Most businesses have embraced the digital era. We all know that a website and online presence is absolutely essential. But too many businesses fear one area of the digital world more than any other – social media. It’s true that ‘trolls’ and other highly opinionated people like to air their feelings publicly. And yes, those feelings are often negative and can be about your company. Should you really bury your head in the sand and avoid all digital marketing though?
What Does Digital Marketing Encompass?
The term digital marketing makes us think about the internet. Of course, this is the home of digital marketing. It is connected and public, right? Not necessarily. Digital marketing can refer to email marketing as well, which can easily sit neatly in the direct marketing category too. Emails are private and can be read offline when they’ve been downloaded.
There is also mobile marketing to consider. Bluetooth and location services can be used to target individuals or small groups in a very small geographic area. This feels a lot less ‘public’ than other forms of digital marketing. It’s very handy for retailers looking to increase their store footfall. Simply transmit a promotion campaign to passers-by in the mall encouraging them to pop in.
There are chat rooms and forums. There are google ads and search engine optimization. Then there is your own business website. Digital media is everywhere, and it’s with us all the time on our phones. Using it for marketing purposes requires the same level of planning and campaign management as all your offline marketing efforts. You might use a creative digital agency to help design your adverts. You might also use an agency to help you place them appropriately too. So how can you make it work for your business?
Why Should My Business Use Social Media?
Social media is ideal for businesses wanting to carefully target narrow or niche groups. And it is perfect for businesses wanting to reach out to customers without having to advertise. Your FaceBook page can be ‘Liked,’ meaning that you have followers or subscribers. They will receive alerts each time you add something to that page. This could be exclusive promotions, or simply PR. Ultimately, you’re building a brand for customers to love. And you’re building a customer base that comes back to you time and again.
Twitter is fast becoming one of the most popular platforms to reach out to businesses. Yet few companies dare to monitor their ‘Tweets.’ It is free to converse here, but you need to consider the fact that Twitter is a 24/7 medium. Each tweet is thought to have only a six-hour lifespan. This puts many businesses off tweeting promotional messages because it is difficult to control who sees it. Instead, businesses should look to use Twitter as a customer service forum. You can offer solutions to problems, and carefully manage unhappy customers by steering them to a private chat.
What Are The Implications Of Using Digital Marketing?
Advertising online is as easy as advertising in a magazine or on TV. Unlike those media, you can target customer much more carefully, and you can switch it off instantly. This means only the people you want to see your ads will see them, and if the campaign isn’t working simply stop it to save any further spend.
Search engine optimization is essential if you want to ensure your website pages are visible without having to pay for an ad. You should spend time identifying the keywords to focus on. These are the words your customers are using to find information relevant to your product or service offering. Ask them. Ask a focus group. Use online services to help you. But do invest in this essential research so you can rank on the first page. This will help increase visitors to your website and ultimately convert them to sales.
Yes, social media and digital marketing require careful monitoring and attention. You may have to work long hours and hire trusted colleagues to watch the response to ads and twitter feeds. But the rewards mean better customer engagement and a bigger voice in the marketplace. It means you can manage negative feedback appropriately, and you can publicly thank your most valued customers.
Does This Mean Traditional Marketing Is Dead?
No. Digital marketing is a part of your overall marketing and business strategy. It can be used for close and careful targeting, or you can use it for a big global hit. Print, radio, TV, and direct marketing all have their uses and should not be ignored. They may require a larger budget. But you may find that some brands need to use traditional media more because that is where their customers prefer to receive their messages.
My Business Doesn’t Sell Products Online – Is Digital Even Relevant?
If you’re not selling online, why not? By providing additional ‘shop fronts’ and ways to contact you, you can serve any customer at any time of the day or night in any way they want. We may be creatures of habit, but that doesn’t mean we won’t eventually prefer to do things another way.
Your website is relevant regardless of your sales model. Many people prefer to do a little investigation and research before making a purchase decision. They’ll make decisions about how trustworthy and professional your company is based on the look of your website. And if they can’t find you in the search engines, they won’t bother doing business with you at all. Your website should offer as many different ways to contact you as possible. And yes, that should include your social media pages.
You can also use your website to develop your brand persona. This should be consistent across all your communications regardless of platform. It should be the place you lead customers to when you want to engage them or sell to them. And it should offer lots of information and helpful resources.
Digital marketing should be a part of your strategy for your business to grow. It should also be a part of your customer service strategy, your branding strategy, and your PR strategy. How will you make digital marketing work for you?
