With many businesses identifying the online space as the best channel to sell their products or services, digital marketing is rapidly growing, and gaining more popularity which is why eCommerce SEO is so important. However, with its popularity comes a higher demand for online marketing services to the extent that Canadian companies spent $6.3 million in digital advertising alone in 2019. This fact has in turn required Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) and other digital marketers to be at multiple places at once, handling many accounts. Apart from this, these professionals must also ensure that their advertising efforts are generating real results – which can get pretty overwhelming. So, how do you stay on top of your marketing tasks? Here are seven tools that digital marketers need to help them track their efforts, save time, and work more efficiently.
Analytics tools
Every digital marketer must have a set of analytics tools to help them track their efforts. Fortunately, there are many types to choose from that depend on the scope of your tasks. For example, Google Analytics is excellent for monitoring website engagement. Other tools such as those provided by Whatagraph combine relevant data and present visual reports through its CMO dashboard so that clients and team members can understand. These analytics tools are a must-have because they provide relevant metrics and data that help marketers decide which directions to take in order to fully optimize their campaigns and advertising efforts.
Design tools
Design is an essential component of digital marketing, mainly because it involves creating eye-catching ads and social media posts. Fortunately, the Internet has multiple design software programs like Canva, which allows you to design for free. However, you will have more access to graphics and other elements if you purchase a package. Other powerful and advanced programs like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign allow you to edit and retouch 2D and 3D images to create stunning artwork.
Social media
Marketers use social media platforms to engage with followers and create buzz about a particular brand. As such, digital marketers are expected to be social media savvy. Facebook remains the most popular social media website. These networking sites have standard features you can use to track engagement and capture other relevant data, but there are more in-depth features specifically designed to monitor marketing efforts. One such part is the Facebook Ad Manager, which allows online marketers to create, edit, and analyze Facebook’s promotional activities. Recently, Facebook merged its Ad Manager and Power Editor into a single platform, making it easier for marketers to create and track campaigns across multiple channels owned by Facebook, for example, Instagram.
Additionally, other social media management tools like Hootsuite, Planoly, and Buffer can be fully integrated into social media websites. This integration makes it easier to schedule posts and track engagement. Hootsuite, Buffer and the other social media management tools have been go-to tools in the industry, however for people looking for something a little bit different there are other scheduling tools suited to their needs and wallet. For example Hypefury, which keeps content in circulation longer. That way, more people see your content and get familiarized with your brand. The platform is always evolving and constantly bringing new features to help people enjoy their social media and stay at the top of your productivity game. Learn how digital wallets can help too!
Content marketing tools
Content marketing is focused on creating and distributing content to targeted audiences across online channels, and it has grown increasingly popular over the past few years. As a digital marketer, you might notice that a large part of your work involves creating content to attract and retain audiences. You must therefore have a comprehensive set of content marketing tools to make you more efficient and achieve your marketing goals. Tools like Hubspot and CoSchedule are excellent to have when it comes to creating content. They help digital marketers identify opportunities to create engaging content that will enable them to develop relevant social media or blog posts. Other tools like Buffer have unique features, which can identify trending topics on social media. That will be useful when attempting to drum up attention on events and news stories.
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Email marketing tools
Email marketing is a highly strategic and useful online marketing tool when used correctly, and involves sending emails to current and prospective customers. Marketers use them to create email campaigns relevant to the type of content they want to share. One of its significant benefits is that it allows you to segment your target audience and send out personalized content. Aside from that, it is a great way to announce and promote your business’ products or services. You can also share additional information and engage with customers by encouraging them to sign up or purchase products. There are many email marketing tools that you can use to reach out to your target audience. Mailchimp is perhaps the most popular email marketing tool familiar to all digital marketers; it allows you to build an email list and set automatic email campaigns. Mailchimp also shares analytics data for all email campaigns making it easier to track all advertising efforts.
Research tools
The best digital marketing plan can catapult businesses ahead of their competitors and drive their sales, but marketing plans are not created out of the blue. They involve hours, days, months, and even years of research to develop a solid plan. The right information can help you effectively strategize to ensure success. There are hundreds of research tools when it comes to researching backlinks, competitors, and content. Ahrefs is one of the most popular digital marketing research tools out there that provides you with relevant data on competitors, traffic performance, domain rankings, keyword rankings, and many more.
Communication tools
Lack of effective communication is one major issue that many marketing teams face. If a team has poor communication practices, it could have a damaging impact on marketing campaigns. However, communication must be centralized to receive and send information on a single platform, thereby eliminating any ambiguity. There are many marketing tools designed to enhance communication among teams, and these tools are readily available, There are many from Microsoft Teams to Slack, which provide you with a dashboard where you can chat and exchange critical information.
Digital marketing has become much more relevant over the past few years in particular, and both marketers and content creators are busier now more than ever! But whether you are a professional or starting in the online marketing field, the areas discussed above are some of the must-have tools that you simply cannot ignore. They will help streamline your work and build your reputation as an expert in your field.