In today’s Internet-driven world, digital marketing has become a vital component of any business marketing strategy. It doesn’t matter if you run a small local shop or a multinational enterprise. With customers spending most of their time online and researching before they make a purchase, online tactics such as search engine optimization(SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) get you right in front of your target audience.
In fact, data from HubSpot states that about 64% of marketers invest time actively in SEO.If you still don’t have a digital marketing strategy in place, you’re likely falling behind your competitors.
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What is Digital Marketing?
With how accessible the internet is today, can you believe that the number of online users increases with each passing day? According to Pew Research, constant internet usage increased by 5% in just the last three years. And though you may hear it a lot, the way people shop and buy has changed along with the times, especially given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, offline marketing or traditional advertising isn’t as effective as it used to be.
Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience at the right time and in the right place. Today, that means meeting them where they’respending most of their time: on the internet.
Enter digital marketing.
In a nutshell, digital marketing is an umbrella term for all the online marketing efforts of your company. Many businesses leverage online channels such as Google search, email, social media, and their websites to connect with prospects and customers. From your business’ website itself to various social media platforms, there’s a huge spectrum of techniques that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing.
Common examples include:
- SEO – the practice of optimizing your website to increase your chances of appearing on the first pages of search results. The higher your ranking, the more organic traffic you’ll likely receive.
- Content Marketing – blogs, infographics, eBooks, and videos all fall under Content Marketing. These pieces of content act as a magnet for qualified leads when they go online to search about topics related to your brand.
- Social Media – allows you to share your content and engage in virtual conversations. It’s also used to connect and build lasting relationships with prospects and loyal customers.
The best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each technique supports their overarching goals. They also use tactics such as digital marketing segmentation to spend their marketing budget efficiently and reach their target audience.
How can Digital Marketing Speed Business Growth?
Okay, let’s cut to the chase: why exactly should you start investing in digital marketing?
Digital marketing is an excellent solution for businesses of all types and sizes but if you’re just getting started, here are the five major reasons:
Reach the right people, in the right place, at the right time
The internet, specifically Google, is your gateway to people who might become your customers someday. With an online presence, you can reach more qualified leads than if you rely solely on offline marketing. And if you do it properly, such as taking into consideration the SEO ranking factors, you can get in front of customers at the right moment in their buyer’s journey.
While it might be a tough pill to swallow, cold calling and direct mail have become outdated tactics. It’s a harsh truth but with people constantly using smartphones, customers are too busy looking at a digital screen rather than print ads or brochures. Either that or they get turned off by anything that looks too much like a hard-sell advertisement.
Gather measurable results to improve your strategy
One of the major benefits of digital marketing is that it allows marketers to see real-time, accurate results.If you’ve ever put up a billboard ad or an advert in a newspaper, you know it’s impossible to measure the impact it had on your business. There’s just no way to count all of the people who saw and paid attention to it. On the other hand, with digital marketing, you can accurately measure the ROI of pretty much any tactic you use.
Unlike traditional methods, you know precisely who you’re targeting, how your audience is reacting to your ads, your chances at conversion, and other aspects. Additionally, you achieve measurable results that help set a flexible budget and keep your business competitive in the market.
Compete with top brands in the industry
Thanks to digital marketing, it’s possible for even a small local business to challenge the hegemony of the industry’s big players. As you have access to the same tools and techniques of big brands, you play with the same rules and techniques in order to reach potential leads. With SEO, pay-per-click, and social media marketing, you can give top players a run for their money.
Communicates two A’s: Authority and Authenticity
Customers are becoming more and more discerning about the products they buy and the businesses they support. Before checking out their carts, they do a quick search to see if you have a website or a presence in social media channels. What happens if they don’t find you online? They’re likely to think that your business can’t be trusted.
Studies show that brand trust is incredibly important. Having a website or a social media account that you update regularly with relevant content builds your brand’s authority and makes a lasting impression on prospects. It shows that your business is trustworthy and that what you offer will be of value to them.
You can also show authenticity with your online presence. Nowadays, people are no longer interested in supporting businesses that only want their money. Letting your brand’s personality shine through in your website or social media posts elevates your business above your competitors by making people feel that you understand their needs.
Digital Marketing Tips to Help Boost Your Business
However, in a competitive market where more and more businesses areopting for digital instead of traditional marketing, it’s wise to be proactive and innovativein order to thrive and stay ahead of your competitors. Here are four ways to leverage digital marketing for maximum impact and achieve greater success.
Focus on conversions, not just leads
When you want a solid digital marketing strategy, you plenty of data. Data and metrics will be the driving influence of your marketing team when it comes to making decisions and actions. This means digging through data to understand where your prospects are spending their time, and then targeting them with content that’s relevant to their needs.
Targeting specific demographics with digital marketing segmentation is much more effective than just casting a wide net and then hoping for the best.By targeting prospects and customers with specific content, you go further in pushing people’s decisions towards making a purchase. This includes presenting them with product recommendations, blog articles that answer their search queries,or testimonials that improve their trust in your brand.
Long-term value over short-term
Shooting for short-term wins is tempting but marketers should always aim for long-term value. This means conducting extensive research that pays off in the long run instead of blindly pouring resources into a one-off campaign without testing the playing field.
For example, with technology constantly changing at a rapid pace, there are always ideas and trends that become the “hot new thing” in the industry. Rather than joining the bandwagon instantly, marketers need to first analyze if the business will benefit from these trends and if it will positively impact long-term growth and revenue.
Invest in digital customer service
You may think, “What does digital marketing have to do with customer service?” That’s a valid question as it’s often easy to forget that every single interaction a customer has with a business counts as customer service.
While the concept of customer service appears as a fundamental concern reserved for brick-and-mortar stores, not necessarily online retailers, many of today’s top brands understand the importance of excellent digital customer service. Whether it’s through helpful chat bots on Facebook, compelling welcome pages, or personalized emails, that personal digital touch makes all the difference in ensuring stellar customer experience.
Create the ultimate buyer’s journey
As it becomes easier for marketers to understand their customers in-depth, it’s also easier to identify each stage of the buyer’s journey. Digital marketers are now equipped with tools to determine the type of content their audience gravitates toward, and then build upon that momentum for maximum ROI.
For instance, if your business notices that the majority of your website visitors come from Facebook posts, you can beef up your social media marketing campaign and create smoother transitions so customers get from Point A to Point B in a seamless manner.
Marketers also need to optimize their mobile platforms to enhance the shopping experience of online buyers.
Grow Your Brand Online with Digital Marketing
These days, it’s hard to compete and grow your business without an online presence. That’s where digital marketing comes in.
Digital marketing offers all types of businesses with incredible and flexible opportunities for continuous growth. Now that you’ve learned the ins and outs of digital marketing in this article, as well as effective tactics for your strategy, it’s up to you to take advantage of them.
