How to Successfully Use Your Digital Footprint - Essential in a social media world
How to Successfully Use Your Digital Footprint - Essential in a social media world
You left your footprints on the sand too.
And others could choose to follow you, or not.
Now, in the online marketing world you also need a footprint.
It's called your 'digital footprint'.
And it's very important.
In fact, the topic of creating a digital footprint was discussed at the recent workshops I have given about using social media.
You see, when people 'see' you online, they usually only get a glimpse of you. Maybe they read an article written by you. Or maybe they see one of your blog posts. Or maybe they read comments on your wall at Facebook.
But that's not enough. They will want more... because they only have part of the puzzle.
They need to be able to follow your digital footprint to get the complete picture.
OK, so what is your digital footprint?
My definition of a 'digital footprint' is:
The combination of online information, links and interaction that will lead a prospect to your main marketing message.
Your digital footprint can include your website, blog, social network participation, PDF documents, audio recordings, online presentations, micro-blogging (such as Twitter), photo sharing, video publication and more.
Example #1
Let's look at a simple example. You publish a blog. And you have readers who receive updates when you publish each post. When your readers visit your blog and read your post, what do they do if they want to know more about you? Or if they want to find out details of your services?
In most cases they will visit your website. There will be a link on your blog to your website. That's pretty much standard practice now.
Example #2
Let's look at a more complex example. An example that reaches even more prospects. You publish your blog. But you also use Twitter and you also have a profile on a social networking website called LinkedIn.
Now when you publish your blog post you also send a Tweet mentioning the new post, with a short URL link to your blog. At the same time you are also participating in an online discussion at LinkedIn about a topic you are knowledgeable on.
Someone reading your comments at LinkedIn likes what they see. So they 'follow' you on Twitter - to see what else you might have to say or recommend. They are interested in your 'tweet' about your blog post and visit your blog. They like what they find there and
decide to visit your website for even more details on what you can offer.
See what happened?
Your expanded digital footprint in the second example (website, blog, Twitter, LinkedIn) encouraged your prospect to learn more about you at each step they took.
They followed your footprint.
It was easy for them to find out more about you.
And it was very easy for you to tell them more about you. In fact, you didn't push any information at all. They took it from you.
And the best thing is... by the time your prospect reaches your main marketing message (usually on your website) they have really gained a much stronger image of who you are and how you can help them.
Your digital footprint has done it's job of leading prospects to you.
How to Successfully Use Your Digital Footprint Essential in a social media world - To learn more about this author, visit Stuart Ayling's Website.
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Remember when you walked on the beach? You could see a trail left by those who had been there before you. Their footprints went this way and that. Some seemed to disappear into thin air. Whilst others were firm and clear in the sand.
You left your footprints on the sand too.
And others could choose to follow you, or not.
Now, in the online marketing world you also need a footprint.
It's called your 'digital footprint'.
And it's very important.
In fact, the topic of creating a digital footprint was discussed at the recent workshops I have given about using social media.
You see, when people 'see' you online, they usually only get a glimpse of you. Maybe they read an article written by you. Or maybe they see one of your blog posts. Or maybe they read comments on your wall at Facebook.
But that's not enough. They will want more... because they only have part of the puzzle.
They need to be able to follow your digital footprint to get the complete picture.
OK, so what is your digital footprint?
My definition of a 'digital footprint' is:
The combination of online information, links and interaction that will lead a prospect to your main marketing message.
Your digital footprint can include your website, blog, social network participation, PDF documents, audio recordings, online presentations, micro-blogging (such as Twitter), photo sharing, video publication and more.
Example #1
Let's look at a simple example. You publish a blog. And you have readers who receive updates when you publish each post. When your readers visit your blog and read your post, what do they do if they want to know more about you? Or if they want to find out details of your services?
In most cases they will visit your website. There will be a link on your blog to your website. That's pretty much standard practice now.
Example #2
Let's look at a more complex example. An example that reaches even more prospects. You publish your blog. But you also use Twitter and you also have a profile on a social networking website called LinkedIn.
Now when you publish your blog post you also send a Tweet mentioning the new post, with a short URL link to your blog. At the same time you are also participating in an online discussion at LinkedIn about a topic you are knowledgeable on.
Someone reading your comments at LinkedIn likes what they see. So they 'follow' you on Twitter - to see what else you might have to say or recommend. They are interested in your 'tweet' about your blog post and visit your blog. They like what they find there and
decide to visit your website for even more details on what you can offer.
See what happened?
Your expanded digital footprint in the second example (website, blog, Twitter, LinkedIn) encouraged your prospect to learn more about you at each step they took.
They followed your footprint.
It was easy for them to find out more about you.
And it was very easy for you to tell them more about you. In fact, you didn't push any information at all. They took it from you.
And the best thing is... by the time your prospect reaches your main marketing message (usually on your website) they have really gained a much stronger image of who you are and how you can help them.
Your digital footprint has done it's job of leading prospects to you.
How to Successfully Use Your Digital Footprint Essential in a social media world - To learn more about this author, visit Stuart Ayling's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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