Digital marketing is the promotion of a business or service through digital channels such as websites, search engines, social media, email, and online paid advertising. It is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of strategies, from creating and managing a website to developing and executing social media campaigns.

Digital marketing is important because it allows businesses to reach their target audiences where they are already spending their time: online. With the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices, digital marketing is more important than ever before.

Website design and development: A website is a business's online storefront, and it is important to make a good impression on potential customers. A well-designed and informative website can help businesses attract new customers, generate leads, and boost sales.

·        Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). When a website ranks higher in SERPs, it is more likely to be seen by potential customers.

·        Social media marketing: Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to connect with potential customers and build relationships with them. Social media marketing can be used to promote a business's products or services, share content, and engage with customers.

·        Email marketing: Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with customers and promote new products or services. Email marketing campaigns can be used to send out newsletters, special offers, and other promotional content.

·        Online paid advertising: Online paid advertising platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow businesses to reach a targeted audience with their ads. Online paid advertising can be a very effective way to generate leads and sales.

Digital marketing is a complex and ever-evolving field, but it is essential for businesses of all sizes. By using digital marketing strategies, businesses can reach their target audiences more effectively and efficiently. 

Digital marketing is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes grow their audience, increase profits, and build stronger relationships with customers. It is more targeted and measurable than traditional marketing, and it allows businesses to reach their customers where they are already spending their time: online.

  Reach a targeted audience: Digital marketing allows businesses to target their ads to specific demographics, interests, and even behaviors. This means that businesses can reach their ideal customers more effectively than ever before.

Measure results: Digital marketing campaigns can be easily tracked and measured, so businesses can see what is working and what is not. This allows businesses to optimize their campaigns and get the most out of their marketing budget.

Build relationships: Digital marketing allows businesses to connect with customers on a more personal level. Businesses can use social media, email marketing, and other digital channels to share content, answer questions, and provide support to their customers.

Cost-effectiveness: Digital marketing can be very cost-effective, especially compared to traditional marketing methods. For example, it can be much cheaper to run a Facebook ad campaign than to print and mail out brochures.

Flexibility: Digital marketing campaigns can be easily adjusted and updated in real time. This means that businesses can quickly respond to changes in the market or customer feedback.

Global reach: Digital marketing allows businesses to reach a global audience. With just a few clicks, businesses can create and launch campaigns that target customers all over the world.

Overall, digital marketing is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes to succeed. By investing in digital marketing, businesses can reach their target audiences, build relationships with customers, and grow their business.

Whether you can do digital marketing yourself or need to hire an agency depends on your skills, time, and budget.

If you have the time and skills, you can definitely do some or even all of your digital marketing yourself. There are many resources available online and in libraries to help you learn about different digital marketing strategies and tactics.

However, if you are short on time or don't have the necessary skills, then it may be worth hiring an agency. A good digital marketing agency can help you to develop a comprehensive strategy, create high-quality content, and manage your campaigns effectively.

Start by developing a digital marketing strategy. This will help you to identify your goals and target audience.

Create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, social media posts, and videos.

Promote your content through social media, email marketing, and other channels.

Track your results and adjust your strategy as needed.

If you are serious about digital marketing, then we also recommend investing in some training. There are many online and in-person courses that can teach you the skills you need to be successful.

The cost of digital marketing can vary widely depending on the size of your business, your industry, and your goals. However, there are some things you can do to keep your costs down, such as:

• Start with a free or low-cost platform. There are many free and low-cost digital marketing platforms available, such as social media, email marketing, and Google Analytics. You can use these platforms to reach your target audience and track your results without spending a lot of money.

• Focus on organic search. Organic search is the process of getting your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) without paying for it. SEO can be a very effective way to drive traffic to your website, but it takes time and effort.

• Create your own content. You can save money on content creation by producing your own content, such as blog posts, articles, and videos. However, it is important to create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience.

• Use free tools and resources. There are many free tools and resources available to help you with digital marketing, such as Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, and social media analytics. You can use these tools to research your target audience, track your results, and improve your campaigns.

If you have the time and skills, you can do most of your digital marketing yourself. However, if you are short on time or don't have the necessary skills, then you may want to hire a digital marketing agency. A good agency can help you to develop a comprehensive strategy, create high-quality content, and manage your campaigns effectively.

Get quotes from multiple agencies. This will help you to compare prices and services.

• Make sure the agency has experience in your industry. This is important because different industries have different digital marketing needs.

• Ask about the agency's results. Ask the agency to provide you with case studies or testimonials from previous clients.

• Make sure you have a good working relationship with the agency. It is important to be able to communicate effectively with your agency and trust them to represent your business online.

Overall, the cost of digital marketing depends on your specific needs and circumstances. However, there are things you can do to keep your costs down and get the most out of your investment.

There is no magic formula for getting your website to the top of Google, but there are a number of things you can do to improve your chances. Here are a few tips:

• Choose the right keywords. The keywords you choose are the words and phrases that people are most likely to use when searching for your website. You can use keyword research tools to find the right keywords for your business.

• Optimize your website for those keywords. Once you have chosen your keywords, you need to optimize your website for them. This means using the keywords throughout your website, including in your titles, meta descriptions, and body text.

• Improve your website's user experience. Your website should be easy to navigate and use. Make sure it is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.

• Build backlinks. Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. The more backlinks you have from high-quality websites, the higher your website will rank in Google.

• Create high-quality content. Your website should contain high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, and infographics.

• Promote your content. Once you have created high-quality content, you need to promote it so that people can find it. You can promote your content on social media, email marketing, and other channels.

It takes time and effort to get your website to the top of Google, but it is possible. By following the tips above, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

You don't need to have a blog, but it is a very valuable tool for digital marketing. Here are some of the benefits of having a blog:

• Improve search engine optimization (SEO). A blog can help you to improve your website's SEO by providing fresh, high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. When you publish new blog posts, Google will index them and add them to its search results. This can help you to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords.

• Drive traffic to your website. A blog can help you to drive traffic to your website by providing valuable content that people want to read. When you publish new blog posts, you can share them on social media, email marketing, and other channels. This can help you to reach a wider audience and attract more visitors to your website.

• Establish yourself as an expert. A blog can help you to establish yourself as an expert in your industry by providing valuable insights and thought leadership. When you write blog posts about your area of expertise, you are showing potential customers and clients that you are a knowledgeable and trustworthy source.

• Build relationships with customers. A blog can help you to build relationships with customers by providing a platform for communication and engagement. When you publish new blog posts, you can encourage readers to leave comments and ask questions. This can help you to get to know your customers better and build stronger relationships with them.

• Generate leads and sales. A blog can help you to generate leads and sales by providing a way to collect contact information from potential customers. You can include lead generation forms in your blog posts and offer valuable content, such as ebooks and whitepapers, in exchange for contact information. This can help you to build a list of qualified leads that you can nurture and convert into customers.

If you are serious about digital marketing, then I recommend starting a blog. It is a relatively low-cost and easy way to improve your website's SEO, drive traffic to your website, establish yourself as an expert, build relationships with customers, and generate leads and sales.

Choose a niche. What are you passionate about? What do you know a lot about? Choose a niche that you can write about with authority and enthusiasm.

• Set realistic goals. Don't try to publish a new blog post every day. Start with a goal of publishing one new blog post per week or month.

• Create high-quality content. Your blog posts should be well-written, informative, and engaging. Make sure to proofread your posts carefully before publishing them.

• Promote your blog. Share your blog posts on social media, email marketing, and other channels. You can also submit your blog posts to relevant directories and websites.

Blogging can be a lot of work, but it is worth it in the long run. By following the tips above, you can start a blog that will help you to achieve your digital marketing goals.

Digital marketing can be complex and time-consuming, but it is essential for businesses of all sizes to succeed. If you don't have the time or expertise to do digital marketing yourself, you can hire a professional agency to help you.

• Access to expertise and experience. Digital marketing agencies have a team of experts who specialize in different areas of digital marketing, such as social media marketing, email marketing, SEO/SEM, and content creation. This means that you can get help with all of your digital marketing needs in one place.

• Save time and resources. Hiring a digital marketing agency can save you a lot of time and resources. You don't have to hire and train your own team of digital marketing specialists. You can also save money on software and tools.

• Get better results. Digital marketing agencies have the experience and expertise to help you get better results from your digital marketing campaigns. They can help you to develop a comprehensive strategy, create high-quality content, and manage your campaigns effectively.

If you are serious about digital marketing, then I recommend working with a professional agency. It is the best way to get the results you need without having to invest a lot of time and resources.

•  Look for an agency with experience in your industry. This is important because different industries have different digital marketing needs.

• Ask about the agency's results. Ask the agency to provide you with case studies or testimonials from previous clients.

• Make sure you have a good working relationship with the agency. It is important to be able to communicate effectively with your agency and trust them to represent your business online.

Overall, working with a digital marketing agency is a great way to get the help you need to succeed in the online world. If you are serious about digital marketing, then I recommend hiring a professional agency. 

A digital marketing agency provides a range of online marketing services to help businesses improve their brand awareness, lead generation, and sales through digital channels. These services can include:

• Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing a website and its content so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can help businesses to reach more potential customers and drive traffic to their website.

• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: PPC advertising is a type of online advertising where businesses pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad. This can be a very effective way to drive traffic to a website and generate leads and sales.

• Social media marketing: Social media marketing involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with potential customers and promote products or services. This can be a great way to build relationships with customers and create brand awareness.

• Email marketing: Email marketing involves sending emails to potential and existing customers to promote products or services, build relationships, and drive sales. This can be a very effective way to stay in touch with customers and nurture leads.

• Content marketing: Content marketing involves creating and distributing high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. This can include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, and more. Content marketing can help you to attract new visitors to your website, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and build relationships with customers.

In addition to these core services, many digital marketing agencies also offer other services such as web design and development, copywriting, and video production.

• Expertise and experience: Digital marketing agencies have a team of experts who specialize in different areas of digital marketing. This means that you can get help with all of your digital marketing needs in one place.

• Save time and resources: Hiring a digital marketing agency can save you a lot of time and resources. You don't have to hire and train your own team of digital marketing specialists. You can also save money on software and tools.

• Get better results: Digital marketing agencies have the experience and expertise to help you get better results from your digital marketing campaigns. They can help you to develop a comprehensive strategy, create high-quality content, and manage your campaigns effectively.

If you are serious about digital marketing, then I recommend working with a professional agency. It is the best way to get the results you need without having to invest a lot of time and resources.

A marketing playbook is a comprehensive document that outlines the strategies, tactics, and best practices for marketing a brand and its services. It is a reference manual for both the client and the marketing team to standardize the framework for executing marketing activities.

A marketing playbook helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. It also helps to ensure that all marketing activities are aligned with the brand's overall marketing strategy.

Alignment: A marketing playbook helps to ensure that everyone on the marketing team is aligned with the brand's overall marketing strategy and goals.

• Consistency: A marketing playbook helps to ensure that all marketing activities are executed in a consistent manner, which helps to build brand awareness and trust.

• Efficiency: A marketing playbook can help to save time and resources by providing a clear framework for executing marketing activities.

• Measurement: A marketing playbook can help to make it easier to measure the success of marketing campaigns by providing clear KPIs.

If you don't already have a marketing playbook, I highly recommend creating one. It is an essential tool for any business that wants to be successful in its marketing efforts.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs). Search engines use a variety of factors to rank websites, including the content of the website, the structure of the website, and the links to the website.

SEO is important because it can help businesses to reach more potential customers. When a website ranks higher in SERPs, it is more likely to be seen by potential customers. This can lead to increased traffic to the website, which can lead to more sales and leads.

• Keyword research: Using keyword research tools to identify the keywords that potential customers are using to search for businesses like yours.

• Content optimization: Optimizing your website's content for the keywords that you have identified. This includes using the keywords throughout your website, including in the title tags, meta descriptions, and body text.

• Link building: Building backlinks to your website from other high-quality websites. Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites, and they can help to improve your website's ranking in SERPs.

SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, but it is essential for businesses of all sizes. By using SEO tactics, businesses can improve their visibility in SERPs and reach more potential customers.

• Increased traffic: SEO can help to increase traffic to your website by improving your ranking in SERPs. When your website ranks higher in SERPs, it is more likely to be seen by potential customers.

• More leads and sales: Increased traffic can lead to more leads and sales. When more people visit your website, you have more opportunities to convert them into leads and customers.

• Brand awareness: SEO can help to increase brand awareness by making your website more visible in SERPs. When people see your website ranking higher in SERPs, they are more likely to remember your brand.

• Trustworthiness: SEO can help to build trust with potential customers. When people see that your website ranks higher in SERPs, they are more likely to perceive your website as being authoritative and trustworthy.

If you are serious about growing your business online, then you need to invest in SEO. SEO is a long-term investment, but it can pay off handsomely in the long run.

Local SEO is a type of search engine optimization (SEO) that focuses on improving the visibility of a business in search engine results pages (SERPs) for local searches. Local searches are searches that include a location, such as "shoe stores near me" or "restaurants in downtown Los Angeles."

Local SEO is important for businesses that want to reach customers in their local area. By optimizing their website and online presence for local searches, businesses can increase their chances of appearing in the top results for local keywords.

• Creating a Google My Business profile: A Google My Business profile is a free listing that appears in Google Maps and Search results. Businesses should make sure that their Google My Business profile is complete and up-to-date, including their business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.

• Optimizing their website for local SEO: This includes using relevant local keywords throughout their website, including in the title tags, meta descriptions, and body text. Businesses should also make sure that their website is mobile-friendly, as many local searches are conducted on mobile devices.

• Building backlinks from local websites: Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. Backlinks from high-quality local websites can help to improve your website's ranking in SERPs for local searches.

Local SEO is an important part of any business's digital marketing strategy. By investing in local SEO, businesses can reach more potential customers in their local area and grow their business.

Yes, you do need a website in this digital era. The internet is the primary way that people find and research businesses before making a purchase. A website gives your business credibility and boosts brand awareness. It is also an essential tool for digital marketing, including e-commerce, online customer service, and consumer engagement.

• Credibility: A website gives your business a sense of credibility and legitimacy. When potential customers can see that you have a professional website, they are more likely to trust you and do business with you.

• Brand awareness: A website helps to increase brand awareness by making your business more visible online. When people see your website in search results or on social media, they are more likely to remember your brand and consider doing business with you.

• Digital marketing: A website is essential for digital marketing. You can use your website to promote your products or services, collect leads, and sell products online.

• E-commerce: If you want to sell products online, you need a website. You can use your website to showcase your products, process payments, and ship orders.

• Online customer service: You can use your website to provide online customer service, such as live chat or a support ticket system. This can help you to improve your customer satisfaction and reduce support costs.

• Consumer engagement: You can use your website to engage with your customers through blog posts, social media integration, and other interactive features. This can help you to build relationships with your customers and increase brand loyalty.

Overall, having a website is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the digital age. A website gives you a platform to showcase your products or services, connect with customers, and grow your business.

Even if you have a small business or operate locally, having a website is still important. Your website can serve as a hub for your online presence, where potential customers can learn more about your business and how to contact you. You can also use your website to promote your products or services and generate leads. If you don't have a website yet, we highly recommend creating one. It is one of the best investments you can make for your business.

Social media platforms allow users to connect and engage with one another through shared content. These websites were originally developed for social networking, but since then, social media has become a popular marketing approach. Businesses often use social media to showcase products and services, connect with current or potential customers, and boost brand awareness.

This is strongly dependent on your brand and where else you’re marketing. One thing that we will say, though, is brands often underestimate how long it takes to create a successful social media marketing campaign. Our team puts multiple hours in per week to create graphics, write content, engage with other brands, and stay on top of the most recent trends.

While social media presence is crucial for all companies, each company will have different social media needs and strategies. For some, Facebook will be the best platform for business, while Instagram may be better for others. To determine which platform is best for your business, it is important to first determine your target audience and social media goals.

Nowadays, users are using a variety of different devices of all different sizes and orientations. As a result, companies should be establishing a responsive web design when building web pages. Responsive design has the ability to detect the user’s screen size and orientation in order to adjust the content and layout accordingly. For example, the layout on a mobile device will be much narrower than the layout on a desktop.

Every small business is different, which every website will be different. Creating a new website can be a daunting task, we are here to make it easy. Every website should have the basics: Homepage, About, Contact page, Products/ Services, FAQs, and Testimonials. Besides the basics, every business should include additional web pages that are unique and relevant. Every small business is different, which means every website is different.

Websites should be designed to invite and entertain users, not push them away. The only way to attract and maintain users is with a good web design. The homepage should be visually appealing, easy to understand, and clear of any annoying pop-ups.

If the homepage is bad, the user will exit the website rather than continue exploring. The web design should also allow for easy navigation and fast load speed without blurry images or extensive copy (Text content).

The primary way a website increases sales is by offering users a convenient way to shop for products and services. Through the use of pop-ups offers and special online discounts, small businesses can encourage consumers to make the switch from window-shopping to buying. With an enhanced incentive to buy, along with clear and concise product descriptions, users are quickly turning to company websites for all their consumer needs.

Social media falls in the brand awareness and consideration stage of the sales funnel. Social media platforms allow businesses to connect with their target audience and slowly but surely nudge them down the funnel with content and links to learn more. By providing relevant information about products and services, engaging with their audience, and providing free trials or specials, businesses are able to nurture leads into buyers.

With reports, statistics, research, quotes, and testimonials being created on a daily basis, there is bound to be content worth re-purposing for digital marketing purposes. There are countless ways to turn formal business documents into creative online content, including infographics, podcasts, videos, and animated graphics.

Digital marketing allows businesses to raise brand awareness, share information about products, engage with the audience, and monitor online reputation. Digital advertising allows businesses to advertise and promote products, offer discounts or specials, and attract buying customers. Simply put, digital marketing establishes a target consumer audience while digital advertising drives this audience to sales.

As a general rule of thumb, companies should be publishing new blogs at least twice a month – blogs are key to keeping your website updated with the relevant and fresh information that search engines prefer. If any significant news or information has been released, that content should be posted as soon as possible. Pillar pages and landing page content should be regularly revised as the company grows and changes.

When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), there’s an extremely wide range of strategies to use. Some are simple, yet impactful, and don’t take very long. Others are incredibly intensive and may take days or even weeks to fully implement. Just like many other services, SEO costs all depend on how experienced your SEO agency is and how intensive you want your optimization to be.

Site taxonomy is the website structure and ease of navigation through the site. The easier it is to get through your website, the higher Google is to rank it. They like to see clear navigation.

B2B stands for Business-to-Business. This type of marketing refers to businesses who sell products or services to other business. For example, at Blue Compass we work with other businesses to produce stellar digital marketing campaigns. B2C stands for Business-to-Consumer, or businesses that sell their products or services to individual consumers. While all facets of digital marketing can apply to both B2B and B2C, the strategy will differ.

Digital marketing platforms are other websites or software used to execute digital strategies. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are all digital platforms which provide marketers with the tools to share their messaging with a desired audience.

Absolutely! The goal of digital marketing is to improve website traffic and online conversions, thus helping you reach your overall business goals. If you’d like to ultimately increase online sales, we would recommend a variety of tactics to reach this goal. These may range from UX research and conversion rate optimization to advanced product schema to social media. When we’re developing a campaign for a client, we get to know their business and objectives, then propose plans to align with those goals.

We recommend starting digital marketing by thinking about your audience and your priorities. This will help you decide which digital marketing tactics will be the right fit for you. For example, if you’re selling a service aimed at individuals nearing retirement, Instagram and Snapchat probably don’t make sense for your business, while LinkedIn and Facebook would be a better fit for your audience.

Next, it’s time to think about your priorities as a business. The digital marketing tactics you choose should align with your business goals. If your main goal is to spread the word about your local business, then local SEO is for you! If you’re more interested in understanding why users are leaving your website, you should think about UX testing.

If you have the time and the manpower to take on multiple tactics at once, go for it! But if you can only devote attention to a few tactics, then we recommend you start strong with those and add more to your marketing mix as you can.

A digital marketing agency is a business (like us!) which assists other companies with their online marketing efforts. Agencies can be as involved as the client would like. For some of our clients we handle all digital projects but for others we only provide ideas and recommendations through consulting. Our mission is to help businesses of all sizes succeed in the digital world by providing innovative and effective digital marketing solutions.