If you’re not using digital marketing in your sales process by now you’re already behind. Roughly 90% of top performing salespeople use social selling to set goals and meet objectives. And with the seemingly endless addition of new profiles to sites like Facebook and Twitter created daily, it’s hard to imagine this trend fading away any time soon. Fortunately there are some methods to integrate digital marketing in a fast and effective way that will give your business that well-deserved boost.

What is digital marketing and social selling?

You already encounter digital marketing every day (if not every hour, depending on your technology diet). Any platform that can be accessed via your phone, tablet, or computer is a venue for digital marketing. Ads can be found in the form of email newsletters, banners, display ads, and even less obvious methods like search engine optimization. Since there are so many ways to use digital marketing it’s important to zero in on the strategy that makes the most sense for you and your business.

Social selling reaches consumers using social media platforms you’re probably already familiar with. Each company has their own best practices for getting seen by prospects so, much like the broader category of digital marketing, be sure to consider these differences in your strategy.

Here are some excellent examples of digital marketing you can use for your equipment business:

1. A user-friendly website that offers complex features with a simple design. Make sure that your navigation is easy to use and fill out all product descriptions to their fullest including any photos, demonstration videos, and history that is important to your customers and their interest in your sales pitch.
2. Run paid ads on Google known as PPC, or Pay Per Click, ads. They appear at the top and bottom of Google’s search results page with a clearly distinguished label. This type of advertisement only charges you if someone clicks the link to your website. Getting these right may require some trial and error. Start by identifying if competitors are running PPC ads checking search terms that you know customers use to find your business. Look for actionable insights, just like you would when you run reports for your business.
3. Develop comprehensive social media profiles and engage with your audience on a regular basis. Use testimonials, fun facts, and important announcements to keep new and old clients interested. Get to know your customers on a more personal level. If you have the time and resources, video marketing is extremely popular these days.

Although there are many more ways to utilize digital marketing in your sales process, these examples are a good place to start. Check to make sure your business management software, like ASPEN, offers external integrations for digital marketing tools like MailChimp, an email newsletter platform.