Story: Purpose of learning marketing
*Updated: September 25th, 2019
Since May 2016, I’m working as a freelance graphic designer. Specialities are web design and branding through the user experience design. In 3 years, I’ve considered what value I can provide to clinet, how much I can help client business growth.
In the beginning, I did everything what the client asked. I responded to all order, print, digital even trade show display. Now I think, I didn’t focus on anything. I didn’t have a purpose in my work.
In 2018, I shifted my service. Less printing, more online/digital. I evaluated my market value compare to others, based on skills. Then, I significantly increased my estimation.
I had 2 purposes. First, I prioritize more time than money. Second, I invest extra time to educate myself. You may feel anxiety in the process. Patient. No one gets a goal in overnight. I believe that I’m in the right direction.
This Digital Marketing 101 is a note of my study at Udemy.com.
Subject: Market research
We have to know what the goal looks like to learning digital marketing. We have to be clear our target before marketing or SEO. Understand a target pain points and desires. Sounds persona on UX design, but how? We can search it efficiently even ask people. We cannot find an answer in our brain.
Functional website has to:
– Structure: Understand customer pain points.
– Copy: Include organic keywords.
– Backlink: Be able to buy, but so expensive. Very last option.
Market research:
– Purpose: Define a target audience (problem and solution).
– How: Attract a target audience with free content or ads.
– Goal: Make sales, sell service.
– Analyze: Measure, optimize & redefine.
How to find pain points:
– Search specific words on facebook public communities, such as a complaint, hate, bottleneck, stress or problem.
– Check reviews on a website which you want to offer your service.
Value Proposition
DicoverOrg: 4 Steps To Create A Killer Value Proposition
Your business’s value proposition is arguably the most important element of your overall marketing messaging. A value proposition tells prospects why they should do business with you rather than your competitors, and makes the benefits of your products or services crystal clear from the outset. – Wordstream
I have to use crystal clear message on the top page area of website. Therefore, I should understand what thecompany’s value is. It should solve the customer’s pain point at the first sight.
CXL: How to Create a Unique Value Proposition (with Examples)
Keyword Research
Keywords are ideas and topics that define what your content is about. In terms of SEO, they’re the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines, also called “search queries.” If you boil everything on your page — all the images, video, copy, etc. — down to simple words and phrases, those are your primary keywords.
As a website owner and content creator, you want the keywords on your page to be relevant to what people are searching for so they have a better chance of finding your content among the results. – Moz
How does customer search client’s service? Once I could figure out, I can use these keywords on the website efficiently.
ahrefs(Charged): Keywords Explorer
AnswerThePublic(Almost charged): that free visual keyword research & content strategy
SimilarWeb: Website Traffic Statistics & Market Intelligence
SimilarWeb is a website which provides web analytics services for businesses. The company offers its customers information on their clients and competitor’s website traffic volume; referral sources, including keyword analysis; and website “stickiness”, among other features.
SEMrush: All-in-one Marketing Toolkit
We are proud of our work and our results. By accumulating and processing large volumes of data, we aim to provide our clients with the best product, which is now used by over 4 million marketing specialists worldwide.
Keyword Research(alternative)
Keywords Everywhere: Keyword Tool – Google Chrome
The Keywords Everywhere extension is your free keyword tool. It can be easily installed on either Chrome or Firefox. The best part is that we show you useful google keyword search volume, cost per click and competition data of keywords on multiple websites.
Google Trends: Explore how Google data can be used to tell stories
Google Trends is a website by Google that analyzes the popularity of top search queries in Google Search across various regions and languages. The website uses graphs to compare the search volume of different queries over time.
Google forms
Google Forms: Google Forms: Free Online Surveys for Personal Use
Google Forms is a survey administration app that is included in the Google Drive office suite along with Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Forms features all of the collaboration and sharing features found in Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
– Identify pain points and desires.
– Identify the ideal outcome, solution logically.
– Check box
– Ask email
*We have to change the title. Add value or benefit.
Who and how do we send a survey?
– Export Gmail or Linkedin.
– Post on facebook community which may have a curious our service.
After you gathered an answer, let’s get started to analyze.
Copywriting
Once you figure out structure and keywords, you have to implement it on a website. I felt it’s overwhelming. You can find outsource, ask copywriter. They should be better than a designer.
You have to make sure that copywriter who you hire knows market research, contents strategy and organic keywords. You can mention it when you offer.
WriterAccess: Hire the best writers. Pay the best rates.
Visualized Research Report
Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing information gathered by conducting organized research, typically in the form of surveys or qualitative methods. – QuestionPro
After you got done market research, you have to inform result to client. It is very persuasiveness if your report visualizes, reliable number included resource. Many of tools require payment. If you focus on marketing, you should be subscribed. Then, please charge to client even market research. Your knowledge is valuable.
Conclusion: Never end study
I believe my specialty is front end design. I use design thinking/UX through the design process. I sometimes feel burned out about digital marketing, SEO. It takes a quite long time for study, applies and results.
However, I remind myself, what purpose is. Good design without a client business growth is not making sense. Good design should influence people, reach a potential customer, engage with an audience. Of course, it should worth = expensive. I cannot believe that a designer who makes a website less than $2000. At least, I do not.
We can find tons of tips on the internet. We need to distinguish the quality of information. Needless to say, we have to apply it. Knowledge, itself, won’t change the current situation. Let’s take an action if you want to progress. Embrace fear and anxiety. everyone has it.
Thank you notes:
Some information comes from local meetup event hosted by Drip Marketing. I appreciate the opportunity to learn about real marketing stuff.
Reference:
HubSpot: How to Do Market Research: A 5-Step Guide
Tourism Vancouver: Marketing Research
