Digital Marketing for Beginners

Introduction

• Speaker: Lori, Digital Marketing Strategist
• Location: London
• Channel: Simplifying digital marketing & social media
• Sponsor: HubSpot (marketing plan template)

Lori's Career Journey

• Initially interested in traditional marketing (billboards, print ads, TV commercials)
• Shifted interest to digital marketing due to changing audience behavior
• Reason: Traditional marketing is costly and hard to measure, whereas digital marketing is trackable and cost-effective

HubSpot Marketing Plan Template

• Tool to drive business results from digital marketing
• Helps align business goals with marketing goals
• Offers a comprehensive layout to summarize strategies and channels

Traditional vs. Digital Marketing

Traditional Marketing

• Examples: TV commercials, radio ads, print ads
• High cost, limited reach, difficult to measure effectiveness

Digital Marketing

• Leverages online channels: social media, email marketing, SEO, content marketing
• Cost-effective, low barrier to entry, measurable

Key Components of Digital Marketing

Understanding Your Audience

• Use website analytics to learn about demographics and engagement
• Utilize social media insights
• Explore public forums (e.g., Quora, Reddit) and platforms like Answer the Public

Digital Marketing Channels

Your Website

• The foundation: showcase products/services, brand story
• Usefulness: convert visitors into customers
• Must be visually appealing, user-friendly, optimized for search engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Improves visibility on search engines (Google)
• Involves: keywords optimization, faster loading speed, quality backlinks, mobile usability
• Goal: Increase organic traffic and conversions

Social Media Marketing

• Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube
• Strategy: create compelling content, build community, engage audience
• Advertising on social media: cost-effective

Email Marketing

• Nurtures relationships over time
• Techniques: personalized emails, useful content, targeted campaigns
• Goal: Increase conversions

Paid Search (PPC)/Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

• Use targeted keywords to appear on search results pages
• Drives targeted traffic

Content Marketing

• Content Types: blog posts, infographics, podcasts, videos
• Establishes brand authority and builds trust

The Marketing Funnel

Awareness Stage (Top of Funnel)

• Content to attract and educate: videos, podcasts, blog posts, infographics

Consideration Stage (Middle of Funnel)

• Provide detailed information: e-books, webinars, product demos, case studies

Decision Stage (Bottom of Funnel)

• Social proof: customer testimonials, reviews, limited offers, free trials

Tracking and Testing

• Advantage of digital marketing: everything is measurable
• Track metrics: website traffic, engagement, conversion rates
• Adopt a testing-first mentality: test, learn, refine strategies

Staying Updated

• Importance: Digital marketing constantly evolves
• Methods: Follow relevant YouTube channels, podcasts, online publications
• Lifelong learning: Always be a "forever student"

Conclusion

• Integrate different digital marketing channels for a comprehensive strategy
• Engage with the community: Share digital marketing plans in the comments
• Encourage interaction: Subscribes, shares, comments