There is no doubt digital marketing is forever changing, which is why we’ve put together our top tips to improve your online presence this financial year.
We spoke to some of our resident digital marketing experts to help you get ahead. You’ll be surprised how some of these simple tips can help your business grow.
Keep reading to find out more about optimising your social media content, protecting your businesses online, safeguarding your rankings and more.
5 Digital Marketing Tips for the New Year
1. Get creative with your social media.
Video content is back — thanks TikTok! Whether it be short-form content, like TikToks and Reels, or longer, more educational videos, there is no doubt video is a popular medium that isn’t going anywhere soon! In fact, rumour has it, Instagram is testing a new interface, similar to Tiktok where the video will be front and centre.
Not sure where to start with your TikToks and Reels? Our top tip is to take all your photos in live mode (if you have an iPhone). Then, when you jump onto Tiktok to create your latest viral video, you can use the live versions of your photo to create your video. This trick will save you time and time again.
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again; when it comes to social media, it’s all about providing value to your audience.
Now, we don’t just mean education value. It can be entertainment value or emotional value too. Some of the best-performing social media accounts provide their followers with all three.
Here’s are some examples of how to create value on social media:
- Create educational value by sharing a blog relating to your industry. For example, an accountant could share a blog on getting ready for tax time. You could also diversify your content by turning the blog into reels, stories, infographic posts and more. Remember, content isn’t just writing!
- Create emotional value through sharing a feel-good story from your team. Things to share could be someone receiving a promotion or a gratitude post for someone going above and beyond. One of the best (and easiest) ways to do this is to share employee achievements, such as team member of the month.
- Create entertainment with fun and quirky posts. This could be through memes, fun TikTok videos or even sharing footage from dress-up days hosted at your office. Halloween is the perfect time to take advantage of this and share photos of your team all dressed in their spookiest attire.
2. Revisit your online security.
Does your shopfront have security measures in place, such as security cameras and lockable doors? Of course it does.
Now, does your website have the same level of security? Maybe not. Online security for your business goes well beyond downloading the latest antivirus update. Small-to-medium businesses (SMEs) are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their lack of adequate security.
“In the first quarter of 2022, Australian businesses lost over $72 million to scams, which is massive,” said Localsearch IT & Development Operations Manager, Travis Slessar.
“Businesses who were impacted lost an average of $50,000. That’s a big loss for a small business.”
One important step businesses can take to protect themselves is to ensure they have 3-factor authentication setup wherever possible. Businesses can also work to educate their employees on how to protect themselves from scams, especially phishing scams.
As a small business owner, one of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to engage an IT professional to ensure your business is protected online.
Find an IT professional in your area who can help you secure your business online.
3. Refresh your website content.
Refreshing or updating your website content is the perfect way to improve your website’s performance.
Google won’t crawl through your website unless it has been updated. If your website has not seen a content refresh in a while it may think your website has been abandoned.
“Google likes to see updates on websites,” said Localsearch Head of SEO, Mike Andrew.
“[Google] likes to see new content, new information, which is where blog content can make a big difference. What happens is, Google refreshes that and it looks at that content update and says, the site’s not abandoned — it’s just not sitting there. There is work being done on it. And it is being updated constantly.”
Localsearch Head of SEO, Mike Andrew.
If Google thinks your website is abandoned, you may see your rankings drop, which is not something you want. Less website traffic is directly linked to a decrease in leads.
Easy ways to refresh your website content:
Micro-blogs are a great way to start blogging if you’re short on time. As the name suggests, the best part about these blogs is they only need to be 600 words of less — that’s half the length of a standard blog! But, keep in mind sometime microblogs aren’t the best for SEO, so if improving your rankings is your goal, you may want to stick to traditional blogs. If you’re not sure what is best for your website, get an SEO specialist to take a look.
But what should you blog about?
One of the best ways to find blog topics is to take the industry-related questions your customers ask the most and make them into blogs. For example, if you’re a plumber and also get questions about how to change a tap washer, write a micro-blog with a quick how-to guide and publish it on your website.
The best part? You can even share the blog on your social media.
Re-writing some of your website content is a simple way to show Google you’re active and up to date. We’re not saying you must add a whole new page (although this would also be beneficial). Simply re-writing your About Us section or including some added information on your landing pages can help.
Refreshing your content is even easier if your website has a blog. Let’s say you’re a florist and have a high-performing blog with information about bridal bouquets. To refresh the content, you could simply add a new section in the blog about trending flowers this season.
- Speak to a digital marketing specialist.
If you’re not sure where to start with refreshing your website content, contact a digital marketing specialist who can help point you in the right direction.
Your website is your virtual shopfront. It’s oftentimes the first impression a customer gets of your business.
You wouldn’t leave your shopfront covered in cobwebs, unstocked with broken shelves and the wrong opening hours on the door. So, why would you treat your website any different?
It takes users a few moments to judge your website, and if visitors are not enticed to stay, they will take their business elsewhere.
If your website hasn’t had a rebuild in the last four years, it’s almost certainly going to be lagging in not only performance, but appearance and security too.
Ben Reynolds, National Accounts Manager at Localsearch, spoke on the Help Me Grow My Business Podcast about the importance of upgrading your website.
“Your website is a professional representation of your business in the digital world. It is your business in the digital world,” Mr. Reynolds said.
“If your website is not professional, it’s not built for user experience and that could be fast page load speeds, secure URLs, then you’ll find your bounce rate is really significant.”
Getting users to your website is only half the battle; keeping them there is where many businesses fail. Most of your digital marketing services, whether it be Google Ads or Social Media Marketing, direct users back to your website.
“They [Google Ads and SEO] generally are the most effective when it’s done right, but far too many times people missed the really important obvious factor, which is their website,” said Mr. Reynolds.
“In this day and age, there are too many options out there to not have a good website. You need to have a good website, a good experience.”
During the 2022 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced they would allow small businesses with an annual turnover of less than 50 million, to deduct an extra 20% against investments aimed to support their digital goals. This is great news for anyone looking to upgrade their website, engage an eCommerce platform or increase their digital presence.
Still not sure what you need to get started? Our digital marketing specialist will help point you in the right direction.
5. Tidy up your online presence.
Tidying up your online presence is a good way to start off the new financial year on the right foot. Ensure all your business details are up-to-date and correct across all your online profiles and website. This includes your Google Business Profile and Localsearch.com.au listing.
Things to check include:
- Business name is spelt correctly and the same across all platforms.
- All your online profiles and website use the same logo.
- Ensure your address and phone number are current.
- Update your opening hours to reflect your current business model, ensure to update them everywhere including physical signage if you have it!
Tidying up your online presence not only helps your customers connect with you, but it can also improve your Google Business Profile performance.