By Caroline Watkins, Senior Content Writer
Industry insiders know that digital marketing isn’t always the easiest to explain—or understand. And in an age where the Internet is more prolific than ever, digital marketing professionals have seen their roles evolve in reach and complexity alongside an ever-limited awareness of what we do.
So, just what do non-industry folks know about digital marketing? TriMarkers turned to their friends and family to find out. Let’s take a look at how closely their beliefs about our work align with the reality of digital marketing.
“None of my friends know what ‘content’ means. It’s like Chandler from Friends‘ job to them.” — Cameron Sutton, Content Writer
Let’s start with the basics: content is any digital element of an online platform through which a consumer is drawn in and communicated with. Whether text-based or graphic, video or interactive, content gives website visitors a reason to visit and interact with your site and service. Well-crafted, multi-platform content can give you access to new audiences, expand brand awareness, strengthen brand loyalty and drive sales.
It is the content writer’s job to understand your goals as a business and use them as a foundation for any publishable work, whether that’s website button copy or an educational blog post. “Content” may be a vague term, but consistent, authoritative content couldn’t be a more important part of your business’s marketing strategy.
“I’ve been asked, ‘Do you create those ads that follow me?’ a few times.” — Jonathan Hoy, Paid Search Strategist
Ever browsed for the perfect summer shoe online, decided to save your money just this once, and abandoned your cart—only to find an ad for those same strappy sandals has followed you to another website? This is an example of a retargeting ad, and while they are part of any comprehensive paid search strategy, they aren’t the whole story.
Paid search advertising allows businesses to pay search engines for higher ad placement on a results page. While paid search strategists can use retargeting ads to focus on consumers closest to the point of purchasing, their work also involves the use of keyword research, location settings and more to filter for consumers who are interested in more information. Paid search strategy isn’t about following you around the internet; rather, it’s a cost-effective way to connect businesses directly with the most interested potential customers.
“I was on a date once, and I told him I worked in social media marketing. His response was, ‘That’s cute. Sounds like an easy gig.’ He didn’t get a second date…” — Jordan Nowlin, Director of Paid Social
Jordan’s Clueless Date, this one’s for you! Social media marketing may sound fun and fairly simple—after all, the no-know-how-required element of social media is part of what makes it such a success across a diversity of users. But social media marketing actually requires a great deal of intention and strategy, from creative development to consumer communication and response monitoring.
Social strategists are involved in conceptualizing social content, researching key audiences, determining post timing and frequency, monitoring social platform guidelines and evaluating post performance to better inform the next round of marketing.
At TriMark, we take our social media strategy one step further and offer community management services. Our community managers liaise with online communities to better understand their needs and concerns as consumers, informing future content and helping build brand loyalty and a positive brand reputation online. Social media marketing isn’t an easy gig, but it is a rewarding effort all around.
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