Digital Marketing — in some ways, in 2018, this is synonymous with just plain ol' "marketing." Having a strong online presence in today's ultra-competitive digital marketing landscape is obligatory, and there are tools available that are easy to use and practical.

This month we share some of our favorite tips and tricks to take the first step in your Digital Marketing strategy. These are the items and ideas we encourage you to put into your marketing toolbelt.

Paid Social Media

The Social Media landscape in 2018 is very pretty, and very crowded. The competition for your audiences' eyes has never been fiercer — ever. Don't let that discourage you! Sometimes the name of the game is "you get what you pay for" — and paid Social Media can be just that. If your message is clear, and your product is quality, paying to be seen on Social Media can only help your business.

Social Media Analytics & Management

We all know how loud, and how busy the internet can be. When you step into the Marketing landscape this only increases. But this time the noise matters. These are some great tools to help keep track of your social media campaigns and interact with your audiences:

• Sprout Social — A scheduling and engagement monitoring tool that allows you to engage with fans across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in one place.
• Facebook Business Manager/Ads Manager — This is Facebook's business platform where you can create events, monitor check-ins, and mentions — AKA The Good Stuff. This is where you can create all Facebook and Instagram ads, and through this portal you can also create Ad Audiences that we align with the interest of your business.

Email Marketing

Are you ready to read the truest thing you'll see today? Everyone has an email address. There are several email marketing services that make it cost-effective, easy, and sometimes even fun to design and execute Email Marketing campaigns. If you know your customer base and have information that they want to hear, MailChimp, ZenReach, and Constant Contact are services you must become familiar with.

You can't go door-to-door handing out coupons, making announcements, or asking for feedback. You can, however, hit their inbox. Again — when done right this can only help you and your business goals.