Online presence is certainly an important aspect of any business, regardless of the industry. Promoting your business is an important investment and you need a solid plan. Digital marketing offers a great deal of possibilities, even for those with a tight budget. Why spend a lot of money on traditional marketing, when you can achieve better results with less investments online.
Apart from that, using social media allows you direct access to a large audience, and, therefore, more potential clients. Interacting with your target audience helps you create a strong relationship and immediate feedback, which you can use to adapt more quickly and meet their requirements. If you are still having second thoughts, here is a list of 7 reasons to start investing in digital marketing today.
1. Cost efficiency
Besides time and energy, small businesses need to invest money as well, if they want to attain a respectable level of success. As the best way to expand your business and earn the trust of new clients is marketing, you’ll need a serious approach, and the best possible marketing strategy. Creating a TV commercial can cost you a small fortune and nobody guarantees that the ad will be successful.
On the other side, investing in digital marketing is proven to be less expensive and, very often, far more efficient. Establishing online media presence through social networks is absolutely free, but you may want to consider some additional services for a certain fee. Still, this fee is significantly lower than those TV or newspaper commercials. Sure, you need to pay for a well-designed company web page, as well as the domain and hosting, but the price is nowhere near that of traditional advertising.
Moreover, you’ll be able to track down the target group a lot easier, and see the actual results of digital marketing. Another benefit is that you can change the approach and test the marketing platform in order to get better results, without having a huge impact on your budget.
2. Find clients more easily
Another great feature of digital marketing is the possibility to pinpoint your target audience in a more effective and easier way. If you want to promote your business locally, social media platforms will help you reach the clients near you and suggest your Facebook profile or web page to them. Once you’ve identified yourself, as well as the target demographic, you can engage and learn more about your potential clients and their needs.
3. Interaction with the clients
You may think that your brand is high class or that your services are among the best ones out there, but the only important thing is what your customers are saying. There is no better way to hear their opinion than through digital marketing. It enables you to talk to your clients, ask them for feedback or answer their questions and read their comments and reviews. In other words, you can show them that you value their opinion.
Posting interesting and relevant content may inspire your audience to learn more about you and your business. Ask for feedback and call to action or initiate discussions through online chatting, as you want to build strong relationship and earn their trust. The customer will see you as emotional human being, rather than some corporate suit trying to sell a product at any cost.
4. Rank higher in search engines
With a carefully created strategy and SEO optimized website, your company can increase the visibility and rank high in search engines. Make sure your website is responsive and that it can be easily seen on any mobile device. Moreover, due to the fact that Google prefers responsive websites, your visibility will be increased, and you’ll have a better opportunity to enhance your business.
5. Brand awareness
Your brand won’t become popular overnight. However, social media can help you with raising awareness of your brand, and establishing recognition. Of course, you can organize or sponsor certain live events, but that means you’ll spend a lot of money. If you are a startup or small business owner, that idea usually looks like business suicide.
A better way to do it is to start a blog with interesting and informative content, and drive more traffic to your website. You’d be surprised how much impact sharing and posting on social media networks can have on your business – don’t forget to use hashtags, especially when tweeting.
6. You can see the results immediately
In traditional marketing, it takes time for surveys and research to gather all the valuable information you need. On the other hand, you can measure traffic to your website with Google Analytics, and see in real time what you can do better. Tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Insight will show you the engagement of the audience, which will allow you to adjust accordingly and improve the results. If you are using a YouTube channel to reach out to clients, YouTube Analytics will help you make smart decisions based on all the available information.
7. Competitors
Another reason to consider digital marketing is the competition. A proper strategy will enable you to stay ahead or at least catch up with your competitors. Take a sneak peek at their websites and see what you can do differently to improve. This doesn’t mean you need to copy their website or their approach, but rather learn from them.
It is clear that the marketing we all once knew and loved doesn’t have the same impact anymore. Although it is still present, traditional marketing is slowly being replaced with digital marketing. Even in the TV commercials or newspaper ads, companies ask you to visit their website or like their Facebook page. The reason for that is simple – immediate feedback and an opportunity to interact with customers.
Regardless of the type of business you are conducting, creating a proper marketing strategy and investing in it is always a smart move, especially when you know that you can get more with less money, which is why digital marketing is the right choice. Seek out professionals in social media marketing and bring them on board. It’s time to raise brand awareness and make a name for yourself.
