Digital Marketing

Don't miss out – Click here to sign up for SMT Trends & Tips and get quick, informative articles sent to your inbox once a week.

How to Perform a Year-End Digital Marketing Audit

Now that the year is winding down, it's the perfect time to review your 2024 digital marketing efforts. A year-end audit helps you examine what worked, what didn't, and even how to improve your strategy for 2025. This helps to ensure your marketing efforts are aligned with your business goals, all while making your campaigns more effective and on budget. Here's a step-by-step guide to performing a comprehensive digital marketing audit for the year. Review Your Marketing Goals Revisiting the...




2024 End-of-Year Digital Marketing Trends: What Worked and What Didn’t

Another year draws to a close, meaning it's time to reflect on how digital marketing trends shaped the industry over 2024. What worked, and more importantly, what didn't? Looking back at these strategies can help us prepare for the coming year and brace your business to adapt to even more new technologies and changing consumer behaviors. Here's a breakdown of the past year's digital marketing trends and their effectiveness. What Worked in 2024 1. Short-Form Video Content Platforms like TikTok...




Preparing Your 2025 Digital Marketing Budget: Where to Allocate Resources

With a new year right around the corner, crafting your digital marketing budget for 2025 is more critical than ever. Many digital tools, platforms, and even a change in consumer behavior have created new hurdles, and it's time to evolve to compete with other businesses and their strategies. Allocating resources to the right areas can make or break a business in the coming year, so let's take a look at ways you can prioritize your marketing budget for 2025. Invest in Data Analytics and...




Holiday Campaign Prep: Best Marketing Strategies for Q4

The holiday season is inching closer, and it's crucial to start prepping a marketing campaign to take advantage of these key dates. Many businesses see a boost in revenue, customer engagement, and even brand loyalty around the holidays, thanks to sales and seasonal exclusives. Consumer spending is at a high, so make the most of the holiday rush by planning a marketing strategy for this year's final quarter. Let's take a closer look at the things you can do from Halloween to New Year's to drive...




4 Online Marketing Techniques Your Business Should Be Using

Even in just the past decade, the digital landscape has evolved dramatically, meaning businesses have to keep up with emerging trends and the latest marketing practices. A customer-centric approach is crucial for companies looking to stay ahead of competitors. And with AI, data, and personalization causing such significant shifts in the industry, having the right marketing strategies is a must. Let's take a look at the four online strategies to help boost your marketing and drive growth in...




3 Tips for Improving Bounce Rate and Conversions

Tracking a website's performance is a must for any business, and knowing your "bounce rate" is also key for gauging interactions on your site. This metric tracks the percentage of visitors who come to your page and leave without any further interaction, which can hurt your rankings and reduce conversions. A high bounce rate can be a sign that you need to improve user engagement or the quality of your content. In 2024, with higher user expectations and evolving SEO metrics, improving your...




Google Business Profile Mistakes and How to Fix Them

A Google Business Profile can significantly elevate your local SEO efforts and online visibility, yet many businesses fail to maximize their profile's potential. Whether you're just setting up your profile or looking to optimize it, see how to avoid common mistakes so your business can stand out in local search results. 1. Incomplete or Inaccurate Business Information One of the top mistakes businesses make is failing to provide complete or accurate information on their Google Business...




Google Drops Third-Party Cookies Phaseout: Emphasizes User Control

In a major policy shift, Google has announced it will no longer phase out third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. Instead, the company is focusing on enhancing user choice and control over web browsing privacy. Here's an overview of this recent development and how it may affect users and advertisers so your business can better prepare its digital marketing for the changes. A Change in Strategy Google has been working towards eliminating third-party cookies for years, but various challenges...




A/B Testing Ideas for Email Marketing

Email remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels for engaging customers and driving conversions. However, with inboxes flooded with promotional content, your emails must stand out and connect with your audience. This is where A/B testing comes into play, offering a methodical approach to refining your email marketing strategies. Explore A/B testing and what variables you can experiment with to elevate your email marketing! What is A/B Testing? A/B testing, also known as split...




Best Practices to Collect Online Reviews

Online reviews wield significant influence over consumers' purchasing decisions. Whether it's choosing a restaurant for dinner or selecting a doctor's office, people often turn to online reviews to gauge the quality and credibility of businesses. For businesses, collecting online reviews isn't just about reputation management; it's a crucial aspect of their digital marketing strategy. Positive reviews can build trust, improve search engine rankings, and ultimately drive more sales. However...




Creative Lead Generation Ideas to Get More High-Quality Leads

In today's hyper-competitive landscape, standing out from the crowd is essential for businesses looking to generate leads and drive conversions. Traditional lead generation tactics are no longer enough to capture consumers' attention inundated with marketing messages. To break through the clutter and capture high-quality leads, businesses must embrace creativity and innovation in their lead generation strategies. Here are some creative lead generation ideas from Unbounce and Outgrow to help...




New Google and Yahoo Email Requirements Coming February 2024

We’re only a few weeks into 2024 and already seeing significant changes to email marketing ! Google and Yahoo are implementing authentication requirements and spam prevention updates, which will take effect in February 2024. As a business, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest standards and ensure seamless communication with your audience. Let's delve into the key insights and recommendations for navigating these changes successfully. Google's Email Requirements Google announced...




Digital Marketing Resolutions to Thrive in the New Year

As we usher in a new year, it's the perfect time to reflect on the past and set our sights on the future. For businesses, this means crafting a set of goals that will not only shape the year's success but also pave the way for long-term growth and prosperity. In the spirit of new beginnings, here are some powerful digital marketing resolutions to help your business set the tone for an exceptional year. Embrace Adaptability In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, adaptability is the...




The State of Email Marketing and Trends to Expect in 2024

As 2023 comes to a close, the digital marketing landscape has witnessed significant shifts, with email marketing standing out as a particularly dynamic arena. In this article, we'll delve into the insights gathered from Litmus' 2023 State of Email Design Report, covering key trends and revelations around email workflows, design, and the pivotal role of Email Service Providers ESPs. Email Workflows Litmus' survey of approximately 440 email marketing professionals sheds light on the...




How Much Should I Budget for Marketing?

How much a marketing budget should be is always a tough question to answer. It depends on what you're trying to accomplish and by when. Setting a firm objective helps provide clarity on the budget you need, for example, generating 500 leads per quarter or increasing organic traffic by 20% from the previous year. Determining how much and where to spend your marketing budget is crucial to achieving your objectives. As your business gears up for 2024, it's essential to approach budgeting with a...




Effective B2B Email List Building Strategies

Email list building is an effective digital marketing tool for driving traffic to your B2B website and increasing conversions, such as purchases, demos, quote requests, and more. It can also help your business retain more customers, which saves money while boosting revenue. According to HubSpot, not only is retaining customers less expensive than acquiring new ones, but improving retention by just 5% can increase profits by over 25%. With a quality email list, B2B businesses can grow their...




Outside-the-Box Tips to Optimize Your Holiday Digital Marketing

As the holidays get closer, businesses are busy preparing for the festive rush and trying to make the most of their digital marketing efforts. Standing out in the sea of promotions and ads is a challenge, but with some creativity and planning, your business can achieve merry sales numbers. Here are some outside-the-box tips to optimize your holiday digital marketing and make your brand sparkle during this celebratory season: 1. Interactive Festive Experiences Create interactive and immersive...




The Secrets of Successful Brand Storytelling

Crafting a compelling brand story is essential for establishing a deeper connection with your audience. However, brand storytelling goes beyond mere product promotion — it evokes emotions, builds trust, resonates with your customers, and ultimately drives sales. According to Search Engine Watch, storytelling can increase conversion rates by 30%, making it a powerful marketing tool. But what does it take to achieve successful brand storytelling? Let's dive in and find out! Understand...




Black Friday and Cyber Monday Marketing Ideas

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest shopping events of the year, making them great opportunities for brands to boost their sales and attract new customers. However, a lot of other businesses are also vying for attention. It’s crucial to prepare your digital marketing strategy ahead of time so your products and services can stand out from the digital clutter. Check out this list of creative Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing ideas that can help you drive more sales and make...




Google Analytics 4: Updated Data Metrics

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, it's crucial to keep up with the latest tools and technologies that help us measure the success of our online presence. If you've been using Google Universal Analytics UA to track your website's performance, it's time to transition to Google Analytics 4 GA4. GA4 brings an updated set of metrics and insights to the table, but it's important to note that comparing GA4 metrics with UA metrics is like comparing apples to oranges – they serve different...