What is Digital Marketing?
Chances are if you are working in any professional field, you have heard of marketing and maybe even digital marketing. One thing that I have always found interesting about the business world is how confused people tend to become when discussing marketing, and how often businesses shy away from marketing and digital marketing, simply because they do not understand it well enough.
Understanding Digital Marketing
Let’s start by clearing up a few things. First thing’s first, if you have a business and people know about it, you have already started marketing, great work! Second, If you have reached out to your Facebook, Twitter, or any social following you have and told them about your business, you have also started digital marketing, keep it up!
Marketing is defined as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
And Digital marketing is defined as The marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium.
Simply put, Marketing (including digital marketing) is the means to getting your business, products, services, and story in front of your market and the masses, and it is critical to the success of any business.
Marketing is all about repetition and consistency. It generally takes people seeing an advertisement 9 times before they remember the advertisement.
Today's Consumers
Today, consumers are smarter than ever, and they are also more inundated with information than ever. Businesses and brands can no longer rely on their clients having no other options, or having the better price point than their competition. The business landscape has evolved into a place where consumers are making purchasing decisions prior to setting foot into an establishment.
Each business now must think carefully about their target markets, and give them a story that resonates with them, provide excellent customer service through instant interactions, along with the providing the products and services their customers are returning for.
The Digital Marketplace
Since the digital marketplace is something businesses can no longer ignore, the idea is to build digital marketing platforms into your business’s overall marketing strategy. Digital marketing platforms include websites, blogs, social media profiles, search engine advertising, third party website advertising, etc…
While it sounds tedious, and to some maybe unnecessary, it is actually quite simple and required. Just as you would create your brick and mortar, you should create your digital real estate in the form of a well designed and developed website. Just as you would send out your monthly post card, you should be adding a monthly blog post, and sending an update to your email list. And just as you would discuss your business with your friends and family, you should do so through your business profiles with your fans over social media.
Digital marketing is nothing to be afraid of. Instead, it should be embraced and harnessed as a tool to launch businesses into the forefront of their success. Not everyone who starts a business, or takes over a business goes to business school, and that’s fine, there are many resources available for those who have a great concept or product. A company like Voyager Marketing is a great asset to businesses who are just starting, or that are ready to reach new markets and levels of success.
