Effective SaaS Startup Marketing Success Secrets [2023]
Want to run a successful SaaS startup in today's business climate? Then you need to know the latest and greatest digital marketing best practices. ...
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Digital marketing is all about connecting with people by going to where they spend time online via their computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Two of the most popular online spaces? No surprise here: Search engines and social media.
That’s why both social media marketing (SMM) and search engine marketing (SEM) are integral to most modern-day advertising strategies.
They allow you to reach as many people as possible while collecting valuable information for further lead generation, conversion, and retention efforts.
Let’s take a closer look at the differences and similarities between SEM and SMM.
Your website is your digital first impression and online HQ. (Image: Unsplash)
Search engine marketing generally encompasses paid search or PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns. Some people also include search engine optimization tactics like content marketing as well, since search engine optimization (SEO) is also all about search engines.
Social media marketing can refer to both organic (free) and paid social efforts, such as promoted posts or social media ads.
While different tactics, search engine marketing and social media marketing have plenty in common. Their key similarities include:
On the other hand, a few important differences between SMM and SEM include:
Your website is your digital first impression and online HQ.
It’s where you want people to land, regardless of how they found you. So it’s imperative to keep it in tip-top shape, regardless of the marketing techniques you use.
Paid ads and SEO go hand in hand. The latter helps get you more visibility in organic results, helps more people find you, and adds legitimacy to your online persona.
The higher your website ranks, the more credibility you achieve, both from your audience and in the eyes of the search engine.
SEO takes time to build, and it alone may not be able to get you to the top of page 1 search results, but it’s a necessary part of a well-rounded digital marketing plan.
PPC can not only help you shoot to the top of the search engine results page (SERP), but it allows you to target specific audiences to boot.
When you want to achieve quick results and bring more traffic to your website, PPC works best.
Paid search metrics are often very straightforward and easy to analyze. Plus, PPC tools can help you plan your budget, see what works and what doesn’t within minutes, and change your strategy in real-time
Overall, SEM best practices include:
Bottom line: Use SEM when you need to drive traffic, increase exposure, gain credibility, and leverage specific targeting.
PPC and SEO go together like peanut butter and jelly. The same can be said for SEM and SMM. (Image: Pexels)
While it’s possible to achieve results without social media marketing, these popular apps can help you reach a wider audience without blowing your budget.
Unlike a search engine, social media ads usually reach people who aren’t seeking something out. Rather, they’re probably just scrolling through their feeds.
That’s why social media ads are perfect for companies looking to build their brand, grow their following, and increase awareness.
Another reason to use SMM is to get to know your audience. Creating business profiles gets you access to metrics and helpful info about your posts and followers. In turn, this data can improve your understanding of your buyer persona.
What’s more, social media ads provide stellar targeting options. Since platform users share information about themselves willingly, they’re much easier to segment.
The best practices for SMM include:
Bottom line: Social media marketing is a great tactic for building brand awareness, refining your buyer personas, and letting your brand’s personality shine.
We’ve talked before about how PPC and SEO go together like peanut butter and jelly. The same can be said for SEM and SMM.
To beat the competition, it’s wise to take advantage of all the resources and methods at your disposal — that includes search engines and social media marketing.
Struggling to get your digital marketing plan in shape? We can help.
Want to run a successful SaaS startup in today's business climate? Then you need to know the latest and greatest digital marketing best practices. ...
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