When you have an up-to-date digital marketing strategy, all of the components work together to grow your brand and create a profitable online presence for your business.

Before we break down a few of the key components to a great digital strategy, think about this: according to Hubspot’s 2016 State of Inbound Report, 54% more leads are generated by inbound marketing tactics than traditional paid marketing.

That means that businesses are reaching more potential clients through educational and engaging content rather than through intrusive sales pitches and blaring advertisements.

Inbound marketing is about putting the right information in front of the right person at the right time. You can learn more about that here, and, of course, send us a message if you’d like to know more.

Now, here are a few things you should consider when updating your marketing strategy:

Your Website

Everyone is online today, especially your competition. If you don’t have a website, you are behind the curve.

You want to make sure your website is portraying your business in a professional manner. It is, after all, your always-accessible, digital business card!

Your website should be easy to navigate and chock full of keywords to enhance search engine optimization (SEO). It should be clean and easy to use, as well as share appropriate, educational information about your business and your services.

Since 1.2 billion people access the web from their mobile device, it’s important to have a mobile-friendly website with a responsive design. Last year, Google announced that it would start penalizing websites that were not mobile-friendly. Many sites that did not get updated to a responsive design experienced a significant drop in their search engine ranking.

Your Blog

Businesses with active blogs generate 55% more site visits and 97% more links to their website. That’s a huge amount of traffic that your website could be seeing if you keep your blog active and relevant to your industry.

By providing information in a blog, you will have the opportunity to answer questions that potential clients have and provide solutions to their problems. That is, after all, why they opened their web browser and entered a query in the search bar.

Your blog will be what brings in a lot of your site traffic. Through your blog, you will be able to build up your business’s credibility within your industry.

Your Social Media

You might not believe that social media can offer your business any value, but the reality is that social media plays just as large a role in purchasing decisions as TV ads. In fact, 57% of consumers say they think more highly of a business after seeing positive reviews and praise online.

Don’t get overwhelmed. Yes, there are so many social media platforms to choose from, but think about which ones make the most sense for your business.

Facebook has around 1.7 billion active users and is a great place to accumulate positive reviews and manage your online reputation. Instagram is the perfect platform for highlighting before-and-after photos of your clients and is the best place to attract the attention of millennials. LinkedIn is a professional space where you can interact with your peers and further build up your credibility and trustworthiness.

When you optimize your social media in a professional manner, with cohesive branding and messaging, the return on investment you’ll see will speak for itself.

By ensuring that you are properly utilizing these three components of your digital strategy, you are only setting yourself, and your business, up for success. The Internet is full of people waiting for you to show up, give them the solutions they are seeking for their problems, and wow them with the results they desire. Make sure you are taking advantage of this opportunity before your competition does.