Has digital marketing caused traditional marketing mediums  to become obsolete? No, but  digital and online marketing is exceptionally important for your business. With over 4.9 billion global users online, how can you not consider digital marketing as a strategy for your business?. In layman’s terms, digital marketing can be considered any form of online marketing and it is booming! Businesses across the globe are exploiting various channels of digital marketing to increase their brand awareness online.         

The What

So, what exactly is digital marketing? Digital marketing refers to the use of the internet combined with various technologies to market products, businesses and services online. This includes the use of mobile phones, laptops and any other digital medium available. Digital marketing utilises various online channels such as social media, search engines, emails and websites. These channels are ultimately used to communicate and connect with users online. Digital marketing also contains other aspects such as display advertising, digital media and various analytics. 

The aim of digital marketing is to build rapport with users online and establish an online presence in the ever changing and dynamic digital world. Setting goals for your business is crucial and digital marketing is a tool that can be implemented to achieve those goals. Digital marketing can be used to increase market share, create and develop new product or service campaigns, understand your clients better and improve your overall sales revenue and profitability.

The Why

‍Now that we have a basic understanding of digital marketing, why is it so important? With digital marketing, the possibilities are endless. This form of marketing allows businesses to reach larger audiences and connect on a deeper and more personal level with viewers and clients. This brings us to our first point which includes improved relationships with your audience. Digital marketing offers exceptionally powerful communication tools that allow you to interact with your customers through real-time connections. Businesses that actively communicate with their intended target audience build long-term relationships and improve trust with both existing and  potential clients. 

Digital marketing means flexibility and adaptability. With traditional marketing mediums, once a decision has been made it is very difficult to alter or change your design and/ or messaging and once a campaign is out there, it's out there to stay. The opposite is true with digital or online marketing. Strategies can easily be adapted or changed completely  if need be. This also mitigates the risk factor as the overall investment is usually miniscule compared to traditional marketing methods involving print, distribution or air time. Digital marketing also allows for tracking and analytics which provide real time feedback and determines your ROI. This means you are able to identify which channels are working and which aren’t performing as well. This allows your business to target a specific demographic and audience and is commonly referred to as specific targeting.

The How

‍Digital marketing sounds great but how does it work and how can you implement it within your business? There are many different types or forms of digital marketing. These channels are an extremely effective way of reaching your intended target audience as well as increasing awareness for your brand online. The methods used largely depend on the budget of your business as well as the results you are looking to achieve.

One of the first channels to consider is content marketing. This is a powerful way to build relationships with your intended target audience. Creating and sharing content that is valuable, relevant and informative can build trust and loyalty with your audience. Content marketing is also great for brand awareness and driving an audience to your website. Content marketing can include blogs, podcasts or visual infographics. Businesses also need to consider search engine optimization as a digital marketing channel. Search engine optimization aims to improve the online presence and visibility of your website through organic results or paid results. A strong SEO strategy will help your business build and maintain a strong online presence and yield long-term results. 

Email marketing is an extremely popular form of digital marketing. This is a form of direct marketing that is used to promote various products or services being offered by your business. Once a business acquires leads which include contact information, you can set up automated newsletters in order to keep in touch with existing and new clients. Search engine marketing utilises paid advertising in order to improve your search engine results page when individuals search for keywords that relate to your business. This channel puts your business at the forefront for those individuals who are already interested in what your business has to offer. There are many other forms of digital marketing tools available and we recommend you sign up for our emails to learn more if you have not already done so. The purpose of this post is to give you a basic understanding as to why you should consider implementing a digital marketing strategy for your business.