When it comes to digital marketing, businesses are presented with many different avenues to capture the attention of customers. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or a business owner dipping your toes into these waters, understanding the different modes of reaching your audience is crucial. So let's break down the three most common routes in digital marketing:
PPC (Pay Per Click Advertising) PPC is a digital marketing model where advertisers pay a fee, typically each time one of their ads is clicked, essentially buying visits to their site rather than earning them organically. It’s also known as the cost-per-click (CPC) model.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) SEO is the process of optimising a website to increase its visibility in search engine results pages for relevant queries, aiming to attract organic (non-paid) traffic.
Social Media Marketing Social Media Marketing is the practice of using social media platforms like Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Linkedin, Pinterest, X or TikTok to promote a brand, product, or service, engaging with a target audience to build brand awareness, increase sales, and drive website traffic.
The Unified Digital Marketing Strategy
As a business owner or marketer, you're no stranger to the importance of marketing, and just how complicated it is. Chances are, you're already leveraging at least one of these digital avenues to bolster your business. But if you've been treating PPC, SEO, and Social Media, like they're completely separate entities and not blending your efforts, then we’re here to tell you it's time to switch up your approach.
Online shopping habits have become increasingly non-linear, and potential customers follow quite complex online journeys before making purchasing decisions. As marketers, you have to anticipate the sheer number of different touchpoints that operate as part of that journey.
From the customer’s perspective, they want to see a smooth shopping experience as they search, research, engage, and gradually move down the funnel. So, they might see your ad in their search results (that's PPC), then conduct further research that leads them to read a blog post on your website (thanks to SEO), and finally, check out your latest posts on Instagram or Facebook (scrolling through social media). It all blends together for them.
If you fail to be present at each of these potential touchpoints, then you increase the risk of losing out to a competitor.
Where do you invest your budget for digital marketing?
So, is there an optimal blend of PPC, SEO, and Social Media Marketing? Unfortunately, digital marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation, so the answer to that question varies from business to business. Any blended marketing strategy should start with a clear understanding of the strategic aims and objectives, the products or services being offered, and the ideal target audiences. From there, you can build a campaign that reaches the right people at the right times, by focusing efforts on the correct blend of channels.
Understanding how to allocate your budget effectively requires a deeper understanding of the synergies between different digital marketing avenues and the way these channels can help you towards your goals.
The Interplay Between PPC and SEO
PPC advertising and SEO are two pillars of digital marketing that, when used together, can significantly enhance your online visibility. PPC can complement your SEO activity, ensuring you remain visible even for search terms that your website may not rank for organically. While PPC offers immediate visibility at a direct cost; SEO provides sustainable growth opportunities to reach audiences, but will take time, effort and expertise to build a high-ranking website. By investing in both channels you can deliver instant results while also building a sustainable future online presence.
Enhanced Traffic and Performance
By drawing traffic from multiple sources, you increase your chances of engaging with potential customers at every stage of the buying journey. This will improve returns from your website performance and ensure a more stable and diversified visitor stream. A dual presence of PPC ads and organic listings on search engine results pages (SERPs) improves your chances of attracting visits. Integrating remarketing strategies allows you to re-engage visitors who didn't convert initially, using targeted display ads across websites, on social media and on other channels such as in emails and on YouTube.
Reaching a Broader Audience
A comprehensive strategy enables you to connect with users across various devices and touchpoints, enriching the customer journey from initial awareness to conversion. Through a mix of search, video, display, and social advertising, you can communicate your brand's message more effectively to a broader audience.
Not to mention that diversifying your digital marketing efforts means you're less reliant on a single source of traffic, reducing the risk associated with fluctuating market trends.
Focus on the funnel
If you’re still lost on where to begin with combining these different avenues to suit your business, then we recommend you start focusing on your marketing funnel. Integrating your marketing strategy across the entire customer journey - from the top of the funnel (TOFU) to the bottom (BOFU) - is crucial for achieving comprehensive results.
Top of funnel (TOFU) At the TOFU stage, brand and product awareness is the goal with your customers. Your strategy should leverage broad-reaching tactics like display ads and social media to introduce potential customers to your brand.
Middle of funnel (MOFU) At the MOFU stage is where consideration takes place, a combination of SEO and PPC advertising can guide their research, helping them find your products or services during their Google searches.
Bottom of funnel (BOFU) Finally, at the BOFU stage, where intent to purchase is highest, employing strong targeting and retargeting strategies, such as targeting cart abandoners on social media, can be the nudge needed to convert awareness into action.
Relying solely on PPC for conversions and revenue might yield quick results, but it won't build the brand awareness necessary for long-term success, especially if your brand or niche product is new to the market. Thus, a balanced channel mix, tailored to meet your customers where they are in their journey, is essential.
Achieving this balance is challenging with just one channel. It really highlights why it's so important to use a well-rounded approach that matches what your business wants to achieve and what your customers need. By blending different marketing methods together, you make sure you don't miss any chances to connect with people from the moment they start getting to know your brand, all the way to when they decide to buy something. This approach helps guide your customers smoothly from one step to the next without any hiccups.
To wrap it all up…
An integrated digital marketing strategy isn’t a luxury - it's a necessity for standing out in the crowded online space. By leveraging PPC, SEO, and social media together in a combination, businesses can make sure they connect with their customers at every step of their buying journey. This increases the chances to interact with them and eventually turn them into buyers. It's important for businesses to really know who their customers are, be there for them at each stage of their decision-making process, and provide them with useful information. Doing all this is crucial for a digital marketing plan that not only gets people to know about the brand but also boosts sales.
