Most businesses understand that digital marketing connects them with their customers online. It sounds simple enough, but there's much more to it than just making social media posts and sending emails. Digital marketing is a nuanced process that takes months of careful planning.
For those new to the digital marketing game, this planning period can seem overwhelming due to all the various factors that must be considered. Every business needs a digital marketing strategy to understand its benefits, so here's a helpful breakdown to get you started.
Affordable Marketing
Digital marketing offers a wide range of approaches. However, one of its most attractive features—especially for small businesses—is that it's considerably less expensive than more conventional forms of marketing like print ads or TV commercials.
Accessibility
Seventy-seven percent of American adults own a smartphone, which they use for numerous activities daily. Digital marketing allows you to engage with these potential customers directly through their phones.
Every time a customer opens their phone to scroll to Twitter, read the news, or check their email, it is an opportunity to expose them to your brand through target ads that are personalized to their needs and interests.
Flexibility
The wide range of options that digital marketing offers means that you don't have to stay committed to one strategy. A multi-faceted approach means that you can change or adjust your strategy as necessary.
Expanding Brand Awareness
Most consumers do the majority of their shopping online. Brand awareness campaigns and targeted ads that use analytics from social media platforms and search engines are two great ways to boost brand awareness through digital marketing.
Content Diversity
Creating unique content that conveys your brand's values and identity is essential to any successful digital marketing campaign. Customers tend to engage more with marketing materials that use a variety of content, such as:
Infographics
Videos
Articles
Blogs
Podcasts or other audio mediums
Community Engagement
An advantage of digital marketing is that it allows you to engage directly with your consumer. The customer conversion process emphasizes building a personal relationship through marketing. Outreach on social media does more than boost sales—it makes your audience feel like respected members of a community. This sense of community is what turns a one-time customer into a lifelong fan who will be loyal to your brand for years to come.
Becoming an authority
Establishing your brand as an authority figure in your field will inspire trust in your readers. To do this, you must produce content that offers thoughtful and informative commentary on current issues. If readers see your brand as a trustworthy source of information, they're likely to revisit your site to stay informed.
Influencer Engagement
In today's culture, many influential figures promote themselves online through social media. Courting these influencers to get their endorsement is an intelligent way to raise awareness for your brand. It can be especially beneficial for both parties if your product appeals to the influencer's audience - look at what Michale Jordan did for Nike.
Print Enhancement
Digital marketing isn't restricted to the digital realm. Online content can act as supplemental material for your print marketing as well. Many assume that digital and print marketing are at odds. Still, if done right, they can be a potent combination for maximizing the effectiveness of your overall marketing campaign.
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