DEREK BARKA

MEET DEREK

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

As the Chief Technology Officer for SilverTech, Derek leads the team that helps businesses create profitable relationships throughout the entire customer lifecycle - from lead to loyal, with a strategic combination of engaging web experiences, marketing strategies, and content management solutions. He has helped to create many of the tools that marketers use today to manage websites and digital marketing campaigns, as well as bridging the gap between upper management and the IT and marketing teams. Derek’s unique and unparalleled experiences allow him to work closely with clients to identify stakeholder requirements and technology needs.

Derek’s experience includes web development, software architecture, content management systems, inbound marketing, custom integration, web experience design, SharePoint, and mobile development. He holds certifications as a Kentico Developer, Kentico Marketer, Sitecore Developer, and is one of only a few Sitefinity Champions in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

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Best Ways to Maximize Your 2024 Digital Marketing Budget Before Year-End

10/25/24

As the year winds down, we know that many businesses find themselves with leftover digital marketing budgets. Rather than letting that money go to waste or scrambling to spend it in a disorganized manner, partnering with a digital experience agency like SilverTech can help you maximize your remaining budget and set your brand up for success in 2025.

Here’s how you can strategically use your remaining 2024 digital marketing budget to drive value and impact in the final quarter of this year.

1. Audit and Refresh Your Content

A comprehensive content audit is an excellent way to assess how your existing content is performing and learn where improvements can be made. With a little budget, we can:

  • Identify high-performing content that could be repurposed or updated.
  • Optimize low-performing content for better engagement.
  • Ensure all content aligns with your current brand messaging and SEO trends.

Content marketing continues to be a cornerstone of digital strategies, so a refresh can drive quick wins for both organic search and customer engagement.

2. Boost Your Paid Media Campaigns

With holiday shopping and end-of-year sales in full swing, now is the perfect time to allocate budget toward paid advertising on platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We can help:

  • Optimize existing campaigns with refined targeting to reach highly qualified audiences.
  • Create holiday-specific promotions that cater to customer needs and seasonal trends.
  • Test different ad formats like video or carousel ads to maximize engagement and conversion.

A final push on paid media can yield a strong return, especially during this high-consumer-spending period.

3. Invest in Personalization and Customer Experience Enhancements

Consumers expect a personalized experience across all touchpoints, and your remaining budget can be used to enhance your personalization efforts. SilverTech can implement:

  • Personalized email campaigns based on customer behavior or segmentation.
  • Dynamic website content that adapts based on user preferences.
  • A/B testing of different landing pages, messaging, or CTAs to improve user journeys. 

Investing in personalization and enhancing the customer experience now can lead to higher conversions during the holiday rush and create lasting loyalty into the new year. 

4. Upgrade Your Martech Stack 

If your current marketing tools aren’t delivering the results you need, now is the time to invest in a technology upgrade. Whether it’s adopting a new CRM, analytics tool, or automation platform, we can assist with the integration and implementation. This will enable:

  • Enhanced data collection and insights.
  • More effective automation of campaigns, saving time and resources.
  • Improved customer journey mapping to optimize future marketing efforts. 

Tech investments made now will not only help you wrap up 2024 on a high note but will also allow your  organization to hit the ground running in the new year.

5. Double Down on SEO

SEO is a long-term play, but using your end-of-year budget to bolster your efforts can yield significant results in the coming year. As a digital experience agency, we can: 

  • Conduct a comprehensive SEO audit to identify areas for improvement.
  • Optimize your website for current SEO best practices, including mobile-first indexing and Core Web Vitals.
  • Develop a strategy for targeting high-intent keywords in your industry. 

By investing in SEO now, you’ll be well-positioned to capture organic traffic when search demand picks up in the new year. 

6. Explore Emerging Trends: AI and Automation

2024 has seen a rise in AI-driven marketing and automation, and this trend will continue to grow in 2025. Using your remaining budget to explore AI-based tools can: 

  • Automate customer segmentation and targeting.
  • Personalize email marketing at scale.
  • Use chatbots to enhance customer service and support.

Working with your agency to incorporate AI into your marketing efforts can provide an early advantage over competitors and streamline your operations. 

7. Prepare for 2025 with Strategy and Planning

Finally, a significant way to use your remaining budget is by collaborating with your digital experience agency to plan for 2025. Use this time to: 

  • Evaluate your 2024 performance and identify what worked and what didn’t. 
  • Develop a comprehensive 2025 digital strategy that aligns with your business goals for the new year. 
  • Forecast and allocate budget for new initiatives such as influencer marketing, video content, or experiential campaigns. 

Use this end-of-year period to optimize, innovate, and prepare for a strong start in 2025! Maximizing your remaining 2024 digital marketing budget is about smart, targeted investments that drive immediate results while laying the groundwork for future success. Whether you’re boosting your paid media campaigns, refreshing your content, or upgrading your Martech stack, partnering with a digital experience agency like SilverTech can ensure you’re getting the most out of every dollar. Reach out today and learn more about how we can help.


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