You may have heard the term ‘Digital Marketing’ used and wondered what it means and is it something that your business needs. Digital marketing includes different forms of online business presence such as business websites, mobile apps, and social media business pages.
It utilises various online communication techniques such as search engine marketing, social media marketing, online advertising, email marketing, and partnership arrangements with other websites. These techniques all support the main digital marketing objectives of acquiring new customers and developing customer relationships.
Aspects of Digital Marketing
For you to understand the importance of digital marketing for your business, it may be helpful to think about the audience interactions which most businesses need to understand and manage.
Digital marketing is about many more types of audience interaction than website or email. The following are the main aspects that needs to be considered in digital marketing:
- Your audience interact with your business using various digital devices such desktop computers, TV’s, smartphones, and tablets.
- Most interactions on these devices are through digital platforms or services such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
- There are different paid, owned and earned communication channels for reaching and engaging audiences including social networks, advertising, email, messaging, and search engines.
- Digital data is an important aspect of digital marketing and is used to collect insight about audience profiles and their interactions with your business.
- Digital marketing technology is used to create interactive experiences on your website, mobile app, or email campaigns.
Integrated Multichannel Digital Marketing
Digital marketing strategies often focus on promoting products and services using digital media rather than a holistic approach covering customer experiences, relationship development, and multichannel integration. Your digital marketing strategy should include activities across the entire customer lifecycle such as:
- Prospect and relationship management.
- Integrating multichannel communications and experiences.
- Digital media and communication channels.
- Digital and mobile experiences such as web design and mobile apps.
- Digital technologies and platforms to manage all digital marketing activities.
Defining Digital Marketing Strategy
Digital marketing strategy is all about getting to know who your audience actually is, and then finding out what has meaning for them. It is finding out what they care about and how this relates to what you have to offer. What message can you deliver that is both true and meets the consumer at the level of their needs?
In your digital marketing strategy, you have to sort out objectives and goals to be able to win over the hearts and minds of your target audience by strategically introducing them to the attributes and benefits of your product or service.
Conclusion
Digital marketing utilises digital technology to achieve your marketing objectives. There does not have to be a separation from your marketing department, as the objectives of both are the same. So yes, as much as you need marketing for your local business, you need digital marketing, if not more.
