“What is one digital marketing strategy that you found surprisingly effective for your business? What made this strategy stand out to you?” Here is what 18 thought leaders have to say.
- Create Engaging Customer Success Narratives
- Use Targeted Email Marketing Automation
- Leverage Short Video Content
- Incorporate User-Generated Content Campaigns
- Build Topical Authority
- Repurpose Content into New Formats
- Sponsor Industry Publications and Conferences
- Collaborate on Podcasts and Partnerships
- Engage with Local Industry Groups
- Utilize Digital PR and Thought Leadership
- Host Live Q&A Sessions
- Send VIP Long-Form Email Newsletters
- Optimize Google Business Profile
- Combine SEO with Segmented Retargeting
- Conduct Competitive SEO Analysis
- Leverage Influencer and Word-of-Mouth SEO
- Create Emotionally Resonant Social Media Content
- Raise Brand Awareness Consistently
Create Engaging Customer Success Narratives
Our most surprisingly effective digital marketing strategy has been creating detailed customer success case studies and sharing them through LinkedIn. While this might seem basic, we transformed traditional case studies into engaging “behind-the-scenes” narratives that resonated deeply with our target audience.
Instead of just presenting the standard problem-solution-results format, we focused on telling the complete journey, including the setbacks and unexpected challenges our clients faced. We included specific details about failed attempts before working with us, the internal debates, and even moments of doubt during implementation. This raw authenticity resonated strongly with prospects who were facing similar challenges.
What made this strategy particularly effective was its compounding effect. Our featured clients became enthusiastic advocates, actively sharing and commenting on these posts, significantly expanding our reach. The detailed insights positioned us as transparent thought leaders rather than just another service provider. These stories also became valuable sales tools – our team could point potential clients to specific case studies that mirrored their situations.
While whitepapers and traditional marketing content typically generated 5-10 qualified leads per month, each case study consistently brought in 15-20 highly qualified prospects already familiar with our approach. The trust factor was notably higher in these conversations since prospects had already seen concrete examples of how we handle challenges and setbacks.
The most unexpected benefit was how these case studies improved our client onboarding process. New clients would reference specific approaches from our published case studies, making aligning expectations from day one easier. Many would say, “We want to try that approach you used with Company X, but adapt it for our situation.”
This strategy stood out because it transformed what is often considered dry corporate content into a powerful trust-building tool across our marketing and sales pipeline for multiple purposes.
Lisa Benson, Marketing Strategist, DeBella DeBall Designs
Use Targeted Email Marketing Automation
One digital marketing strategy that stood out to me was using email marketing with targeted automation to engage our audience. At Parachute, we noticed that many prospective clients downloaded our cybersecurity ebooks but didn’t take the next step. We set up a follow-up sequence, sending tailored content that expanded on the ebook topics and offered simple, actionable tips. The personalized emails kept the conversation going and often led to consult requests. The key was offering value at every touchpoint, not just pitching services.
What made this approach effective was the timing and relevance. Instead of generic follow-ups, we used data to understand what topics interested each group and focused on their concerns. For example, if someone downloaded an ebook about phishing prevention, the next email might include a case study showing how a business avoided a phishing attack. This approach built trust and positioned us as a resource, not just a vendor.
My advice is to focus on your audience’s interests and solve a problem they care about. Automation tools can help, but the message itself needs to feel personal and thoughtful. Keep experimenting with content types and see what resonates most. It’s about building a relationship, not just completing a transaction.
Elmo Taddeo, CEO, Parachute
Leverage Short Video Content
We’re pushing video marketing, specifically short videos. I feel that people want to consume something fast, visually and digestibly, and that fits well with the way that search engines take into account their user’s preferences. We’ve been composing quick and to the point videos that demonstrate information or a narrative in less than a minute. Such videos work very well on all platforms and they’re great for on-page metrics such as time on site. My own personal experience shows you that embedding videos into landing pages or blog posts also improves the chance of ranking because search engines consider those pages as richer content.
Plus, we’re being a little more aggressive with paid ads as part of our SEO campaign. In truth, this sounds counterintuitive at first but ads visibility is what often generates traffic that leads to higher organic ranking over time. For instance, if we advertise something new and bring in early visitors it will send a powerful signal to search engines that it’s worth seeing. My own thought is that fusing video marketing with paid ads was one of our best moves because we can make the most sense of everything – snagging quick clicks and accruing SEO value in the long run. It’s about staying innovative and getting people where they are.
Craig Focht, Cofounder & CEO, All Pro Door Repair
Incorporate User-Generated Content Campaigns
One of the most impressive digital marketing moves I ever made was actually incorporating user-generated content (UGC) campaigns. This method helped increase engagement and fostered a sense of community around our brand as our customers shared their experiences using our products on social media. What really caught my attention about this was how it used the authenticity of the customers’ voices – that is to say, no marketing felt more authentic and related than this.
The UGC campaign involved setting up a specific hashtag for customers to upload their content. We would then post selected items on our official channels, and that’s what kept more users coming on board. This strategy not only led to an increase in visibility but also maintained trust with the potential customers because they experienced the use of products made for real people.
This experience has taught me that community engagement is powerful. Involving our customers directly in the marketing process not only enhanced brand loyalty but also created a lot of authentic content that would resonate with new audiences. That means sometimes the best marketing comes from the customers themselves.
Sheraz Ali, Founder & CEO, HARO Links Builder
Build Topical Authority
One surprisingly effective digital marketing strategy we’ve embraced is building topical authority. Instead of just focusing on high-traffic keywords, we created in-depth content clusters that fully covered specific topics our audience cared about. The idea was to become the go-to source of expertise in our niche, answering every possible question our customers might have.
What made it stand out? It wasn’t just about traffic-it was about relevance. Search engines recognized us as an authority, which boosted our rankings across multiple keywords. More importantly, our audience started trusting us as a reliable source, which led to higher engagement and conversions.
The takeaway: Don’t just chase keywords; dominate topics. When you deliver comprehensive, valuable content, the search engines and your audience will reward you for it.
Luke Beerman, Owner, Freedom Fence FL
Repurpose Content into New Formats
Possibly the coolest way we’re extending SEO is putting existing content into entirely new formats. Repurposing content actually works so well! This is where creativity meets strategy, because it allows you to scale a single concept while introducing it to a whole new audience.
Let’s say we take a longer blog post and break it down into short videos, infographics, or even a podcast. Each type of format caters to a different type of audience, and I believe that’s important to staying in the game. In addition, these diverse formats give us the ability to target a wide range of search results – text, image, video – and offer a broader reach without having to constantly invent something new.
This even allows us to discover gaps we didn’t know existed. To be honest, the repurposed stuff requires you to reevaluate the way you share information and it can spark new thoughts. For example, we adapted a case study to a slideshow, and found some of the images to be better suited as standalone social posts. Those posts redirected readers back to the original blog in unexpected ways. I think what’s so cool about this approach is that it’s very effective, but also incredibly flexible, because we can be conservative and try out new things with our readers.
Lydia Valentine, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Cohort XIII LLC
Sponsor Industry Publications and Conferences
I’ve discovered that our strategic membership and sponsorship in targeted industry publications and conferences has been a game-changing digital marketing approach. We go beyond traditional sponsorship by backing the mobile apps and digital tools used in these conferences, which gives us prominent visibility among decision-makers. Our technical leaders aren’t just attending-they’re presenting groundbreaking insights and moderating panels that establish our firm as a true thought leadership brand. By sharing our conference experiences across our professional social channels, we create additional touchpoints that extend our reach and demonstrate our deep industry engagement, naturally attracting high-value prospects seeking genuine technological expertise.
Ashwin Thapliyal, Head of Marketing, Exemplifi
Collaborate on Podcasts and Partnerships
We’ve been working on podcasts and collaborations to organically and creatively advance our SEO. Podcasts allow us to publish content that’s useful and appeal to targeted, targeted listeners. For instance, when we produce or guest on digital marketing podcasts, we are able to discuss trends, case studies, and tricks, thus getting people to go to our site for more resources. These episodes are then recorded and recycled into blogs or social media posts, creating endless new word-stuffed material that search engines will find helpful and pertinent.
Partnerships with like-minded brands and professionals are another option that’s been successful for us. We get to meet new people and receive backlinks from the right sites which increases the credibility of our area. For example, we recently collaborated with a SaaS vendor to write a marketing funnel optimization guide which was featured on both sites.
Patrick Beltran, Marketing Director, Ardoz Digital
Engage with Local Industry Groups
Over the past several years, I’ve learned that some of the most effective marketing strategies aren’t flashy and rooted in human connection. One approach that’s consistently delivered results is engaging with local industry groups through targeted email outreach.
These groups are filled with professionals facing similar challenges, making them perfect networks for collaboration and trust-building. By crafting personalized emails that directly address their pain points and referencing our shared affiliations, I’ve been able to foster connections that feel authentic and meaningful.
I’ve found that consistently providing value builds your reputation within these groups. Over time, your agency becomes the go-to for solutions, and the referrals naturally follow. These aren’t just any referrals-they’re high-quality leads from people who already trust you, which makes all the difference.
Alex Martkovich, Founder, New Digital
Utilize Digital PR and Thought Leadership
We have turned to digital PR and thought leadership as our main tools for achieving higher SEO rankings and trust. Digital PR also lets us connect with the industry journals, blogs and news media and write data driven stories. We’ve partnered with DIY websites, for example, to include studies on how high efficiency air filters improve indoor air quality. These placements attract targeted traffic to our site and earn us authority backlinks to improve our rankings. And thought leadership complements that by making our brand known as the leader in HVAC and air filtration. We share air quality information, tricks, industry knowledge and seasonal advice with homeowners and business owners so they can make smarter air quality decisions.
It’s something we’ve been collaborating on, to let the press and our customers participate, face-to-face. During peak allergy seasons, for instance, we have sent out press releases about new air filter styles, as well as practical articles like “How to fight allergy with best HVAC filters” on our blog. These efforts are within what people are actively searching for, and get us to the top of the search engine results in the holiday season. And if we pop up in well-known magazines, people think we’re onto something.
Jason Stelle, Digital Marketer, Filterbuy
Host Live Q&A Sessions
A surprisingly effective strategy was hosting live Q&A sessions with users. It let me connect with them directly, answer their questions in real time, and create a personal, open conversation.
This worked so well because it built trust through transparency. People valued immediate, honest answers, and I gained insights into their needs, helping us improve and strengthen our connection with them.
Dinesh Agarwal, Founder, CEO, RecurPost
Send VIP Long-Form Email Newsletters
EDM has always been my most reliable digital content distribution channel since day one. Not only is the list controlled and owned by me, but I also gain access to insights to see which leads have opened and clicked into my content. The challenge with EDM is that many companies send out short announcement newsletters very frequently, which erodes the attention of their readers because they already know what to expect and receive these promotional updates too often.
My most successful EDMs are always my VIP long-form editions, where I send them out once a month and delve deep into valuable lessons I have learned as an entrepreneur and small business owner myself. People not only express anticipation for reading my VIP newsletter, but I also thoroughly enjoy writing them as they provide a more personal touch and connect me with my readers on a much deeper level.
Joyce Tsang, Content Marketer and Founder, Joyce Tsang Content Marketing
Optimize Google Business Profile
The first digital marketing strategy I found effective for my business was optimizing our Google Business Profile. This is a simple and powerful tool. A well crafted Google Business Profile, helped boost our online visibility and attracted more customers. The standout factor was how fast we saw results. Our website traffic increased almost immediately. As did the incoming phone calls. It is a cost-effective way to get a business a solid digital footprint.
Casey Dekker, Digital Marketing Consultant/Copywriter, 8 Count Marketing
Combine SEO with Segmented Retargeting
Combining SEO with segmented retargeting has worked very well for some of my clients. One approach I use is specifically retargeting users who spend more than a minute on certain blog articles on their sites. This strategy allows us to tailor marketing efforts more precisely.
By enhancing the visibility of their content through SEO, we attract a significant number of visitors to their blogs. Then, using data on how long visitors engage with their content, we implement segmented retargeting campaigns. This targets those who’ve shown a deeper interest, likely making them more receptive to our messages. It’s a powerful strategy because it ensures we’re not just reaching a large audience, but actively engaging those who are most interested in what my clients offer, enhancing both conversion rates and ROI.
Marco Genaro Palma, Freelance CMO & SEO Consultant, GenaroPalma.com
Conduct Competitive SEO Analysis
The thing we’re working on here at Modern Exterior besides content and links, though, is getting a little more competitively-oriented. I believe that understanding your competitors can literally re-engineer your SEO strategy. For example, we’re checking out competitor websites via Ahrefs and SEO plugins to see what keywords they’re ranking for. It lets us see where we’re failing and what we can do better.
It teaches us where we can push it up a little bit or be better. It’s, honestly, kind of an end-all-be-all fucking recipe for success if you apply it to your own art career. I’m quite surprised at how useful this is if you’re just getting started with optimizing a site. This week, one of our competitors was ranked number 1 for a keyword that we didn’t have in mind, so we built a service page around it. Within weeks, we were ranked alongside them and receiving fresh leads that we didn’t have before. For me, what makes competitive analysis useful is not knowing what to do but having to think strategically about it.
Tyler Hull, Owner and General Manager, Modern Exterior
Leverage Influencer and Word-of-Mouth SEO
We use some SEO strategies like Influencer and Word of mouth in our overall campaign. We use influencers and micro-communities to build real connections that drive users to our website instead of posts and links. For instance, we allow influencers to share their own content on our platform, bringing not only reputation but also backlinks from their blog, profile or podcast. These links often bring organic traffic that the search engines are aware of and it shows us at the top of searches.
We also use word-of-mouth to scale our SEO efforts. If we ask satisfied customers to post reviews, testimonials and recommendations in forums, social networks and our communities, we are taking advantage of a feed that feeds right into our rankings. This strategy is especially useful since users use recommendations from social friends and those conversations provide new ways for users to interact with our brand.
Anders Bill, Cofounder/CPO, Superfiliate
Create Emotionally Resonant Social Media Content
To improve social media engagement, businesses should focus on creating content that resonates emotionally with their audience. Start by identifying your audience’s core pain points, desires, and interests, then craft posts that offer value-whether that’s through education, entertainment, or inspiration. Consistency is key; post regularly and at times when your audience is most active. Don’t forget to respond promptly to comments and messages to foster a sense of community. Lastly, use platform-specific features like Instagram Stories, LinkedIn polls, or X/Twitter Spaces to encourage interaction and build stronger connections.
Jock Breitwieser, Digital Marketing Strategist, SocialSellinator
Raise Brand Awareness Consistently
While strategies can vary depending on the type of business or niche, you can never go wrong raising awareness of your brand. There are many methods to do that beyond paying for advertising.
Focus on where your existing customers and target audience are already active. That could be on popular websites that have public comments or in Facebook or LinkedIn groups.
The key to success is consistency. Create a strategy of what to share and how often, record that process in writing, and develop a way to track activities and results.
If you’re currently using a productivity or project management tool, use it. And if you aren’t, Trello is a visual option with the lowest learning curve. Start with a free account and upgrade if you want additional features.
Gail ` Gardner, Small Business Marketing Strategist, GrowMap
