Businesses start when the owners find a niche in the market with target customers and consumers in mind. First, they rely on traditional way of advertising such as print ads like leaflets, brochures and also street signs to get customers into their doorstep. This strategy might work in the initial stages of the business but if you want to make it big and known for your products and services then making use of the online market is widely beneficial.
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS DIGITAL MARKETING?
Digital marketing is a tool used by businesses to market their products and services to potential clients and customers locally to a global audience. It is a way of connecting and getting more exposure that could lead in commerce.
BENEFITS:
• Accessibility within the global marketplace.
• Ability for your audience to get to know you and the brand.
• To know customers’ needs and concerns.
• Cost efficient than traditional advertising.
Have you even wondered why many businesses are so successful? It is because they have a business plan and an effective approach in marketing. In today’s fast-paced and even busier environment, potential consumers are online, searching for a business like yours but if they can’t find you? Then they will choose someone else. Digital marketing is all about visibility, and visibility can turn into commerce where your company will grow into a highly profitable business with the right tools and knowledgeable team.
CONNECT AND GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Consumers today are very cautious and tech-savvy. They like to know what your brand is about, where it started, any nearest branch, opening times and even what it stands for. The reviews section on your website is always the go-to place or what we would call ‘the hotspot’ for customers to check your brand legitimacy and what previous customers are saying about you. For customers, it’s like navigating a minefield, they don’t want to avail a product or a service that is not highly recommended and untested.
Millennials today are the driving force of the consumer world and the economy, they want what is trendy and up-to-date from what they see on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter among others. Celebrities are being hired and getting sponsored by companies to market their products and become ‘online influencers’ as people see them as their idols that they would like to emulate thus bringing businesses on top of the food chain of consumerism. This is how powerful digital marketing is. Consumers’ buying decisions are most likely influenced by social media.
Businesses can take advantage of social media marketing to participate in the conversation by providing useful and informative content and by consistently engaging with current and potential leads. This allows open communication with people by sending emails and asking questions on comment sections wherever they are located knowing that your business is open even after business hours. This helps build customer-client relationships that would in turn become repeat business as you would be trusted partners.
LEARN FROM YOUR COMPETITORS
For your business to grow and prosper, you have to research about your competitors and learn what they are doing to market their business. What message are they putting across? Are they using videos? Are they blogging and giving free services? Whatever that might be, you will get an idea what is working for them which could also work for you. It’s all about learning from your competitors and building an online presence across all channels. It’s not about copying what they are doing, but getting ideas and putting out better and improved solutions.
There is so much to learn from each other as we are part in an ever changing society where yesterday might not be what people of tomorrow wants. You just have to keep an open mind to ideas and possibilities and feel the pulse of the masses and the economy to be on top of the game. It’s about being updated to current trends and applying those while keeping the DNA of the brand or company.
VISIBILITY MATTERS
The first place a prospective customer looks for is the internet. They start searching on Google for whatever product or service they want or need and if your business doesn’t turn up or even come close to the top, its most likely that they will choose another business other than yours. Most consumers will not scour the internet deep enough to find other options but rather stick to at least the top five on their search because they want to acquire answers fast. So it is important to have that online presence with high engagement ratings to compete with other businesses.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a tool that successful businesses and companies use to be able for their business to pop up on top when prospects type in keywords that is related which could lead them to their business. It gives consumers targeted content that informs, educate and promote brand awareness which will ensure that their business will have a far better chance of success.
Think of it this way - combining traditional advertising such as print ads with digital marketing maximises potential for brand growth and recognition and allows you to reach a wider audience and have the best of both worlds. The key to finding success is to use all available platforms to create campaigns with strategic measures to communicate and build business relations with existing and prospective customers.