In the past, marketing requires spending a lot of money to reach a specific number of target audiences through different mediums. The traditional avenues to market a product or service are fixed, and companies compete not only in the quantity and quality of advertising materials to maximize their marketing efforts but also in the size of their advertising budget.
The marketing environment is different today, with more marketing options, says the Chicago Digital Marketing Agency. Marketing opportunities are available online and offline. There are more variables, with most companies making decisions guided by data analysis. That is not to say that data analysis was not used in the past. There is just more information to digest today than yesterday, especially if you want to embark on digital marketing.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing is advertising coursed through various digital channels like search engines, mobile apps, email, social media, and websites. The method of delivery varies from straight advertising layouts or through text or video messages, blogs, pay-per-click, or other forms.
More complex marketing and advertising system
Digital marketing opens up a vast network of different channels that marketers can utilize. Online marketers have more information, aspects, features, conditions, and issues to consider before coming up with the right marketing strategies to reach their target audiences, aside from deciding which specific digital channels to use.
Today’s consumers lead busy lives, and it is important to connect with them on a more personal level to persuade most of them to make a purchase. Marketers have to actively engage with returning and potential customers based on the data collected from various apps and programs. Digital marketing is about letting your customers know who you are, where to find you, what solution you offer them, and how responsive you are to them.
Three strategies to get you started
As a beginner in digital marketing, you might be overwhelmed by the enormity of the things you need to consider. So, it is important to take things slowly and start with the things that matter the most. It would be better if you seek professional help from experts like Chicago Digital Marketing Agency.
You want to define your brand’s position, create customer engagement, and acquire new customers and get them to buy your product.
So, here are the strategies to begin your digital marketing journey.
- Build your brand persona
Creating a brand persona (image or character) should be your first step. You have to define who your target audience is. You need to know the people who will be your ideal customers, so you can easily pick them out from the crowd. For example, if you are selling a product exclusively to female consumers, you do not want to waste your marketing effort by showing your product across the board. You want to have a specific target audience.
Some of the indicators you have to consider include:
- Consumer demographics
- Consumer behaviors
- Likes and dislikes of the target audience
- Goals (yours and your audience)
- Motivations
- Purchasing patterns
Identifying your consumers will help you present the right persona to them, which they will immediately recognize because it represents themselves.
- Provide the right content
Get your target consumers’ attention by creating content that they will notice. This means providing your target audience with information they will deem valuable and helpful in the form of visuals, video, audio, or text. Based on what you know about your target audience, you can give them a series of pictures, a variety of infographics, interesting and relevant podcasts, inspiring, funny, straightforward, or quirky videos, and informative articles or blogs.
You can upload your content on your website and your social media accounts, using them to gain attention in a more subtle yet creative manner than straightforward advertising.
- Choose the right digital communication channels
Again, you have to use the insights you gain from your analysis of your target audience to select which digital channels to use. You should be present in the platforms where you can find most of your target audience. You can use the advertising platforms of other digital channels, too. Facebook has an ad program. You can use Google Ads or YouTube. You can utilize other online channels: Snapchat, LinkedIn, Quora, StumbleUpon, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Chicago Digital Marketing Agency recommends starting with these strategies to gain a foothold in the digital environment and use the knowledge to make additional plans and programs as needed by your brand.
