There’s simply no denying it – the world is changing quickly from analogue to digital. And if you don’t believe me, just look around you. You’ll find at least one person with their nose buried in their smart-phone, tablet or laptop. The fact is that people are increasingly becoming internet savvy. They consume an increasingly high number of digital content on a daily basis, which is something a lot of businesses and brands have taken advantage of. Each and every brand needs to learn about Online Reputation Management and the real impact of social media. And if you’re investing in traditional methods of advertising, think again. The fact remains that internet marketing is more effective than traditional advertising and if you’re not capitalizing on it, you’re losing out. A LOT. Digital marketing and its aspects like SEO, online reputation management, content marketing, social media marketing etc are making their presence felt everywhere.
So, how exactly can digital marketing save your brand online? Read on!
24×7 Marketing
It doesn’t matter whether your ad is local, national or international. It doesn’t matter if your shop closes after 10 at night. It doesn’t matter how big or small your ad’s size is. When you sell or advertise on the internet, you’re paying for a 24x7x365 exposure at a fixed rate.
This means your customers can browse through your e-store (or view your ad) at whatever time that suits them best, a big convenience that TV or newspaper ads fail to give them. Seriously. Think about it – your ad doesn’t stop being displayed, and your virtual shop’s open every single hour of the day. How cool is that?
Access to Real Time Analysis of your strategies
If you’re working on a digital campaign, you don’t have to wait weeks or even days to see how effective it is. There are various tools and softwares on the internet that make it extremely simple and convenient for business owners to check the numbers of visitors to their sites, subscriber increase, peak trading times, conversion rates and much more. Know who filled out your promotional forms or how many people clicked that Call to Action button.
You spend money advertising only to your target audience
If you see an ad on the TV at 8 pm, that ad is broadcast to everybody watching that channel at that point of time. So assuming you wanted to target only working women, your ad would also be displayed to unemployed people, working men, senior citizens and even children. Which of course, is a sheer waste of money.
But when it comes to digital marketing, you can create campaigns which revolve around your target audience, based by filtering demographic factors like gender, age, location, likes, dislikes and internet surfing activities. You can even opt for specific channels via which you can target your audience the best.
Apart from social media, you can create behavioural-targeting ads via Search Engine Marketing and Pay Per Click marketing.
A direct connection with your customers
Yes, today, it’s possible to have a one-on-one chat with your customers. You can listen to them rant about your product or give you glowing feedback about your services, right on your social media pages. Connecting with your customers is VERY important, so never, ever, ever ignore their comments on your social media channels.
An After Sales Relationship
How many times has it happened that you shared your business cards with potential customers you were so sure would get back to you, but never did? Chances are, they dropped your business card and seeing how the average human being does not have an eidetic memory, were unable to get in touch with you. And that tiny slip cost you hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars worth of business. Of course, this is just one example among many, but the point I’m trying to make is that with digital marketing, this is never going to be a problem. Collecting the email addresses of both the buyers and the prospects can be done easily (and permanently).
You’re in control of your online reputation
There’s no denying the fact that an impeccable reputation leads to better credibility among your customers and professional peers. An increasing number of people look potential clients and business partners online prior to meeting them, which is all the more reason for you to easily turn your reputation around and present yourself in a positive way.