Digital data and its collection are greatly changing the face of business. Before the invention of digital marketing both advertisers and companies had to cast a much wider net when trying to reach out to customers. Modern digital marketing is far more precise allowing a company to easily create a profile of their desired customer that can be highly specific and focused. Successful digital marketing has allowed new companies to build large followings and loyal customers seemingly within weeks.
This is not only based on the rapid speed of online data collection and communication but in the unique ways the digital world allows companies to build relationships. A well planned digital push can greatly disrupt the business world and allow a company to redefine their place in the market.
The core idea behind digital marketing is relationship building. That is what has made online advertising so powerful. Personal interaction, real-time feedback, outreach, and mobility allows companies to build relationships with their customers in ways advertisers never could in decades past.
1. Influencers: an influencer is someone with a wide reach and a sizable fanbase. Think of musicians, actors, specialty bloggers and online video content creators. These influencers can have a wide reach and a large (and devoted) following. A product or service marketed by an influencer can have a sizable impact on customer interest in a company. An influencer who has an audience that overlaps with a company’s target market is an ideal advertising partner. By working with influencers, a company can increase sales, build credibility, increase brand awareness and further increase customer loyalty.
2. A Global Reach: one of the greatest advantages digital marketing offers is that it is worldwide. When advertising online, a company doesn’t have to worry about what market their ads will be seen in. The internet is global, and through digital marketing, a company can reach out to the entire world. This global reach is of vast importance as international trade has become a key part of business and companies are now reaching out to customers worldwide. Old advertisements were focused on what part of the country they would be seen in now digital marketing plans focus advertisements on what part of the world they will be seen in. In addition to the proper language, the timeframe, location of the ad, and its content will have to be reviewed to match the culture of the target customer base.
Through careful planning a global approach allows companies to reach worldwide markets while still focusing on their target customer base on a country by country basis.
3. The Mobile Future: the future of digital marketing may lay in the mobile market. Smartphones, tablets and other forms of mobile platforms are changing the way people interact with the internet and by extension digital marketing. Many companies that sell online ad space are seeing the majority of their ad revenue come from mobile advertisements. This shows the increasing trend of digital marketing focusing more on mobile platforms. Companies should focus on the mobile market as a key part of their digital advertising efforts. Smartphone usage increases year to year, and for a segment of the population, their smartphone is the main way they interact with the online material. Mobile marketing has to fit the format. Smartphones are not desktop computers, and marketing plans have to reflect the difference between these two platforms.
4. Automation: the use of technology to automate many aspects of digital marketing is also becoming a driver in the industry. Businesses big and small are making use of automation to increase the complexity and reach of their marketing strategy further. Since digital marketing is a broad term and refers to a lot of different things. And digital marketing covers search engine rankings, website visitors, social media postings, social media visitors and more. Therefore, with so many different areas to keep track of automation becomes a necessity for businesses. For example, social media postings can be across a dozen different platforms. Automation keeps the postings on these various platforms organized and helps collect valuable information. If a company wants their digital marketing strategy to succeed some type of automation platform is required.
5. Crowdsourcing: customer generated content is changing how many companies produce advertising material. Many consumers are suspicious of branded marketing and company produced material. The modern customer wants to do business with companies that are authentic and communicate with their customers. Crowdsourced content is made by customers and has an air of authenticity due to its origin. Custom made content is ideal for social media and communicates a brand name from one customer to another. This type of material can also go viral easily putting more eyes on a company, the services they provide and the products they create. Lastly, when highlighting customer made content a company is directly acknowledging their most loyal customers. This further increasing brand loyalty and helps build an authentic connection to their customer base.
