Marketing for non-marketers | 5 digital marketing strategies when publishing online

We might think marketing is all about data and technical know-how (and, at times, it is). However, some tips can be used in a “marketing for non-marketers” strategy. We can consider seamless use of keywords, improving site speed with plugins, or tracking data-driven trends. 

I’m talking about simple approaches, starting points, or advice to not getting lost with technical tools. These are strategies that every content campaign uses. They are easy to apply and do not require a specialist.

Marketing for non-marketers involves basic optimizations that typically do not require advanced technical knowledge or significant investment (in most cases). These content marketing techniques help improve your online presence. Here are five tips for your future online publication optimization.

1. Keyword research and on-page SEO to rank

Let’s start our marketing for non-marketers tips with something that is almost mandatory if you want to appear in search engines: search engine optimizations (SEO). It’s all about using keywords, indexing pages, and applying content optimization to appear in a search engine.

Use keyword research to rank. How do you do it? First, look up some keywords and see what people discuss online. Apply that data in your subsequent texts and images.

Some tools you can use to get the best (and free) data are:

• SEMRush or Ahref (free versions) to audit a site and your competition.
• Google Keyword Research to obtain keyword averages with precise data at no cost.
• Google Trends can help you understand what users are discussing now in different locations.
• Google Analytics to see what users do (and how they do it) internally on your website.

2. Content creation to engage with your audience

Of course, content is the foundation of digital marketing today. To reach the right audiences and increase visibility, try publishing people-first organic content on your preferred channel.

Post content. Discuss and share ideas about your expertise in your field. Are you an illustrator? Post images and videos of your paintings, portraits, and drawings. Are you a mechanic? Record videos and write a post with tips and advice. Let people know what you do by using content so they can see you!

Here, we recommend social networks and websites:

• Meta and LinkedIn to publish texts and images of what you do.
• Behance and Canva to create a portfolio of what you have done.
• YouTube and TikTok to publish videos that you can monetize.

3. Marketing campaigns to organize your publications

We also know it as media planning or marketing planning. Wanna rank? Your posts must be regular and frequent. By doing so, you will gain rankings in searches. 

Do you want to publish content continuously? The most effective approach is to develop a targeted marketing campaign. It is about objectives that are well-scheduled and organized, allowing you to optimize your publishing process.

For this, I recommend free applications that allow you to track content and calendars:

• Asana and Trello are free project management applications.
• HubSpot (free or paid plan) for sales funnels backed by a strong marketing component.
• Monday.com, Salesforce, and Pipedrive, paid apps with a lot of potential.

4. Link building and off-page SEO to link with your area

One of the primary criteria for content selection in a search engine is based on a page’s level of authority, which is built through link building and backlinks.

Here, we raise the level of complexity in marketing for non-marketers. Link building is a marketing strategy that helps us create direct communication channels and connections using URLs. One of the marketing sectors most closely linked to public relations (PR). This off-page SEO approach is essential for interaction and indexation within search browsers.

The goal is to establish partnerships with companies or experts in our field and collaborate on joint publications. We can also cite authoritative sites with relevant information or cite our own work if we have published a substantial amount of content.

We use link building to create a chain, a bridge, of content. This helps to improve our website’s ranking and social network presence. Even if someone can quote us and send us some of our links, that would be even better! To do this:

• Always use authoritative sites with valuable information related to your content.
• Contact specialists who are interested in your content to get it published.
• Self-cite, referring to previous publications related to your topic.

5. Media buying to promote your content

We conclude our marketing tips for non-marketers with something slightly more advanced (unfortunately, not entirely free): media buying and a promotional strategy. With this, we execute both ads and email marketing strategies.

Media buying is a content promotion strategy. We use advertisements or emails to reach qualified audiences and segments. How do we do it? By republishing content (or even publishing from scratch), usually using bids. That way, it can also be used for commercial or advertising purposes. 

This helps more people, specifically those interested in your type of publication, get in touch with you. But be warned, while email marketing tools may be free, the ads themselves are not. We recommend the following:

• Google Ads, if you want to promote your website using keywords.
• Meta ads, LinkedIn ads, and TikTok ads, to promote your content.
• Mailchimp and Klaviyo will send email marketing and newsletters.

The idea is that the content we publish is both valuable and authoritative, but it must also be well-optimized to reach a wider audience. There are many other strategies. However, if you follow these five tips, you will be well on your way to establishing your first branding strategy using marketing.

An introduction to marketing begins with understanding the technical and strategic aspects necessary to move forward with publications, visualizations, and audience capture. From basic SEO concepts to understanding common email marketing mistakes or what an algorithmic bias is, all of these points serve as a reference for us to begin our first self-taught campaigns.