I love cheatsheets and I love checklists — if there’s a possibility for a to-do list, I’m making one.
Going step-by-step can make the biggest, gnarliest project seem totally manageable. Or as my first boss out of college would say: Just take small bites of the cookie.
I’ve been building out a checklist for digital marketing and while it focused on goals and outcomes, it skipped some of the important initial steps. These steps can seem nearly invisible, but taking them can make a huge difference as you’re collecting data and trust online.
1. Connect Google AdWords to Google Analytics
When you’re first getting started with AdWords, it’s easy to overlook one simple step: connecting AdWords to your Google Analytics. You have to have the right access settings to do it, but after that, it’s fairly straightforward.
The benefit: AdWords are helping customers find you, and Analytics tell you what they do after they’re gotten to your site. This is all very good information. But only once your accounts are linked are you able to see the full picture. You can see which keywords are actually leading to conversions, how long customers stay on your site after clicking an ad, or which pages they viewed. This is extremely helpful. It can help you make your ads more effective, and save you money by advertising to the best people, in the best place, at the best time.
2. Verify Facebook and Pinterest
With your company on Facebook and Pinterest, you can get your brand in front of more people, engage larger audiences, and gain credibility and trust. But there’s another, nearly invisible step here: verifying your accounts.
The benefit: Verifying your Facebook account improves your search placement, which can lead to more likes, impressions and reach. You also get the coveted “checkmark” next to your name on your profile, which builds credibility and brand trust. On Pinterest, verifying is especially helpful if other people might be naming Pinterest boards after your brand — perhaps a jewelry company, furniture store, or clothing brand. Verifying your account helps people find you, and know it’s truly you.
3. Pixels and Tags
With accounts running and verified, ask yourself: “Is my social media presence actually helping drive more people to my website?” Pixels and tags can help. You can create a Facebook Pixel in Ads Manager on Facebook, and install it on each page of your site. For Pinterest, a new tag was released in August 2016 that you can install on your website and track conversions.
The benefit: You’re can tell if all of your content and advertising is actually converting to web traffic. On Pinterest, you can also add “buy now” tags to your pins and convert Pinterest users to buyers with fewer clicks.
4. Privacy Policies
If you’re using Google Analytics and/or Adwords, you need to have a Privacy Policy on your site. Marketing requires collecting a lot of data from users, including personal info, email addresses, etc. And you’re tracking people from your ad to your website using cookies. In short, Privacy Policies are a must to let people know you’re tracking info like this.
The benefit: You don’t get fined, and you feel good about yourself for following the law! Cheers to that!
While there are probably a thousand steps involved with effective marketing, these four “nearly invisible” steps are an excellent place to start.