What Is Digital Marketing? A Guide to Marketing in Today's Digital World
In the world of business development and branding, going digital is all the buzz. So just what is digital marketing and how can we use it to grow our businesses?
Digital Marketing Defined
Digital marketing is the advertising and promotion of
businesses and their brands through digital media channels. Digital media, at
the moment, includes websites, social media, radio, television, mobile and even
forms of traditionally non-digital media such as billboards and transit signs.
Essentially any marketing media that is delivered electronically is considered
digital marketing.
This leaves only various forms of person-to-person (P2P)
marketing, print advertising and direct marketing outside of the digital
marketing umbrella. Even then, print ads, direct mail, print directories,
billboards and posters are all starting to connect to their digital
counterparts. With items like URL landing pages, QR codes, web banner
advertising, online directories and text codes, traditional marketing and
advertising almost always has a digital marketing connection.
Why the Focus on Digital Media?
The shift to digital media is being driven by marketing
agencies, business owners and consumers alike. The ever-increasing demand to
show quantifiable results makes going digital a dream for the digital marketing
agency. Most digital media, including websites, social media and mobile advertising
is much easier to track than traditional marketing media such as print
advertising.
For business owners, many forms of digital advertising are
very low cost. Having a web presence, engaging customers in conversations
through social media and e-mail marketing are low cost alternatives to print
advertising and direct mail. These digital channels are available to businesses
of any size, and help to even the playing field for start-ups, small businesses
and independent consultants seeking new business.
For consumers, the fast pace of life makes digital
advertising a must. When consumers are in need of goods and services, gone are
the days of thumbing through a phonebook to find them. Now, we whip out our
mobile devices or head to our computers for answers - and we find them fast.
Using Digital Media to Build Your Business and Brand
No matter what size your business is - large or small to
medium sized business / enterprise (SMB or SME) - you can effectively market
your business through low-cost digital channels. The foundation of your
marketing efforts will be your website. Invest wisely in your website, and be
sure that it does the following:
Adequately represents your business and brand (look and
feel, messaging)
Adequately speaks to your target audience
Can be found by searchers on top search engines
Is up-to-date and easily navigable
Provides multiple channels for customer communication
Connects to other marketing efforts
It is recommended that you work with a professional web
design firm that is skilled in web development and search engine optimization.
Because your website is the foundation to and from which all other digital
channels will lead, it should be considered one of your top business
investments.
Once you have your website complete, the next steps would be
to launch regular monthly or bi-monthly e-mail campaigns, and connect with
customers via social media. If you are truly on a shoestring budget, these are
efforts that can be done in-house (by someone with the proper knowledge) or for
a low cost by an outside digital marketing agency. Be sure that all of your
efforts lead customers back to your website where they can fully engage with
your business, products and services, and choose the channels through which
they contact 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 advertising. Many businesses today rely heavily
on being found online to gain new customers. A common misconception among
business owners is that simply having a website means that customers will find
it. Not so. Your site must be built with specific key words and phrases, meta
data, page content and linking strategies that will help it reach top search
rankings.
Because many key words and phrases have stiff competition
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 advertising campaigns can be a little daunting, but with a little
time, effort and instruction, that too can be accomplished in-house, or for a
reasonable cost through an outside digital marketing agency.
Beyond e-mail, social media marketing and search engine
marketing, you can venture into a host of other digital marketing efforts.
Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards and much more are
available as marketing outlets. Whatever digital efforts you choose, they
should all connect and tie into your foundation - your company website.
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