Marketing is all about reaching your target audience in the most effective ways. Today, one of the best ways to connect with people is online. According to Pew Research, 85% of Americans are online every day. This includes 31% that are “constantly” online throughout the day. With so many online users, it makes sense to find them where they spend their time – on the internet! In other words, digital marketing is vital for your business's success. Let’s talk about digital marketing, how it will help your business, and tips to improve your digital marketing.
What is digital marketing?
To put it simply, digital marketing is any form of marketing online. Digital marketers have the same goals as traditional marketers but use different mediums to achieve those goals. They use various online channels such as social media, email, websites, text, and search engines to promote their business and connect with potential customers.
10 benefits of digital marketing
Why is digital marketing the hottest marketing strategy today? Here is a list of 10 great benefits:
Global reach: The beauty of marketing online is that you can reach your target audience in all corners of the globe. As of April 2022, there are over 5 billion internet users worldwide. This opens up opportunities to expose your brand to people that otherwise would have never learned about you.
Target niche audiences: With digital marketing, you have more control over connecting with your niche target audiences. You will avoid shotgun marketing tactics that waste your time, money, and energy. There are online tools that track user’s online activities and demographic information to help you easily find those you are searching for.
It’s affordable: The return on investment (ROI) for digital marketing is significantly higher than traditional marketing. If you were to use a traditional marketing strategy such as running an ad in a magazine, you spend a chunk of your marketing budget hoping that your target audience will see your ad. If you want to connect with them again, you will need to pay for additional printed ads. In contrast, with digital marketing, you have more control over reaching your target audience through your social media or business website for years to come with limited or no additional costs.
Higher conversion rates: It is much easier to track where your leads come from online than through traditional marketing methods. Knowing where the majority of your leads are coming from will guide you in knowing what digital marketing methods you should focus on. By doing so, you will be investing in people who will have the highest chance of converting into customers.
Connect with your audience: Social media, email, and other various communication channels make it easier for you to engage with your customers. These channels give you the power to influence your niche audiences’ opinions of your brand. For example, you can learn what questions, concerns, and desires your customers have by running an Instagram Live Q&A session, reading online reviews, and sending online surveys. As you address those needs, you will build credibility as an expert in your field.
Customer loyalty: Increased engagement with your customers creates brand loyalty. You can influence customer retention through interacting on social media or sending special discount codes to these loyal customers. Those that are loyal to your brand will be high-quality customers that will stick around for years to come and will share your brand with others.
Build an online presence: Strengthening your search engine optimization (SEO) will generate more leads and close business opportunities. Google processes over 8.5 billion searches a day. Google Trends will show you the past and current volume of the keywords and phrases your target audience is searching for online. Building online content with these popular keywords and phrases will strengthen your footprint, making you more visible and easier to find.
Measurable results: Creating and implementing a marketing strategy is only half the battle. Gathering, studying, and adjusting your strategies based on prior performance is the best way to improve your digital marketing efforts. Digital marketing has current and accurate ways to track how you are doing. Many online channels such as social media or Google have analytic tools for you to gather the information you need.
Close more business: Having online communication channels leads to more sales. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 48% of U.S. shoppers say that they are spending more online as they have searched for alternative routes to make purchases. These habits seem to be staying even as the world reopens. Many social media platforms have created features for a seamless purchase experience to meet the demand. A recent study shares that 82% of surveyors discovered a product on social media and bought it directly on their phones. Even if you do not have a physical product to sell online, consumers will evaluate your services and start conversations with you online.
Be competitive: Without digital marketing, you will quickly get left behind as your competition gains the attention and loyalty of your target audience. Having an effective online marketing strategy will ensure that you are staying ahead of your competitors.
5 things you can do this week to improve your digital marketing strategy
Don’t know where to start? It can be difficult trying to take your digital marketing strategy to the next level when you’re unsure of what to do. Consider focusing on these 5 digital marketing practices this week to help you gain the momentum your business needs:
Update your website: If you don’t already have a website then you definitely need to create one. Make sure your website is optimized for search results, provide relevant information, and update your FAQs, contact information, and location if applicable.
Create your own content: People love to see your authentic self! Share your knowledge on Instagram stories, host Facebook Live videos with a guest, create infographics explaining your product, write a blog, or create a podcast about interesting content in your field. Make sure that your content is always high quality and not rushed to meet a deadline. Viewers will make quick judgments on the level of your expertise based on the quality of your content.
Distribute your content on social media: Social media is a fast, effective, and affordable way to reach a large audience. There are great features on each platform to make your content visible. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest are the most widely used.
Engage with your target audience: Post frequently, create reels or Instagram Stories, collaborate with other brands, like and respond to comments, and ask creative, conversation-sparking questions to stay engaged with your followers.
The best practice is to check for reviews, comments, and direct messages at least once a day. The more active you are with replying to people, the more control you have over conversations about your business online. Also, the more likely a broader audience will see your interaction with that customer. Keep your replies respectful, uplifting, and thoughtful to show your customers that you value their thoughts, questions, and concerns.
Improve your sales strategy: Your strategy will evolve in time as you learn what content, digital channels, and approaches are more successful than others. Take the time to study your online performance analytics to guide you in your decision-making. It’s important to remain flexible in your approach.
All of the 5 tips listed above can be put to work for your business this week. They’re not impossible to implement and can help you move in the direction you need.
Still have questions about digital marketing? Let us know by filling out the form below! We want to help you achieve your goals!