Features Business
Digital marketing for groundwater professionals, part 2

Even though you know the workflow we described previously – evangelism, interaction and repurposing – how can you make sure you don’t do it badly? Here’s a look at basic tools every company needs.

A website is the keystone of your digital marketing strategy. It’s the place where you tell your story the way you want it to be told. You can use pictures and content that reflect your work and your people. You can offer testimonials from clients who appreciate your experience. But it’s not just a one-way flow of information. Using your website as a hub for your content means your digital marketing drives traffic to your website, which is where you learn about your visitors. You can track visitors using analytics, which tells you where they are coming from, where they live and what they want from you. Analytics provides information that can help convert interest into sales. 

And your website does one more thing – it helps people find you online. Structuring your website content so that search engines can find you means that everyone who looks online can find you too. Which takes us back to the beginning: when visitors find you online, you want to be sure that you’re sharing a compelling story that will make them reach out to you. 

Social media is where networking happens in our digital age. With all the options, including Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn, it can be daunting to know where to start. To keep it simple, start with one and implement an organized approach that includes regular posts (at minimum one per week) on a variety of topics, with interaction and carefully planned repurposing. 

For most businesses in the groundwater industry, LinkedIn is the best place to start. Set up a corporate page and make sure all of your employees are also on LinkedIn and reposting. This helps draw more attention from a broader audience to your posts. More advanced social media approaches include preparing different types of content to be posted on a wider number of social media platforms, which drives more traffic but also requires more of your company’s resources.

Other digital marketing materials are commonly developed from the printed media that was used for marketing in the past. These include regular newsletters, brochures and case histories. However, if they are intended for digital marketing, they need to use the tools available for digital delivery. What works on paper is not always what works on the web. Some newer tools include creating enewsletters that contain hyperlinks to past projects, animated project summaries and interactive project case histories. To take a visual approach, many businesses are starting to use the technique of “scrollytelling,” which offers a vertical flow of information reflecting how individual users scroll on their screens or mobile devices.

Hosting webinars is ideal for helping to establish your company as an industry expert. Events are also great marketing opportunities and ideal candidates for the evangelism, interaction and repurposing workflow. There is a wide variety of software available to help make hosting events easier while providing a better experience than a basic Zoom meeting. This can get involved and likely requires the help of a specialized consultant to make it work well and make you look good.

There are many tools available to help you get your message out effectively online, but it can take some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. If you don’t have the expertise in house, it’s a good idea to get some guidance from someone who does rather than go it alone from the outset.  

Dave Mercer, P. Geo, operates Underground Communications, offering specialized business development and marketing services in geology-related industries. Dave is also currently general manager of the BCGWA. He can be reached at Dave@undergroundcommunications.ca.