The Iditarod sled dog race is referred to as the “last great race on earth.” The race is incomparable to any other race in the world. It covers over 1,000 miles of the roughest harshest terrain and environments that Mother Nature has to offer. From Anchorage, Alaska to Nome on the western coast of the Bering Sea. Mushers and their teams of sled dogs trek through dense forests, desolate tundra, frozen rivers, and the harshest freezing temperatures imaginable. Just like the Iditarod, your business’s digital marketing strategies must be highly trained and well-conditioned to endure the long haul towards success.
The digital marketing race involves many crucial key components similar to those needed by each team of sled dogs that run in the Iditarod.
An Expert Musher – Digital Marketing Expert
Mushers must be highly skilled and have a complete understanding of their sled and dogs. He is a constant student of the terrain and the environment. Paying close attention to weather conditions and changes in his strategy during the race. The musher is highly aware of each dog’s strengths, weaknesses, and key components in order to benefit the team.
In order to run a successful digital marketing campaign, you must enlist an expert musher like Cyberlicious, Inc. Be sure to enlist an SEO that is knowledgeable in each internet platform and keeps up to date with industry trends and changes.
Your SEO expert is the key to enhancing your company’s performance in the digital marketing race.
A Sled – Website
The sled used during the race must be in tip-top shape. Ready to handle the unexpected weather conditions Mother Nature may have in store. Each sled is meticulously crafted and shaped to reduce friction, wind resistance, and ensure excellent handling for the sled team. Without a proper running sled, the team risks their chances of making it to the finish line safely.
A company’s website is just like a musher’s sled. A website must be optimized and lead visitors into taking action. Having superb UI/UX design features incorporated into your site will lead to increased conversions and sales. Your expert musher or SEO will be able to help structure your website catering navigation and content design towards your largest audience. Meanwhile, carefully tracking all your data to ensure that your website is converting.
There’s no point in driving traffic to a website that has a less than 1% conversion rate.
A Team of Dogs – Platforms
There are many different breeds of dogs that are best suited for sled dog racing. The Alaskan Malamute, Alaskan Husky, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Greenland Dog, and the Chinook all have innate sled racing abilities. Each dog must be highly trained and well-conditioned in order to withstand the long race. Specific training schedules are developed and each dog is placed in a position where he can most benefit the team based on current terrain and weather conditions. No two dogs’ needs are exactly the same and the musher leading them is in tune with each dog’s needs throughout the race.
The dogs in your digital marketing race include each platform where your business is listed. Your company’s AdWords efforts and social presence on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media networks must be optimized and engaging. Each platform has a specific job in the race and attracts different users to your brand/business. No two platforms have the same needs or audience. The performance of each platform you enlist in your marketing efforts must be top-notch.
Don’t be caught with a team of lazy or underperforming dogs that fall further and further behind the competition.
Food for the Team – Content
In order to meet the rigorous demands placed on the team during the race, the dogs must be fed a high-protein and high-fat diet. However, not all of the dogs on the team are given the same portions or even the same diet. The lead dog may require more high-calorie snacks during the race when compared to a dog positioned further back in the pack. Nonetheless, all of the dogs on the team must be given lots of love and TLC in order to perform at their best.
Just like the Iditarod sled dogs, your digital marketing efforts require careful well thought out posts and personalized content. The more engaging your website images, copy, blog posts, and overall digital content is… the more likes, shares, comments, etc. your company will receive.
Careful thought given to the digital content, keyword strategy, and execution of each post will broaden your reach and increase engagement.
Location Tracking & Health Care Supplies – Tools and Maintenance
During the race, each dog is fitted with a collar tag and microchipped in order to track their locations. This helps ensure that dogs can be easily tracked and logged correctly at each checkpoint. The team must also have the proper equipment for each dog to ensure they can withstand the weather conditions. Mushers carry coats, boots, bandages, and medicines for their dogs so that they are ready to care for the needs of the dogs during the race.
Similarly, your website must be set up within Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, and any other tracking feature available on each platform. Tracking your company’s analytics will determine which marketing and advertising efforts are most successful. Conducting A/B testing while keeping well-organized data provides insight into which features within your website visitors are most responsive to.
Updates and changes are made to internet platforms constantly. The health care and maintenance you provide to each platform is much like the care a musher gives his team of dogs. Constantly nurturing, conditioning, and monitoring all platforms enlisted in your plan are integral components to success with your digital marketing efforts.
Map of the Race – Strategy
Each musher has a different strategy based on their team of dogs, their goals, and the current weather conditions the team is experiencing. They have menus for feeding and snacking their dogs. Specific times when they switch out dogs at checkpoints and alter their lead dogs based on the terrain they are covering. Some mushers run their teams during the daytime while others run at night. The strategy implemented to win the race is crucial
An expert SEO will know what strategies to use to grow your business. Whether it is branding, email marketing, social media, ppc, etc. the expert you hire must work closely with your marketing team to ensure that all online efforts are working in tandem.
Just like in the Iditarod sled race, sometimes unforeseen weather can alter the plan. Similarly, changes in the fast-growing internet marketing world can alter your course. So be ready to roll with the punches and adjust your marketing strategies based on the data you have collected in order to grow your business to the next level.
Get Organized and Win the Race
You want an organized, obedient, and ambitious team of dogs on your side. You don’t want to be a disorganized team. Don’t get caught with dogs coming out of their harnesses or on the loose, a busted sled, or even worse be unprepared for hazardous weather conditions. There are many moving pieces to a successful online marketing and digital advertising campaign. The frequent changes in the industry and diligent data tracking needed for ultimate success can make it difficult to manage your business’s marketing efforts on your own.
Enlist the team of Cyberlicious® digital marketing experts and cross the finish line ahead of your competition. We can help you increase your productivity and put more time into your business.