What does it mean to claim your digital space?
Your digital space is an ecosystem consisting of digital platforms your brand owns, such as your website, social media profiles, e-newsletters, Google Ads account, etc. To “claim your digital space”, all these elements need to function interdependently in a coordinated and integrated manner. No digital platform should function independent from the rest of these digital elements. It’s all about maximising, optimising and leveraging these communication channels to connect with your target audience and build a loyal community.
So, why is this important?
Claiming your digital space will make it easier for your target audience to find you. Dominating your digital space will build authority. As a result, you will stand out from the clutter in your industry and potentially become the brand of choice.
It’s paramount to understand that digital marketing is built on multi-way communication between your brand and your customers, and your customers between themselves. Digital marketing provides the platforms to harvest and survey reactions to your online presence. This allows you to get real business intelligence and opens the door for you to ask relevant questions, such as
- What is working or not working?
- Why or why not?
- What is it that we need to change, stop doing or start to introduce?
How do you go about claiming your digital space?
Strategically choose which social media channels you would like to be present on. Each platform targets different audiences in different ways. Maximise your chosen platforms to direct them to your website, which forms the nucleus of your digital eco-system. Also keep in mind that you can (and should) send traffic from your website to your social media channels as well. Every element in the digital eco-system is inter-connected. Google Analytics and Google Search Console will be useful to track where your website traffic comes from, as well as internal and external links.
When you claim your social profiles, try to use the same handle for each. If your ideal handle is not available, choose something similar but still descriptive of who you are. For example, our social media handles are:
- @G2DesignStellenbosch on Facebook
- @G2DesignAgency on Twitter
- @G2Design on LinkedIn and
- @g2designagency on Instagram
Besides the social media platforms mentioned above, you should also claim and manage Tripadvisor (if applicable) and Google My Business accounts and manage them like any other social media channel.
How do you dominate your digital space?
It’s a long-term endeavour with continuous effort and maintenance. It requires knowing what you want your customers want to think and feel about you, patience and communicating a consistent message. A comprehensive digital strategy includes a spectrum of sections, including, but not limited to:
- Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc)
- Email marketing
- PPC (Google Ads)
- Search Engine Optimisation (which keywords you want to rank for, link building, etc)
- Content marketing
At G2Design, we create data-driven digital strategies to guide you through the journey of claiming and dominating your digital space. Let’s chat about your business, your goals and your digital domination strategy today.
