How to Diversify Your Digital Marketing Portfolio

Did you know that, on average, Americans spent upwards of three and a half hours every day on social media alone last year? That doesn’t account for the time spent reading emails, visiting websites, and texting — that’s just time spent on social media. That kind of time is gold for brands and influencers who rely on social media traffic in order to get their products and services in front of new audiences and consumers. 

What happens if that traffic disappears? It sounds almost impossible. How could our favorite social media platforms go away? We put our faith in these social sites in order to maintain long-distance relationships with friends and family, scrapbook old photos, and interact with brands. Surely they’re here to stay, right? 

In times of uncertainty, it’s imperative that brands, businesses, and organizations have a backup plan that keeps people coming to their pages or site and that keeps their customers happy and informed. 

Here are four steps to take in order to diversify your digital portfolio.

Refresh your social media strategy. Some of the biggest social platforms are run by the same entity, so when service is disrupted to one, they all may be affected. That’s why it’s imperative that you broaden your social strategy to include platforms like Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, and even TikTok. Start by doing an analysis of who your customers are — their ages, incomes, interests — and then base a social strategy off of where they’re spending their time. Each social network has different strengths, so don’t put all of your digital eggs in one basket.

Bet big on SEO. Organic or inbound traffic is the workhorse of the digital marketing world. If prospective customers type in keywords related to your business, search engines like Google or Bing will show a list of relevant websites that match their query. SEO is a long game — it needs to be created early and tweaked often in order to be effective. Content closely related to your business that matches those potential search queries is a guaranteed way to ensure the right people find your website at the right time. This content can include blogs, web pages, and articles published on your site. Companies like Moz, SEMRush, and Ahrefs can help get your keyword research started. 

Expand your paid advertising strategy. Once your content and SEO plan is underway, it’s time to distribute that content to people who may not realize that your business is the answer they’re looking for. Using the keyword research tools above, look for keywords or phrases that are inexpensive to bid on but that are still relevant to your business. Those keywords are strategically placed in front of buyers based on your targeting parameters. If you’re advertising on social media, you should be advertising on Google and Bing, too. (Amazon’s Alexa uses Bing to answer your questions, so don’t discount their impact on paid search!)

Nurture your current audience. Who doesn’t love to be surprised and delighted by brands they use on a daily basis?  If social media platforms disappear overnight, your best bet is to celebrate and appreciate previous buyers and supporters of your brand. Even a simple “how are you doing?” email in uncertain times is enough to relay authenticity and helpfulness. Emails are inexpensive to send and remain the number-one most effective way to get in front of customers and prospects. 

Changes in marketing are inevitable. With advances in technology, policies, and trends, digital marketers are used to rolling with the punches. It’s what makes the work exciting and rewarding. No one knows exactly what the future holds, but being prepared and agile will make the job that much easier.

If you’re interested in learning more about how ModSquad approaches social engagement and community, let’s chat! We’d love to show you how we do it.