14 Fields That Could Benefit From Digital Marketing Services
To say the Internet has revolutionized the way consumers connect with businesses would be a huge understatement. No fewer than half of people searching online for information thank their smartphones for leading them to brand and merchandise discoveries. Knowing this, why would you limit yourself to merely adequate digital marketing protocols and presence? Whether you operate a commercial HVAC services startup or legacy enterprise that administers FINRA licensing exams, you can make powerful digital marketing work for you just like leaders in the following fields.
Retail Hardware Shops
You might be a smallish mom-and-pop hardware shop that sells mulch to everyone in the neighborhood. On the other hand, perhaps you manage a franchise with a thriving regional presence. Either way, you can bet that prospective buyers are clicking and swiping to find what you offer from tools to lawnmowers and everything in between.
Make sure that your company’s name and image pop up by creating and executing an airtight digital marketing plan. After all, the biggies like Lowe’s and Home Depot capitalize on digital marketing to help them rise to the top of search engine results. Be sure your hardware shop is not pushed aside. Your first start? Claim your business on Google and beef up your website. From there, you can move on to other digital marketing must-dos like email marketing.
Real Estate Agents
Many people think it must be easy to show and sell houses. What they neglect to consider is all the downtime between when a property lists and closes. Per Fannie Mae information, the average house takes about 46 days to sell. This means that realtors must have several deals in the works at any given time. Otherwise, they might have to wait more than a month for a single commission check.
In order for real estate agents like you to strengthen their digital marketing personality, they should make social media posting, linking, and commenting a priority. What better way to prove you can sell homes than to share an image with your most recent happy sellers or buyers after a closing? Additionally, up-to-date digital marketing content can help you showcase the incredible properties you are currently listing at tremendous prices.
Medical Practitioners
When someone searches “Where can I find a travel nursing company?” or “Is there a medical weight loss center nearby,” they expect answers immediately. As a medical practitioner such as a doctor, nurse, or nurse practitioner, you need to ensure your name comes up. Otherwise, the competition might wind up getting money that you would rather come to you.
In addition to having a robust site with a modern aesthetic, you may also want to learn more about telemedicine and the many ways healthcare has moved into the virtual sphere. Who knew that digital marketing could make you so irresistible and leading-edge to patients seeking medical professionals? Perhaps if you provide online solutions, you can significantly increase your patient load without overloading your team.
Insurance Providers
If you have not recently seen a pop-up or banner ad from a national or global insurance carrier, you will soon. From auto insurance to life insurance, these types of advertisements are designed to take the profit out of local markets whenever possible. Nevertheless, even if you are a geographically limited insurance provider that concentrates on serving people in a relatively cozy community, you can beat the big boys at their game.
One digital marketing tactic that works well is Google Adwords, which enables you to bid on different keywords. When searchers type the keywords into their phones or laptops, your ad may come up before, beside, or beneath the top organic search results. Want a special Adwords hack? Link your campaigns’ keywords to specific locations. Be sure to use the colloquial terms of your target audience. For instance, if your area is known as the “north side” of town, you might want to use “north side,” too.
Roofing and Siding
Every structure has at least one roof, and roofs do not last forever. Aside from small repairs, roofs typically need to be replaced completely about every 20 or 30 years if they are the shingle variety. Not surprisingly, homeowners and building owners want to get the best deal they can, because the average roof replacement for a single-family dwelling can hover anywhere from about $7,000 to $10,000.
Consequently, you want Internet searchers to feel comfortable calling your roofing company for a visit and quote. Why lose out to competitors providing the public with streams of interesting, up-to-date YouTube channel videos, reviews, references, and accreditations? Get on the digital marketing bandwagon and begin adding your expert voice to the Internet by getting camera ready. An iPhone or Android is all you need to start talking and making waves.
Tourist Agencies
Even individuals and families with modest incomes look forward to at least one annual vacation. In fact, Millennials are particularly fond of putting travel first. According to a Travelport survey, Millennials spend about $5,000 on vacations every year. Interestingly, that figure is on the conservative side. Plenty of Millennials willingly shell out more hard-earned dough to see the hottest spots around the globe.
Whether you want to woo young professionals or you feel your tourist agency service is better suited to Baby Boomers, use digital marketing to your advantage. Social media users love to see images, so give them what they want. Showcase the places your clients go, and pepper hot platforms like Facebook and Instagram with breathtaking images. You might be surprised at how quickly consumers eager for a break respond.
Plumbing Experts
When someone has a clogged drain, what happens? After trying over-the-counter remedies that never work, they log onto their devices to check out local plumbing service providers. Instead of hoping that your name comes up in their search, go one step better by initiating a solid digital marketing campaign that includes a heavy dose of search engine optimization (SEO).
What is SEO? In a nutshell, it is a process that focuses on generating educational, readable content that also contains the keywords your customers would normally use to search for your services. For instance, you might have a web page devoted to the keyword “local plumbers.” In that case, you would want to pepper the page with that exact terminology a few times in a conversational way. One caveat: SEO can be overdone. Therefore, work with a digital marketing specialist to determine the right way to sell your brand without incurring the wrath of Google.
Legal Practitioners
From car accident lawyers to patent attorneys, legal practitioners have spent years investing in school, studying for intense exams, attending continuing legal education seminars, and honing their crafts. Yet most find themselves in increasingly competitive marketplaces, making it tough to hang out a shingle and be automatically seen. For this reason, legal experts frequently spend time writing high-quality content at their own and on others’ websites.
By generating articles, blog posts, videos, and more, you can ensure that your name becomes attached to your practice area or areas. You can also increase your chances of garnering recognition and a stronger reputation. Of course, you will also want to use SEO and other digital marketing techniques to grab as big of a piece of the legal pie as possible.
Plastic Surgery Services
Does it sound odd to hear that a plastic surgeon could use digital marketing? In an atmosphere where more and more consumers are opting for elective plastic surgery, it makes perfect sense. Plastic surgeons should be prepared to generate websites far beyond a page or two. After all, plastic surgery can be an expensive decision.
Consumers want to see impressive before and after photos, as well as learn more about a plastic surgeon’s specialty areas and expertise. The more information you put online highlighting your skill sets, the greater the odds that someone will pick up the phone to make a consultation. Want another piece of best practice advice? Set up a robust FAQs page on your site and keep adding more questions and answers as they arise.
Dental Professionals
Aside from periodontal care and routine tooth and gum maintenance, people everywhere want orthodontic care and other types of restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Yet they may hesitate to simply make an appointment with a dental professional without the feeling they can trust the person or the practice.
If you are a dentist, periodontist, oral surgeon, endodontist, or orthodontist, consider putting a family-friendly, professional face on every piece of web and offline collateral. That way, your brand “face” will remain consistent and welcoming. Done correctly, this focus on digital marketing should encourage your patients to not just come back for future appointments but also offer referrals.
Financial Investing Services
Money may make the world go ‘round, but it also turns people skittish. No one wants to lose their hard-earned dollars by partnering with the wrong financial advisor. Consequently, financial investment professionals need digital marketing to prove their value and trustworthiness. Otherwise, people who land on their sites may feel uneasy about even making a no-obligation appointment.
A great way to use digital marketing to increase the trust factor is with video and even live streams. For example, offering a Facebook Live event on saving for retirement or investing in a 401k could be a smart way to not only get online traction but solidify your knowledge.
Talent Agencies
Have you concentrated your career on helping artists hone the tools of the entertainment trade as actors, models, or photographers? As a talent agent, you need to prove your chops again and again. Otherwise, would-be clients and talent will pass by without a second glance.
As part of your digital marketing, keep adding your successful clients’ stories to improve the number of pages on your website as well as forge your reputation as a winning bet for aspiring performers. If you are seeking niche types of entertainers, such as fashion models or voice over actors, you may need to move to Facebook ads to better hone in on your preferred prospects. Talk to your digital marketing specialist about setting up text message blasts, too. They can help spread the word about auditions and open roles.
Tax Preparers
Only a couple of decades ago, no one could imagine giving up their personal information to a nameless, faceless organization in order to do their taxes. Today, everything has completely changed with the advent of enormous tax preparation service websites. Nevertheless, those big players can be outsmarted by a tax preparer who has digital marketing on his or her side.
Obviously, tax preparers can utilize the power of SEO and Google Adwords to encourage click-thrus. If you are in this industry, you can go one step farther by sharing your insights. Plenty of ordinary folks would love some helpful tips and hints, particularly when it comes to getting the biggest refund possible. Why not start a YouTube channel that hits all the major points of tax preparation in pithy three-minute shorts? Plan to place them on your website’s blog and advertise them for free on social media pages including LinkedIn every time you release a new video.
Nonprofit Agencies
Nonprofits may not be in business to make money, per se, but most definitely need money in the form of individual donations to stay afloat. This means digital marketing plays an important role. Without a digital presence, a nonprofit will never be seen by people sympathetic to its core cause. The last thing you want to hear from someone is, “I would have given part of my last paycheck to your association but I never knew about it.” Ouch.
Consequently, you need to get out there online by being public. This may mean paying for ads, and it will surely require time devoted to keeping a strong social image. Consider also offering to write a column for free for a local, national, or international organization to get even more visibility.
Digital marketing services are a key element of thriving in an age when everyone walks around with computers in their pockets. Never stopped to think about just how much more business you could be doing if your online marketing were tighter? Give it a second thought. By applying a few more digital marketing techniques to your current sales and marketing agenda, you could quite possibly exceed your quarterly sales objectives. Plus, you have the opportunity to either take the lead in your industry or get very close to being the top seed.