10 Digital Marketing Strategies and Tactics Every Business Should Use
Digital marketing, which is a form of marketing, can be likened to the lifeblood of any business on the internet. Whether you're launching a new campaign, trying to generate leads, or looking to increase sales, having a clear framework and strategy for digital marketing is essential.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through 10 proven digital marketing tips, tactics, and strategies to help you create marketing that works, converts, and drives profitability.
These insights are based on years of experience of entrepreneurs working with clients and refining their marketing approach. Let’s get started!
1. Start with a Framework
One of the biggest mistakes marketers and business owners make is approaching marketing without a clear plan. Randomly guessing and hoping for the best is no better than gambling.
Instead, you need to set and follow a framework—a step-by-step roadmap that will ensure you’re doing the right things, in the right place, for the right people.
2. Focus on Your Offer
At the heart of every successful marketing campaign is a strong offer. Whether you’re launching a new product or growing an existing business, your offer is the foundation of everything you do.
There’s often a debate in the marketing community: Should you start with the offer or the target market? The answer depends on your situation:
- If you’re starting a new business, focus on understanding your target market first. Identify their pains, problems, and frustrations, and then create an offer that solves those problems.
- If you already have an existing business, refine your offer. Choose the product or service with the best margins, scalability, and marketability.
Your offer should be specific, strategic, and aligned with the needs of your audience.
3. Understand Your Target Market
Marketing is all about your target market. The word “marketing” literally has “market” baked into it, which shows how important this is. Your target market is the core of your entire campaign.
To truly connect with your audience, you need to understand them on a deep level. This means going beyond demographics (age, gender, income) and diving into psychographics—their values, beliefs, fears, and aspirations.
When customers feel understood, they’re more likely to buy. This is why empathy is so important in marketing. If your messaging doesn’t resonate with your audience, they’ll simply tune it out.
4. Define Clear Goals
Every marketing campaign needs a clear goal. While I’m not a stickler for overly specific metrics (like increasing leads by 22.8%), you do need a goal to guide your efforts.
Your ultimate goal is likely to increase your website traffic, sales or revenue, but you need to work backward to define the steps that will get you there. For example:
- How many sales calls do you need to make one sale?
- How many leads do you need to generate those sales calls?
- How many clicks on your digital advertisement do you need to get those leads?
Having a clear goal ensures you’re moving in the right direction and not wasting time on irrelevant tasks.
5. Create a Customer Avatar
To effectively market to your audience, you need to create a detailed customer avatar.
This is a fictional representation of your ideal customer, and it includes:
- Demographics: Age, gender, income, occupation, etc.
- Geographics: Where they live (city, state, country).
- Psychographics: Their values, beliefs, and lifestyle.
Understanding your customer avatar helps you craft messaging that speaks directly to their needs and desires.
6. Address Their Miracles and Miseries
Every customer has “miracles” (what they want to achieve) and “miseries” (what they want to avoid). Your marketing should address both.
- Miracles: Their dreams, goals, and aspirations.
-Miseries: Their fears, frustrations, and pain points.
Your job is to bridge the gap between where they are now (miseries) and where they want to be (miracles). By positioning your product or service as the solution to their problems, you’ll make your marketing more compelling and effective.
7. Choose the Right Platforms
Not all marketing platforms are created equal. Your target market may not be on every social media channel, so it’s important to focus on the platforms where they’re most active.
For example:
- LinkedIn is great for B2B marketing.
- Facebook skews older (35+).
- Instagram and TikTok appeal to younger audiences.
Do your research and choose one or two platforms where your ideal customers are present and active.
8. Create the Right Type of Content
Content is king in marketing, but not all content is created equal.
You need to decide what type of content will resonate most with your audience:
- Text-based content: Blogs, articles, social media posts.
- Audio content: Podcasts, voice notes.
- Video content: YouTube videos, Instagram Reels, TikTok.
Long-form content (like blogs, podcasts, or YouTube videos) is especially powerful because it allows you to go deep and provide value. Short-form content (like social media posts or Reels) can help you reach a wider audience.
9. Build an Email List
Email marketing is one of the most effective tools in your marketing arsenal. Everyone uses email, and it’s a direct way to communicate with your audience.
To get started, create a lead magnet—a free resource (like a cheat sheet or guide) that you can offer in exchange for someone’s email address. Once you have their email, nurture the relationship by sending regular, valuable content.
10. Map Out Your Marketing Funnel
A marketing funnel is a step-by-step process that guides potential customers from awareness to purchase. It starts with attracting leads, nurturing them, and eventually converting them into paying customers.
To create a funnel, start at the end (the sale) and work backward. Ask yourself:
- What needs to happen before someone makes a purchase?
- What content or messaging will move them closer to that decision?
By mapping out your funnel, you can identify gaps and optimize each step for better results.
Final Thoughts
Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. By following these 10 tips, tactics, and strategies, you can create a marketing plan that works, converts, and drives real results for your business.
Remember, the key is to focus on your audience, provide value, and stay consistent. If you have the right framework in place, you’ll be growing your business and achieving your goals in no time.
Stay tuned for more insights and strategies in the next part of this series!
