Digital Marketing for Beginners: 7 Strategies That Work

Summary

This video script offers a comprehensive guide for beginners in digital marketing, emphasizing the importance of a 'content-first' approach to build trust and reach wider audiences. It outlines seven effective strategies, including SEO-focused blogging, leveraging YouTube for video content, social media marketing, paid advertising with a focus on audience, budget, and commerciality, podcast engagement, email marketing, and utilizing forums and community boards. The key takeaway is to master one strategy before moving to the next, ensuring a solid foundation in digital marketing.

Takeaways

• 📈 Start with a single digital marketing strategy and master it before moving to the next to avoid spreading efforts too thin.
• 💡 Adopt a 'content first' mindset, focusing on providing valuable information to help potential customers before selling to them.
• 🔍 Utilize keyword research for blogging to identify and target the problems your audience wants to solve, enhancing the visibility of your content.
• 🖥️ Integrate products or services into blog posts that offer solutions to common problems, such as computer issues for a tech store.
• 🏠 For industries like real estate, focus on addressing common customer queries like 'How to buy a house?' to attract serious buyers.
• 🎥 Recognize the power of YouTube as a search engine and create video content that answers common questions to attract viewers and potential customers.
• 📹 Keep video content concise and valuable, avoiding unnecessary fluff to maintain viewer engagement and trust.
• 📱 Choose one social media platform to focus on when starting out to build a loyal following rather than spreading efforts across multiple networks.
• 📊 Understand the audience and intent of each social media platform to tailor content that resonates with users and stands out.
• 💰 Approach paid advertising with a clear strategy considering audience, budget, and commerciality to ensure effective ROI.
• 🎙️ Explore podcasting as a marketing avenue, either by creating your own or being a guest on others' podcasts to reach new audiences.
• 📧 Prioritize building an email list from the start, setting realistic goals and gradually increasing focus on email marketing as your audience grows.
• 🗨️ Engage in community forums and social boards by sharing expertise and helping others, using links to content sparingly and appropriately.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video script?

The primary focus of the video script is to provide 7 digital marketing strategies that the presenter has personally used and gotten results with, emphasizing the importance of not trying all strategies at once but mastering one channel before moving on to the next.

What is the recommended approach to content creation according to the script?

The script recommends adopting a 'content first' approach, focusing on helping people solve problems through free and valuable content relevant to your business, which can help build trust and reach larger audiences.

How does the script define blogging with SEO in mind?

Blogging with SEO in mind is defined as intentionally targeting problems that the target audience wants to solve, using keyword research to identify relevant search queries, and integrating products or services within the content to address those problems.

What is the significance of keyword research in blogging for SEO?

Keyword research is significant in blogging for SEO as it helps identify the exact search queries that potential customers are using, allowing content creators to target those queries and rank higher in search results, thereby attracting more traffic.

Why is it suggested to focus on one social media channel initially?

Focusing on one social media channel initially is suggested because it takes time to build a following, and spreading attention across multiple platforms can dilute results. It's better to cultivate a loyal following on one platform before expanding to others.

What is the role of video content on platforms like YouTube in digital marketing?

Video content on platforms like YouTube plays a crucial role in digital marketing as it helps potential customers find answers to their questions, and by providing valuable content, marketers can grow their views and attract a larger audience, potentially leading to new leads and customers.

How does the script suggest leveraging social media platforms?

The script suggests leveraging social media platforms by understanding where your target audience is and tailoring your content to suit the platform's purpose and the intent of its users, rather than simply focusing on the number of active users.

What are the ABCs of paid advertising mentioned in the script?

The ABCs of paid advertising mentioned in the script are Audience, Budget, and Commerciality. Audience refers to engaging where your target audience is, Budget is about understanding the cost per click and setting a realistic ad spend, and Commerciality is about bridging the gap between the platform's intent and how you monetize your products.

How can podcasting be beneficial for digital marketing?

Podcasting can be beneficial for digital marketing by either creating your own podcast to build brand and audience or by getting interviewed on existing podcasts, which can expose your expertise and brand to a new audience.

What is the recommended approach to using email marketing?

The recommended approach to using email marketing is to start building your email list from day one, even if it's not substantial, and to be realistic with your goals. As your audience grows, invest more time into email marketing to serve your business better.

How should one approach community forums for marketing purposes?

When approaching community forums for marketing, one should focus on sharing expertise, building relationships, and helping others rather than directly promoting products or services. Links to content should be used sparingly and only when they genuinely support the discussion.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Digital Marketing Strategies for Traffic Growth

This paragraph introduces the topic of digital marketing, emphasizing the importance of understanding various strategies such as SEO, social media, email, and PPC to drive traffic to a website. The speaker, Sam Oh from Ahrefs, encourages viewers to focus on one strategy at a time and master it before moving on. The importance of adopting a 'content first' mindset is highlighted, suggesting that providing valuable, free content can build trust and reach larger audiences. The first strategy discussed is blogging with SEO in mind, with examples provided for targeting potential customer problems and integrating product solutions within the content.

05:01

🎥 Leveraging Video Content on YouTube for Marketing

The second paragraph delves into the power of video content, particularly on YouTube, as a means of attracting potential customers. It emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing the specific questions and problems that viewers are searching for. The speaker provides a method for finding topic ideas using Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer and YouTube search engine, and stresses the value of creating content that is rich in necessary value with minimal fluff. The paragraph also discusses the effectiveness of YouTube SEO in growing views and converting viewers into paying customers.

10:02

📱 Social Media Marketing and Paid Advertising Tips

This paragraph offers advice on social media marketing, suggesting that beginners focus on one platform to build a loyal following rather than spreading efforts across multiple networks. It advises marketers to understand where their target audience is and to cater content to the platform's user intent. The speaker also introduces the concept of paid advertising, emphasizing the importance of considering audience, budget, and commerciality (ABCs) when planning ad campaigns. Tips are provided for finding cost-effective keywords and experimenting with less popular ad platforms to find the best fit for the target audience.

15:02

🎙 Podcasts, Email Marketing, and Community Engagement

The final paragraph covers additional digital marketing strategies including podcasts, email marketing, and community forums. It discusses the benefits of either creating a podcast or being a guest on existing ones to build brand and audience. For email marketing, the importance of starting to build an email list from the first day is stressed, with a focus on gradually increasing efforts as the audience grows. Lastly, the paragraph touches on the use of forums and community boards like Quora and Reddit for promotion, cautioning against direct self-promotion and instead advocating for sharing expertise and building relationships within these communities.

Keywords

💡SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of improving the visibility of a website in search engines like Google. It is a critical component of digital marketing, as it helps to drive organic, non-paid traffic to a website. In the video, SEO is used as a foundational strategy for blogging, where the speaker emphasizes the importance of keyword research and creating content that ranks well in search results to attract traffic.

💡Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing involves promoting products or services through social media platforms to increase brand awareness and engagement. The video discusses the importance of focusing on one social media channel initially and tailoring the content to the platform's audience and their intent. For example, the speaker mentions that Facebook is more about sharing stories and content that evoke emotions, while Pinterest is about inspiration and planning.

💡Email Marketing

Email Marketing is the use of email to promote products or services directly to consumers. It is a strategy that builds a long-term relationship with potential customers. The video emphasizes the importance of starting to build an email list from the first day of business and being realistic with goals, suggesting that email marketing is a long play for connection and sales.

💡PPC Advertising

PPC stands for Pay-Per-Click, a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. The video script advises not to invest blindly in ad networks but to consider the audience, budget, and commerciality, providing examples of how to find cost-effective keywords and platforms for advertising.

💡Content First

The 'content first' concept refers to prioritizing the creation of valuable, relevant, and informative content over direct selling. In the video, the speaker stresses the importance of adopting a 'content first' mindset to help people solve problems and build trust, which in turn can lead to increased traffic and sales.

💡Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines. It is crucial for SEO and content creation, as it helps in targeting the right problems that the audience wants to solve. The video provides examples of how to use keyword research for blogging, such as targeting queries like 'Why is my computer so slow?' to drive traffic and provide solutions.

💡YouTube SEO

YouTube SEO refers to the optimization of video content on YouTube to rank higher in search results and video carousels. The video discusses the importance of YouTube as a search engine and how to leverage it for driving traffic by creating videos that answer common questions in one's niche, such as 'how to clean makeup brushes'.

💡Audience Intent

Audience intent refers to the reason why users are searching for specific content or engaging with a platform. Understanding audience intent is vital for creating relevant content and ads. The video script explains that different social media platforms have different audience intents, and content should be crafted to match these intents to be effective.

💡Blogging

Blogging is the act of regularly writing and posting articles online. In the context of the video, blogging is presented as a digital marketing strategy to attract traffic by addressing specific problems and integrating product solutions within the content. The speaker uses examples like blogging about computer issues to attract an audience interested in tech solutions.

💡Video Content

Video content refers to multimedia content that is in the form of moving pictures with or without audio. The video script highlights the importance of video content, especially on platforms like YouTube, as a way to reach a wider audience by answering their questions and providing value, which can lead to increased views and potential customers.

💡Podcasts

Podcasts are digital audio files that users can download or stream to listen to on personal devices. The video discusses two ways to leverage podcasts for marketing: creating your own podcast or being a guest on someone else's podcast. It suggests that getting interviewed on podcasts can be an effective way to reach new audiences and share expertise.

💡Forums and Community Boards

Forums and community boards are online platforms where people can discuss and share information on various topics. The video advises using these platforms to share expertise and help others rather than directly promoting products. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the unspoken rules of spam and using links to content sparingly and appropriately.

Highlights

Cutting through the noise in digital marketing requires adopting a 'content first' world mindset where consumers seek information before making a purchase.

The importance of helping people solve problems through free and valuable content to reach larger audiences and build trust.

Blogging with SEO in mind is an effective strategy for targeting problems that your audience wants to solve, using keyword research.

Keyword research examples for computer parts and real estate show how to integrate products into content that addresses common queries.

The benefits of ranking in Google for specific queries to attract potential buyers with intent to purchase.

Investing in video content on YouTube, leveraging its status as the second most visited search engine.

YouTube SEO strategies to grow views and attract paying leads and customers through valuable content.

Focusing on one social media channel initially to build a loyal following rather than spreading efforts too thin.

Choosing the right social media platform based on where your target audience is and tailoring content to the platform's purpose.

The ABCs of paid advertising: Audience, Budget, and Commerciality, and how to apply them for effective ad campaigns.

Finding lucrative ad opportunities by targeting keywords with lower cost per click and experimenting with less popular ad platforms.

Podcasting as a marketing strategy, either by creating your own or being a guest on others' podcasts to reach new audiences.

Utilizing podcast interviews to leverage the host's audience and the common practice of linking to the guest's homepage in show notes.

The importance of building an email list from the start and using email marketing as a long-term strategy to connect with your audience.

Using community forums and boards like Quora and Reddit for promotion by sharing expertise and building relationships, rather than direct self-promotion.

The unspoken rules of spam in community forums and how to use links to content sparingly to support answers and build trust.

Encouraging viewers to share their thoughts on the most effective digital marketing strategy and to subscribe for more SEO and marketing tutorials.

Transcripts

SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, PPC advertising.

Where do you start and how do you use these to get more traffic to your website?

If you're a beginner to digital marketing and you want to cut through the noise,

then keep watching because I'm going to show you how all of these work

based on a decade of experience rather than just theory.

Stay tuned.

[music]

What's up marketers, Sam Oh here with Ahrefs, the SEO tool that helps you grow your search traffic,

research your competitors and dominate your niche.

Today, I'm going to share 7 digital marketing strategies that I have personally used

and gotten results with.

And if there's only one thing that you take away from this video, it's to not try all of these at once.

Instead, pick one of these strategies, experiment and master the channel before moving on to the next.

Let's get to it.

So before we dig into these strategies, you need to make sure that you're adopting today's

mindset of the consumer.

Today, we live in a "content first" world.

People are looking for information before they buy.

So you need to really put yourself in the buyer's shoes rather than allowing yourself

to get blinded by how great you think your products and services are.

The mentality you need to adopt is to help people rather than trying to cold sell them.

When you help people solve problems through free and valuable content that is relevant

to your business, you reach larger audiences and build trust.

The best part is that you get the opportunity to show people how your products and services

can help them solve their problems and fulfill their desires and needs.

Alright, so the first internet marketing strategy is blogging with SEO in mind.

Now, blogging isn't writing about what you did today or even something more noble

like an epiphany you had.

That's a diary.

But don't get me wrong.

This kind of content can work well if you have an existing and loyal audience.

But for most of us that just want to get more traffic, leads, and sales we need to intentionally

target problems that your target audience wants to solve.

In the world of blogging, this whole process can be summed up as a technique called keyword research.

Let me show you two clear-cut examples on how keyword research works.

In the first example, let's say you sell physical products like computer parts and accessories.

What do you think future customers might be searching for in Google?

Probably questions like:

Why is my computer so slow?

How to build a computer?

How to speed up a computer?

These are all very real problems and people are looking for solutions.

In fact, Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer tells us that these exact search queries get tens of

thousands of searches each month.

Now, the best part about these specific queries is that you can help people solve their problems,

while integrating products from your store in the content.

"Why is my computer so slow" could come down to a hard drive, CPU, or ram problem.

So help your readers diagnose the problem and offer product solutions within your post.

"How to build a computer" would be a super easy plug for any computer components.

They're already showing intent to build,

so it's unlikely that they've already purchased parts and peripherals.

Alright, second example.

Let's say you're a real estate agent and you're compensated when someone buys,

sells, or rents a property.

Now, the thing that most agents do is boast about how many homes they've sold

or how they won an award that you nor I have never heard of.

My point is that the average buyer or seller doesn't care.

And to prove my point, no one is searching for things like:

which realtor won the most awards in New York?

But again, potential customers are looking for solutions to their problems.

Problems like:

How to invest in real estate?

How to buy a house?

What credit score is needed to buy a house?

And again, these all have the potential to attract a massive audience.

By ranking in Google for something like "how to invest in real estate,"

you're now attracting potential buyers with deep pockets and they likely have intent to buy.

Content on "how to buy a house" would likely require the work of an agent at some point,

which could be you.

"What credit score is needed to buy a house" is a great way to show that your knowledge

and intentions go beyond making a sale.

The best thing about blogging for SEO is that once you rank, you'll be getting free, consistent

and passive traffic from Google.

If you're new to SEO, I highly recommend watching our SEO for beginners video,

which will give you a nice overview of what SEO is, how it works, and how you can get it to work for you.

I'll also link up some additional resources on doing keyword research that grows traffic

and revenue, as well as a video on how to write a blog post with SEO in mind.

For now, let's move on to the second strategy, which is to invest in video content,

specifically on YouTube.

YouTube is the second most visited search engine in existence.

To top that off, video carousels nearly doubled in 2017 in Google's search results.

Video isn't just the future.

It's the present.

And the same principle of helping potential customers works for video too.

When people go to video search engines like YouTube,

they're looking to find answers to their questions.

For example, if you bought a so-called "new" iPhone X on eBay, you might search for

"iPhone X unboxing" and see if all of the contents are in the box.

And according to Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer, 108,000 searches are happening each

month globally on YouTube alone for this keyword.

In fact, this video that you're watching right now was chosen because I can see that people are

specifically looking for digital marketing tutorials for beginners.

To come up with topic ideas that people are searching for in your niche,

head over to Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer, switch the search engine to YouTube

and search for a broad keyword in your niche.

Let's use "makeup" as an example.

Now, "makeup" as a standalone keyword isn't a problem.

So let's go to the Questions report,

where you can see popular questions people are searching for on your topic.

And right away, you'll see great topic ideas like "how to clean makeup brushes"

and how to cover acne with makeup.

Now, when you're creating these videos, try and keep the fluff out and pack in as much

necessary value as possible.

Doing this has helped us grow our YouTube views to over 150,000 views per month

and best of all, since all of our videos show how our SEO tools can help,

it's led to thousands of new paying leads and customers,

specifically mentioning that they found us through YouTube.

Most of our video growth was done through YouTube SEO, so I'll leave links to a tutorial

to help you rank your videos and get more views.

Next up is social media marketing.

Rather than covering every social media network, I want to pass on a couple of important tips

that will help you grow your social channels.

The first is to focus on just one social media channel when you're just starting out.

It takes time to build a following.

But numbers aren't everything.

What you want is a loyal following.

When you dip your toes into every possible social media network out there,

your attention gets divided and the results get diluted.

So which social media marketing channel do you choose?

That leads us into the second tip,

which is to go where your target audience is and cater to the platform.

If you have to choose just one social network,

it's not about choosing the one with the most active users.

It's all about understanding the audience that's there and if you can serve the reason

for them being there.

You really need to think about why someone is logging into the specific social media network.

For example, people usually go to YouTube to learn how to do something, or to be entertained.

But Facebook is different. Think about it.

Have you ever logged onto Facebook, hoping that you would see an unboxing tutorial?

Or better yet, have you ever opened your Facebook app hoping you would find a limited time offer

that's 97% off, only for the next 37 minutes?

Probably not.

People don't check Facebook with credit card in hand.

People like and share things that are helpful, interesting, shocking or funny.

So if you are going to try and bring people into your world, present your message as

a story, video, or something else that will likely stand out from the endless feed

of vacation vanity shots.

Pinterest on the other hand is primarily a social search engine

where people can control what they want to search for.

The primary intent of users on this platform is to get inspired, learn things, and plan to do things.

So create content that caters to their intent for being there.

So if this is your audience, take advantage of a less competitive landscape from both

an ads and organic perspective.

Speaking of ads, that's the next digital marketing strategy on the list for today.

When it comes to paid advertising, please do not throw your money blind into an ad network

because you read that it was good.

What works for one person won't necessarily work for the next person.

Instead, think about the ABCs of paid advertising.

A is for audience, B is for budget

and C is for commerciality.

We've already covered the audience part.

You want to engage on social networks where your target audience hangs out.

Budget is the next one.

Bloomberg reported that Google and Facebook own a combined 58% of the $111 billion dollar market.

Now, the way ads work are usually based on auctions.

The more advertisers there are, the more expensive it gets for you and I.

So let's say you're in the ultra competitive industry of conference calling.

If we search for that keyword in Keywords Explorer with Google set as the search engine,

you'll see that the cost per click from Google Ads is $20!

If you have an ad budget of let's say $1,000 per month, then you'd only be able to get

50 clicks before your budget was depleted.

Instead, you can do two things:

The first option is to look for keywords that have a lower cost per click.

Just go to the Phrase match report to see all keywords in our keyword database that

contain your target keyword.

Next, set a filter to only show keywords that have a maximum cost per click

of something lower like $5.

From here, you can filter through the list and see if there are some more lucrative opportunities

rather than spending $20 per click.

This one for a "conference call app" might be a good one since it's a quarter of the price.

Another benefit is that the reason behind the searcher's query is more clear.

Someone searching for this is clearly looking for an app that does conference calls,

whereas someone searching for just "conference call" could be looking for many different things.

The second thing you can do is experiment with less popular ad platforms

where your target audience might be.

Finally is commerciality.

Now, all major ad platforms are able to bring ROI for their advertisers.

Otherwise, they wouldn't exist.

But you have to find a way to bridge the gap between the intent of the platform

and how you monetize your products.

And the solution is going to be content.

For example, let's say you sell boutique furniture and think that Pinterest will be a good platform

to run some ads.

In my opinion, it wouldn't be a good idea to advertise a bunch of links to high-end

furniture like couches and dining tables.

Instead, blog posts could work really well here since people log on to Pinterest mainly

to get inspired, and learn new things.

Here's what that bridge might look like.

Pinterest ads would be the discovery tool.

You pay them money and they'll show your pin.

The bridge would then be a helpful blog post on let's say, "11 Interior Design Tips For

Your Living Room That Won't Break the Bank."

And within that content, you could showcase your products where it supports the tip you're speaking of.

Nail the ABCs of paid ads, and increase your chances of actually converting your hard earned

dollars into ROI.

Next up is one of my favorites and that's podcasts.

Now, there are two ways to look at podcasts.

First is to create your own and the second is to be interviewed on someone else's podcast.

Creating your own podcast can be great for brand and building an audience.

But if you're just starting out, it can take quite a bit of time to get any sort of traction.

Getting interviewed on podcasts is a different story.

Podcasters are always looking for interesting people to interview.

Even if you don't have a ton of experience in the online world, your offline experiences

and expertise could be a great way to land yourself a position on a popular podcast.

Now, if you don't know which podcasts you should approach, an easy way to find opportunities

is to look at your favorite podcasts and find someone in your industry that has been interviewed.

Looking at the podcast page for Entrepreneur on Fire, you'll see this episode with Jim Kwik.

Now, if we click through to the interview, you'll notice two things.

The first is that the guest's name is in the title.

This is very common for podcast interviews.

Second is the link on the page.

The host will almost always link to the guest's home page in the show notes.

Knowing this, we can use a tool like Ahrefs' Site Explorer to find all podcasts they've

been interviewed on.

So I'll enter in jimkwik.com and I'll also set the search mode to a URL search so we

can find pages that are linking specifically to the homepage.

Once the overview page loads, go to the backlinks report, which will show you all of the pages

that are linking to this URL.

Finally, let's use the Include search and type in Jim Kwik.

And to keep our results super relevant, I'm going to set the filter to search for his

name only in the titles of the referring pages.

And we now have around 120 podcasts we can pitch to get interviewed.

So filter through relevant podcasts, and pitch the host as to why they should interview you

and the value you can give to their audience.

Next on the list is email marketing.

If you've ever looked into email marketing,

then you've probably heard people claiming that "email is king."

But I promise you that once you get into it, you'll quickly discover that it's not as turnkey

as online gurus make it sound.

And don't get me wrong.

Email marketing is great.

But first, you need traffic to get email subscribers.

It also requires opt-in forms to turn a visitor into a subscriber.

In my opinion, email is a great long play to build connection with your audience and

and even sell high ticket items.

So my tip for you on email marketing is quite simple:

First, focus on building your email list from day one.

It's important and you might as well collect emails from interested people from the start,

even if it's not a substantial list.

But be realistic with your goals and as you build your audience, put more time into your email

list and see how it can serve your business.

The final strategy is to use forums and community boards.

Community forums like Quora, Reddit, and Facebook are great promotion channels.

But before you go off and start posting links to your product pages,

there are a few things you need to understand.

And these are all based around the unspoken rules of spam.

First: don't promote your products or services pages within these groups.

The intent of users on these platforms is to learn.

Not to be sold to directly.

Instead, think of these networks as a place to share your expertise,

build relationships and help others.

Second: use links to your content sparingly.

If you're constantly posting links to your blog and have justified in your head that

that this is non-promotional, then you're most likely wrong.

Links can be more appropriate based on the network you're posting on.

For example, Quora generally has longer answers,

and linking to your content where it supports your point is a good idea.

Facebook groups on the other hand are a different story.

Let's say you're a real estate agent and you join a "first time homebuyers" group on Facebook.

If someone asks a question like: "I'm looking to buy my first home and was

wondering if I can even get a mortgage?"

Now, if every agent on that group posts links to their website,

can you see how spammy that could get?

Instead, it would make sense to post a link to someone else's affordability calculators

or offer introductions to b-lenders.

The point is that helping first will go a lot farther than self-promotional content

that can taint your reputation.

Now, I'd love to hear from you.

Which digital marketing strategy do you think is most effective in online marketing?

Let me know in the comments and if you enjoyed this video, then make sure to like, share

and subscribe for more actionable SEO and marketing tutorials.

So keep grinding away, focus on one marketing channel before trying the next,

and I'll see you in the next tutorial.