Marketing is an increasingly digital space, and while the world of printed press releases and PR still have a place in the modern world, tech and digital are becoming dominant. Why is this useful? Because it allows access to big data. Being able to analyze trends, consumer behavior and sentiment can give marketers a powerful edge when it comes to providing value for consumers. We’re going to take a look at the top tools marketing managers can use to get the most out of the digital age.
1 – Google Analytics
The ultimate marketing information tool. Google Analytics allows marketers to see where users are coming from, what they are looking at and how long they spend on a page among many, many other features. And the best part? It’s free. If there is one tool that you use to measure user behavior and employ that information to create campaigns, make it Google Analytics.
2 – SEMRush
A well known but under-employed aspect of the digital space is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEMRush is an all-in-one solution to your SEO requirements. Competitor keyword analysis, organic keyword analysis and backlink checking can all lend a hand to your content strategy and website optimization. SEMRush is a paid tool, so expect to pay upwards of $100 per month, but if you’re serious about capitalizing on your content strategy, it may well be worth it.
3 – Google Adwords
The PPC (Pay Per Click) market is an ever-growing aspect of marketing as a whole. Many people even suspect that paid digital advertising is the way forward for marketers, as it allows them to put their product in front of users who have a vested interest in the product or service that is being offered, due to their past search history and browsing behavior being analyzed by Google’s algorithms. Google Adwords does require a lot of attention however. Rather than being a ‘set it and forget it’ type of system, checking in daily and keeping close tabs of month-to-month changes in growth and cost are the keys to success here.
4 – Email Service Provider
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in a lot of cases. The value of an email service provider (ESP) could be considered by some to be on the decline due to spam email and the recent GDPR legislation in the EU. However, if you have consent from you customers you can email them a monthly or weekly newsletter with updates to the company, your offering or features. As a result, it is worth checking out one the best ESP’s out there, Mailchimp. This is also a free service up to a point so there is room for a trial before buying into a larger paid plan.
When creating an email campaign, it is worth bearing in mind that images are always the best way to go. According to Hubspot, 65% of user prefer emails that are made up largely of images, rather than 35% who prefer text heavy emails. To see top quality, campaign ready images, check out the Ingimage collection here.
