It’s commonly accepted that you should review your overall marketing strategy at least once a year.  When it comes to the digital portion of your marketing, we recommend a review every 60 to 90 days.  The ever-changing Google algorithms and the frequent updating of social media’s “terms of service” necessitates this constant reevaluation. 

Below are a few key points to consider when setting your digital marketing resolutions (goals) for the first quarter of 2015.

WEBSITE:

Your customer expects your website to be graphically appealing, easily browsed (on all devices) and filled with quality content establishing you as an authority capable of filling their needs.  Google is looking for much of the same.  However, you must first satisfy Google’s spiders (site scanners) if you want your website to show up high enough in the search rankings for customers to find you.

Just last month, Google began putting a “mobile friendly” notation (on mobile search results) next to websites that are easily viewed on a cell phone.  At the same time, Google let it be known that they’re preparing to rank websites denoted “mobile friendly” more favorably.

Is your website “mobile friendly” in Google’s eyes?  See the image below at http://goo.gl/vSXl5S and find out.

Keep in mind, the average lifespan of a business website is 2 to 3 years before the site begins to look dated. If you website fails the “mobile friendly” test, please reach out to Make It Loud.  We give you our honest feedback and direction.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

How effective is your current social media strategy?  Are you using the platforms your target market uses?  Does what you’re doing seem effective?  Should you restructure your social media mix or possibly expand the channels you’re using?  These are all valid questions and ones that must be objectively answered when evaluating the effectiveness of your on-going social media efforts.

Dramatic changes occurred in social media this past year and these changes will continue and only increase in frequency.  One easily recognized recent trend is the push by all the social media towards monetization or what is often referred to as “pay to play”. 

Facebook recently told marketers not to expect their posts to organically appear on their follower’s news feed and suggested they should plan to spend some greenbacks to gain the broader exposure.  (That’s paraphrased but you get the jist.) 

In 2015, we suggest allocating marketing funds towards “boosting your posts” on Facebook and promoting accordingly on your other social media channels.  At least give it a try and gauge for yourself.

DIGITAL MARKETING ASSESSMENT:

As a way of helping small to mid-sized business owners gauge their digital marketing efforts, Make It Loud is offering a FREE Digital Marketing Assessment.  If you will go to http://digital.makeitloud.net and answer a few multiple-choice questions, one of our Digital Marketing Consultants will reach out to you with a full review of your current marketing (including suggestions for improvement) and assist you in prioritizing your action items.  Please enter promo code 2015 to receive your free assessment.

THANK YOU for your friendship and business.  Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!