In the world of company development and branding, going digital is all the buzz. So simply what is digital marketing and how can we use it to grow our businesses?
Digital Marketing Defined
Digital marketing is the marketing and promotion of companies and their brands through digital media channels. Digital media, at the moment, consists of sites, social networks, radio, tv, mobile and even kinds of typically non-digital media such as billboards and transit signs. Basically any marketing media that is delivered digitally is considered digital marketing.
This leaves only numerous types of person-to-person (P2P) marketing, print advertising and direct marketing outside of the digital marketing umbrella. Even then, print advertisements, direct-mail advertising, print directories, billboards and posters are all beginning to link to their digital counterparts. With products like URL landing pages, QR codes, web banner advertising, online directories and text codes, standard advertising and marketing generally has a digital marketing connection.
Why the Focus on Digital Media?
The shift to digital media is being driven by marketing companies, business owners and consumers alike. The ever-increasing demand to show quantifiable results makes going digital a dream for the digital marketing company. Many digital media, including sites, social media and mobile marketing is much easier to track than standard marketing media such as print advertising.
For company owner, lots of forms of digital marketing are very low cost. Having a web existence, engaging clients in conversations through social media and e-mail marketing are low cost options to print marketing and direct-mail advertising. These digital channels are readily available to services of any size, and assist to even the playing field for start-ups, small businesses and independent consultants looking for brand-new organisation.
For consumers, the fast lane of life makes digital advertising a must. When consumers are in need of products and services, gone are the days of thumbing through a phone book to discover them. Now, we take out our mobile phones or head to our computer systems for responses – and we find them quick.
Utilizing Digital Media to Develop Your Business and Brand
No matter what size your business is – big or small to medium sized service/ enterprise (SMB or SME) – you can effectively market your organisation through low-priced digital channels. The foundation of your marketing efforts will be your site. Invest carefully in your site, and be sure that it does the following:
Properly represents your service and brand (look, messaging).
Adequately speaks to your target market.
Can be discovered by searchers on the top search engines.
Is up-to-date and quickly accessible.
Supplies numerous channels for client communication.
Connects to other marketing efforts.
It is suggested that you deal with an expert website design company that is experienced in web development and seo. Since your site is the structure to and from which all other digital channels will lead, it needs to be considered one of your leading organisation financial investments.
As soon as you have your site total, the next steps would be to release regular monthly or bi-monthly email projects, and connect with customers via social networks. If you are really on a small budget plan, these are efforts that can be done internal (by someone with the appropriate understanding) or for a low cost by an outdoors digital marketing firm. Be sure that all of your efforts lead clients back to your website where they can fully engage with your service, product or services, and pick the channels through which they call you.
If you’re interested in getting aggressive with search marketing, you can set aside some digital marketing dollars for search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing. Many businesses today rely greatly on being discovered online to gain new clients. A common misconception amongst business owners is that just having a website indicates that clients will find it. Not so. Your site needs to be developed with particular key words and phrases, meta data, page content and connecting techniques that will help it reach leading search rankings.
Since lots of keywords and phrases have stiff competitors for top search rankings, you will need to supplement your organic search engine optimization efforts with pay-per-click advertising. Getting established with pay-per-click marketing campaign can be a little complicated, however with a little time, effort and guideline, that too can be accomplished internal, or for a sensible cost through an outside digital marketing company.
Beyond e-mail, social networks marketing and search engine marketing, you can venture into a host of other digital marketing efforts. Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards and far more are available as marketing outlets. Whatever digital efforts you select, they should all link and connect into your structure – your business website. Learn more about #1 digital agency here.