What was once confined to print media, radio jingles and 30-second television adverts has now expanded dramatically into a dynamic, multi-faceted digital world of short-form adverts and captivating email campaigns. And that digital world is digital marketing.
Marketing is constantly evolving alongside technology, and businesses in Sheffield and South Yorkshire today ask the question: Do we need digital marketing?
The short answer is yes. The constant development of new apps, platforms, and ways to communicate online has led to digital marketing staying on top of modern marketing efforts. Meaning that if your business isn’t investing in digital marketing, it may very well fall behind…
What is digital marketing, and does my business need it? You might ask. In this piece, we touch on the importance of digital marketing, all its facets, and why you should develop your business with it today.
What is Digital Marketing?
Simply put, digital marketing is the use of digital channels to market products or services. Typically, it is used to boost brand awareness, enhance traffic to a website and hit marketing goals or KPIs. It can take shape in many different ways, including:
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Pay-per-click
- Search engine optimisation
- Mobile marketing
This isn’t an exhaustive list, and you can go far more specific with the types of marketing you want to engage in, for example, influencer marketing or viral marketing.
Digital marketing follows the same principles as offline marketing. It depends on consumer data to find a target audience and deliver the most relevant message to them. Similarly to how one may place a targeted billboard for luxury designer goods in a wealthy neighbourhood, digital marketing is also nuanced, and you can target messaging to relevant audiences online.
But what makes it special? From its cost-effective nature to the step up you’ll get over competitors, here’s why you should invest in digital marketing in Sheffield today.
Why Does My Business Need Digital Marketing?
Build brand awareness
Think of the number of brands you engage with online. Perhaps there’s one you enjoy keeping up with but haven’t purchased anything from yet, or maybe you’re itching for the latest drop from a different brand. That would be far more difficult to keep up with if those brands didn’t have an online presence.
Consumers today scroll through social media to discover the brands they want; they see what their favourite internet personalities are saying, or they simply search on Google. If you have no digital marketing, your brand will quickly be filtered out.
Your brand cannot afford to be invisible online, and having a strong digital presence will ensure high brand awareness.
It’s cost-effective
Digital marketing simply doesn’t cost the same as physical marketing. Putting out posts on social media can be almost free, as opposed to a leaflet or space on a busy billboard. On top of this, it offers more precise targeting. With digital marketing, it’s easier to put out specific adverts to specific audiences, with the use of targeted adverts that rely on analysis of browsing habits, social media activity, location and other digital breadcrumbs.
Race against competition
With a full competitor analysis, you will be able to assess where your competition lies. Chances are, if their audiences are on digital platforms (which they likely are), they will be too. Which is why you should ensure you have an online presence.
Grow your audience
Most people begin their buying journey online, with nearly one in four people primarily using social media for searches and over 90% of searches using Google. Ensuring you are reachable and active online is imperative to business success, as the goalposts have changed since the birth of the digital world.
It’s agile
It’s typically easier to make changes to digital marketing tactics if your goals change. Once a billboard goes up or a flyer goes out, there’s no changing that; however, you can test different headlines, amend typos, and create more personalised marketing experiences at scale.
It’s measurable
Digital marketing campaigns are far easier to track than physical campaigns, as they can provide you with far more precise information. It is more difficult to track who viewed your billboard and searched your brand up to purchase a product or service than it is to map a customer journey via links in a social media post. This means you will know exactly what drives growth, and what to scrap.
You can communicate with customers at various stages
With digital marketing, you can engage with customers at several points during the buying process. For example, you can create an advertising campaign with personalised follow-up messages.
Where should you start with digital marketing?
Unsure where to start with digital marketing in South Yorkshire? Perhaps your team or office space is too small, or you simply don’t have the time to onboard someone new, let alone an entire marketing team!
If this is the case, why not opt for a digital marketing agency in South Yorkshire? Our experts at Daffodil Marketing cover all areas from content creation to full website redesigns! Get in touch and let’s chat about your current strategy over coffee – on us!
