Your Digital Marketing Is an Ecosystem…Here's What That Actually Means
You don't need every piece. You just need yours to work together.
"Your digital marketing becomes a system, your system…a little ecosystem."
Do you remember the days when print marketing was one of the main forms of marketing? Bulk mailings, postcard offers, even phone books?! Gone are those days; however, it seems like everything comes back around for a second moment. Who knows, maybe the AI era will cause a craving for a good old postcard promotion. We will just have to see.
Let’s not stay in the past. Let’s jump to the present: the age of digital marketing.
What is digital marketing?
A formal, standard definition is the promotion of products, services, or brands through digital channels, including social media, email, websites, search engines, online advertising, and content marketing. It's any marketing effort that happens online or through a digital device.
How would I modify the standard definition? Well, I believe a large part of digital marketing is showing up consistently in the digital space in a way that feels true to who you are and actually connects with the people you want to reach, and that doesn't mean being part of all the digital channels; it means doing the right ones for your business with intention.
Your Digital Marketing Ecosystem
Your digital marketing becomes a system, your system…a little ecosystem. Your emails drive traffic to your blog, your blog drives traffic to your website, your website drives traffic to your social media, and your social media brings awareness and keeps you top of mind.
The thing is that you get to choose which pieces. Someone may have a strong subscriber list and no social presence yet, and that is fine. Someone else may have a thriving Instagram account and no website, and that is perfectly fine too.
My Story
When I started into the world of digital marketing, I was taught that I needed all the pieces at once. I needed the website, I needed email marketing, and I needed social media. I navigated each step with overwhelm and a bit of kicking and screaming until I figured things out. Through perseverance and consistency, I learned the ropes. Did I need to go through that? No, but here I am using my lessons to be able to help you on YOUR journey because of MY journey.
Watch Out for Isolation
My advice is to be aware of the isolation. Isolation where your pieces are not connected. For example, posting on social media but never pointing anyone anywhere. Or having a beautiful website that nobody ever visits because there is nothing driving traffic to it.
Social media is a fabulous tool, but so is your website. Email marketing is a fabulous tool, but so is your blog. The point is that each component of digital marketing can stand alone, but don’t forget to make that piece work for you. If you have multiple pieces in play, make sure they are complementing each other, directing one to another and creating a system that is “smooth like butter.”
Your Takeaway
So, here’s your takeaway: you don’t have to do everything, but if you do, review what you have and make sure it’s connected.
Your digital marketing doesn't have to look like anyone else's. It just has to work for you. Start with one piece, make it work, and build from there. You've got this. And if you need help connecting the dots…well, that's exactly what I'm here for 🧡