In recent times, business development and branding strategies are evolving from what they used to be due to the increase in the use of the internet and social media. Digital marketing is one of the best tools used for business growth and it’s here to stay. If you’d like to know more about digital marketing, then this post is for you.
What is Digital Marketing?
The promotion and advertisement of businesses (products or services) and their brands using digital media or technologies mainly on the internet is called digital marketing. Digital media includes websites, social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.), radio, television and mobile devices. Billboards and transit signs are also considered as digital media – basically any tool for marketing which is done electronically is known as ‘digital marketing’.
Search engine optimisation is a key aspect of this. You can consult with a professional SEO company offering local SEO services to help. In a bid to proffer solutions to all your difficulties, a local SEO company will first analyze your business and its online visibility issue. Print advertising, various forms of person-to-person (P2P) marketing and direct marketing are outside the scope of digital marketing. Print ads, direct mail, print directories, billboards and posters are all advancing in the digital direction. With tools like URL landing pages (single web page that appears when an online user clicks on a search engine optimized search result), QR codes (a machine-readable code used to provide easy access to information on a smartphone), web banner advertising, online directories and text codes, classical marketing and advertising always has a digital marketing relation.
Why Focus on Digital Media?
Marketing agencies, business owners and consumers have moved from the traditional method to digital media. The ease with which marketing results from most websites, social media and mobile advertising can be estimated, tracked and quantified when compared to traditional marketing media. This has made digital marketing a dream-turned-reality for digital marketing agencies.
The various forms of digital advertising are cost-effective for most business owners. Web presence and engaging in conversation with customers using social media and e-mail marketing are cheap when compared to print advertising and direct mail. Businesses of any size can make use of these digital channels.
The ease and speed with which goods and services can be located through the use of our mobile phones and computers has made digital advertising a must for all businesses. Digital marketing has put the world in our hands.
Using Digital Media to Build Your Business and Brand
Whether your business is large or is a small to medium enterprise (SMB or SME), cost-effective digital channels can transform your marketing. The first step is to invest in a website to promote your business in the digital sphere.
Your website should be able to do the following:
Represent your business and brand (outlook, feel and message)
Communicate effectively with your target audience
Be easily found when searched on top search engines
Always be up-to-date and easy to navigate
Include multiple channels for communication with customers.
Connect to other marketing platforms
Working with a professional in web design who will effectively develop and optimize your website for internet searches is a great idea. A website says a lot about your business, so it’s worth investing money to get the best.
Now that you have completed your website, regular monthly or bi-monthly e-mail campaigns will help to connect with customers. Even if you have little cash to spare, this can be carried out in-house by a knowledgeable person or, for a low fee, by an outside digital marketing agency. Ensure that all social media platforms direct the customer back to your website where they can engage fully with your business, products and services and select the most convenient channel to reach you.
You can also set aside some money for digital marketing search engine optimization and pay-per click advertising to improve search marketing by prospective customers and business clients. Having only a website doesn’t guarantee that the target customers will find it. As a result, your site must be built with specific keywords and phrases, meta data, page content and linking strategies to enable access to top search rankings.
A lot of keywords and phrases compete for top search rankings, so supplementing your organic search engine optimization efforts with pay-per-click advertising will be helpful. Although establishing pay-per-click advertising campaigns can be discouraging, through a little time, effort and direction it can be achieved in-house, or for a little fee via an outside digital marketing agency.
Finding the Right Digital Marketing Agency to Work With
The rate at which new companies are entering into the market makes it difficult to choose the agency which is right for you. These companies offer a wide range of services and they differ from one to the other. The following tips will help you choose the right digital agency for your business.
Services offered
The nature and range of services offered is the first thing to consider when searching for a digital marketing agency to partner with. A wide range of services should be made available within a platform to ensure that all the marketing needs of a company can be single-handedly catered for.
A typical agency offers:
Web design and development
Search engine optimization and marketing
E-mail marketing
Mobile marketing
Social media marketing
Online advertisement
Online reputation management
Portfolio and testimonials
This includes records of visible success achieved by clients that the agency has worked with and this information should be available on the website of the agency. A portfolio with a good number of clients is more reliable than one with only a few.
Testimonials are feedback received from previous clients on the services rendered by the agency. The better the testimonials, the more you should consider doing business with that agency.
Online presence and reputation
You should measure their online activities and interaction on various social media. For example, the number of ‘likes’ on Facebook and the number of Twitter followers are good ways to see how popular they are as a business.
A Google search of the company’s name should provide information you need to make your decision such as reviews and feedback. If the search comes up with few results, then the company may not be the best choice for you. One of the reasons for this might be a result of offering ineffective service, inexperience or negative reviews from clients. It is advisable to choose a company with great online presence. By so doing, you can rest assured that your business is in safe hands.
Digital marketing moves beyond e-mail, social media marketing and search engine marketing. Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards and others are available outlets which can be used to grow your business. It is also key to ensure that at the end of the day each marketing outlet leads directly to your company website.
Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
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