In the past few years, the world has gone through a major shift. Working from home became more prevalent, businesses needed to go online to stay afloat, and the digital space began to grow faster than ever before. Due to the pandemic, many businesses have closed down and several more have started. With this shift, the ‘digital’ in digital marketing has been more relevant than ever.
Let’s begin with the basics.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is the promotion of products or services through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, mobile apps, and other forms of digital media. It’s an approach to reach and engage customers through digital technologies to promote a brand, increase sales and drive traffic to a website.
Why is digital marketing important?
Digital marketing is important because:
- Reach: It allows companies to reach a large, global audience with targeted messages.
- Cost-effective: It’s often more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, as it allows for precise targeting and tracking of results.
- Data-driven: Digital marketing provides valuable data and insights on consumer behavior, enabling companies to make informed decisions.
- Engagement: It allows companies to engage with their customers in real-time and build long-term relationships.
- Mobile: With the rise of mobile devices, digital marketing enables companies to reach customers on-the-go.
- Flexibility: Digital marketing allows for adjustments and updates to be made quickly, ensuring that the right message is being delivered at the right time.
How to get started with digital marketing?
- Define your goals: Determine what you want to achieve through digital marketing, such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales.
- Research your target audience: Identify who your target audience is and what their online behaviors and preferences are.
- Develop a digital marketing strategy: Based on your goals and target audience, create a plan that outlines how you will achieve your objectives using digital channels.
- Choose your channels: Decide which digital channels you want to use, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media, email marketing, and others.
- Create valuable content: Produce content that is relevant, useful, and engaging to your target audience, such as blog posts, infographics, videos, and e-books.
- Measure and analyze: Regularly track and measure the results of your digital marketing efforts, and use data to make informed decisions about future strategies.
- Adjust and refine: Continuously refine your digital marketing strategy based on the results you are getting, making changes and improvements as needed.
When should you hire a digital marketing professional?
You may consider hiring a digital marketing consultant when:
- You need expert knowledge: If you’re not familiar with the latest digital marketing techniques and strategies, a consultant can provide expert guidance and help you avoid common mistakes.
- Your in-house team is stretched thin: If your in-house marketing team is already overwhelmed with other responsibilities, a consultant can help pick up the slack and manage specific digital marketing projects.
- You want to improve your results: If you’re not seeing the results you want from your current digital marketing efforts, a consultant can help you identify areas for improvement and develop a more effective strategy.
- You’re launching a new product or service: A consultant can help you create and execute a digital marketing plan specifically designed to introduce your new offering to the market.
- You’re facing a specific challenge: If you’re facing a specific digital marketing challenge, such as improving your search engine rankings, a consultant can provide targeted expertise to help you overcome it.
- You want an objective perspective: An outside consultant can provide an objective perspective on your digital marketing efforts and help you see areas for improvement that you may have missed.
Digital marketing is constantly evolving, as technology and consumer behaviors change. New digital channels and platforms are emerging all the time, and what worked well in the past may not be effective today. As a result, it’s important for businesses to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in digital marketing, and to be flexible and adaptable in their approach. Hiring a consultant or an agency that specializes in digital marketing can also help ensure that a company’s strategies are current and effective.
