Digital marketing tips your competitors probably don't know 🤫

Do you feel you are falling behind your competitors?

If you have a business, especially a small one, it is very easy to feel that way. After all, you cannot hire an army of digital marketers to keep up with the latest trends.

But that does not mean you cannot become a one-person army.

Your weapons are your knowledge. After reading this article, you will be able to choose your tactics and beat the competition.

These tips are popular because they really work, but only if you know how, why and when to use them.

1. Don't be on too many social networks

It is a very common mistake in smaller or newer businesses: doing everything at once, with no experience.

Picture this scenario: you create 10 social media accounts. You prepare a pay per click campaign. You have a strict schedule for blog posts on topics you do not yet fully master. And the worst of it is that you have never used half of those platforms in the past! Sound familiar?

If so, it is time to stop! The worst mistake you can make is trying to control too many networks at once. But the lesson to take away is: less is more. When you are starting the business or moving into digital, focus and consistency should be your main goals.

If you try to launch too many campaigns at the same time, it will be hard to tell which one was more successful.

Being consistent on social media and in how you publish blog articles will bring you loyal followers and, in the end, loyal customers. SEO should also be cohesive, so you save money on paid campaigns.

2. Find your place on social media

Most business owners know they have to be on social media, but they take too much of a risk by joining many at the same time, as we saw above.

For most brands, that can end in disaster. Your goal should be to find your place on those platforms, so at the start you should not leave your comfort zone.

After you have a better sense of how the networks work, look at the interactions you are getting. For example, if Instagram does not give you enough engagement, focus on a platform that does. Likes, shares and comments are the goal: stay where you can find them most easily and where your audience really is.

3. Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is relatively new in the kingdom of digital marketing. In fact, most of your competition may never even have heard of it!

And for the competitors who know what it is, they may be heading in the wrong direction, because this strategy is very powerful if it is used the right way.

And what is it?

Influencer marketing means reaching your target audience directly, by paying or inspiring influential people in your niche to talk about your brand.

When it comes to social media users, influencers are basically the strongest endorsements your company can get.

In the United States, a study found that 30% of consumers would more readily buy a product recommended by a blogger than by a celebrity.

This tactic is especially effective with millennials (people between 18 and 35), since 70% of them are genuinely influenced by the recommendations they see when they decide to buy.

So you should always keep an eye on potential influencers in your market niche if you want to create engagement with your target audience and give your brand visibility.

So what might your competition be doing wrong?

Many business owners still think a high volume of guest blogging (a form of influencer marketing) and lots of backlinks will improve SEO and attract traffic.

That used to be true, but it has now changed. Small businesses should be very careful with these practices, which have already been detected and penalised by Google, and that is not what you want for your company.

Of course guest blogging is not a bad practice, but it should be done with care and in moderation. On this point, the main things to focus on should be: brand promotion, building credibility by having the support of big names in the field, and entering new communities.

4. The 80-20 rule for content

This rule is simple: 80% of your success comes from 20% of your efforts. It applies to everything, including the content you produce, which can take many forms, such as videos, webinars, blog posts, infographics...

How do you apply this rule?

It is very easy: 80% of the content you create should communicate value (unique, recent, relevant services or products that solve the audience's problems) and 20% should be promotional.

Most companies do this the other way round, focusing mainly on sales and much less on quality content or information that interests consumers.

If you are not convinced, know that companies with blogs, for example, generate around 70% more leads than companies that do not have this option.

Other advantages of having a blog include generating quality traffic, adding a human touch to the brand and building customer loyalty, and the low cost of this practice compared with others.

As you can see, the best way to get ahead of the competition is to use these tried-and-tested practices correctly, the ones that really work.