As e-commerce and the digital marketplace continue to grow, digital marketing is more essential than ever if companies want to survive. A growing plurality of Americans are almost constantly online, and with the coronavirus pandemic reshaping how companies adapt to today’s challenges, honing a digital marketing strategy is paramount for success.
But what is digital marketing? And does my business need digital marketing, even if it’s brick and mortar?
No matter what your business is, the answer is yes. Take it from Summit Collaborations, a digital marketing company with its thumb on the pulse of today’s business landscape. Let’s define digital marketing and dive into why you need a digital marketing strategy.
Definition of Digital Marketing
The easiest way to conceptualize digital marketing is anything that boosts your brand presence online. However, this doesn’t tell you much about what digital marketing encompasses. A digital marketing strategy can include any of the following:
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
Content Marketing
Email Marketing
Influencer Marketing
Web Design
And much more! We’ll break down each of these components later, but let’s get back to the question: what is digital marketing?
Anything a company does online can be considered digital marketing. Building a website and sending emails to your clients counts, but so does responding to a Facebook comment or liking a post on Twitter. Your company has a public presence on the internet, and every action it takes can influence how people perceive and respond to your business. Your internet presence is tied very strongly to your brand, which is why you need a digital marketing strategy before you even open a web browser.
Of course, you can also try to get by without having a web presence, but as the world continues to move online, an offline company may not be sustainable for much longer.
Why Companies Need a Strong Digital Presence
The economy is quickly transitioning to a fully digitized landscape. Over 90% of Americans use the internet, and 81% use the internet daily. (Fun fact: only 10% of money is physical, the rest is completely digital or amorphous!)
The amount of time spent on the internet is accelerating as well. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, internet usage has soared over 70%. What’s more, digital marketing companies have capitalized on this growth—Google, for example, makes 95% of its revenue from its Google Ads platform.
The internet has never been stronger and more populated than it is today. As a result, companies that have carved an effective internet presence are far more likely to scale for the long term. A company with a strong internet presence and digital marketing strategy is far more likely to be discovered—and that includes brick and mortar stores. A two year study found that Google searches for “____ near me” grew by over 200%, meaning the internet is how people search for local businesses.
At this point, you hopefully understand why you need a digital marketing strategy. Now, let’s look at how this strategy can manifest for different businesses.
7 Aspects of a Digital Marketing Strategy
Returning to the question “what is digital marketing?”, let’s explore 7 different avenues for expanding your online presence.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a strategy for ranking higher in Google searches. SEO involves many different components, including:
the types of keywords you use on your website,
your website’s user-friendliness, and
the number of external links that redirect back to your site.
With some keyword research and a content strategy, you can boost your SEO by publishing optimized blog content and static web pages. The result is more organic traffic and more business!
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a great way to expand your brand presence and communicate directly with your clients. By posting quality content on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, and even LinkedIn or Pinterest, you can help cultivate brand awareness and create a satisfying customer experience. With some research on the best sites to use and your preferred user demographic, you can greatly expand your reach through social media.
Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising is a way to increase your online visibility and boost your digital conversions by advertising directly to potential customers. Through a mix of keyword research, demographic data, and tailored content, PPC Ads can yield a great ROI—though they are best handled through a digital marketing company.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing refers to the creation of blog content, ebooks, whitepapers, infographics, and other written content that provides value to your readers. This content can be optimized for search engines and end in a call-to-action to boost your sales; however, it can also expand your brand’s value, increase brand awareness, or create a better customer experience. Every digital marketing strategy should create valuable, brand-integrated content.
Email Marketing
Similar to content marketing, email marketing can provide additional value to the reader’s customer experience. Weekly newsletters can provide resources and valuable information while also promoting new products and services. Email marketing is much more effective than you’d think—59% of Americans say that emails influence their purchasing decision!
Influencer Marketing
One less-used tool in your marketing belt is influencer advertising. An influencer is anybody who has a strong personal brand and following, including celebrities both famous and local. By paying an influencer to sponsor your brand, you can greatly boost your web presence, though be sure to pick influencers with similar values and demographics as your clientele.
Web Design
No brand or digital marketing strategy is complete without a well-designed website. Your website is like your digital handshake; a strongly designed webpage is firm yet friendly, whereas a poorly designed and optimized webpage is loose, weak, and shaky. Since so many people spend their time on the internet, your web design influences your customer’s experience and potential to convert into a long-term client.
Digital Marketing: the Future of E-Commerce
Let’s recap: what is digital marketing? Anything your company does on the internet can affect your brand image, customer experience, and sales conversions. Used correctly, the internet can help turn your client base into a self-sustaining community of people who identify with and enjoy your products and services.
The success of our clients is a testament to why you need a digital marketing strategy. Summit Collaborations is a digital marketing company at the forefront of the internet. If you have questions about improving your digital marketing strategy or want to boost your business’ success, reach out today, and let’s collaborate on your company’s marketing success.