and Monitor: Launch your digital marketing strategy and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, conversion rates and engagement levels. Use analytics tools to gather data and assess what’s working and what needs adjustment.
• Optimize and Refine: Digital marketing is dynamic. Regularly review your results, learn from data insights and refine your strategies. Continuous optimization ensures your marketing efforts stay effective and aligned with your business objectives.

Conclusion

Creating an effective digital marketing strategy involves clear goal-setting, understanding your audience, choosing the right channels and continually refining your approach. With a well-planned strategy, your business can build a stronger online presence, attract more customers and achieve sustained growth in Philadelphia. Contact us online or call 323-848-4465 for a free consultation and estimate.