Digital marketing has evolved considerably over the past several years. Prior to the 1990s, digital marketing didn't even really exist. The first clickable banner went live in 1993. From there, the digital marketing age was born.
Today's consumers are online more than ever. They do keyword research before making major purchases, connect closely with the brands they care about on social media and use many websites on a regular basis. As a result, digital marketing has become a critical method for reaching consumers. Today's digital marketers have far more options than just a clickable banner ad. While banner ads on websites remain an effective way to reach your target audience, there are also numerous other platforms available that can help you reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. Often, in fact, marketers are overwhelmed by choices. You may find that it's hard to narrow down your options when it comes to digital marketing. Which social media platforms should you focus on? What keywords are your users most likely to search by? Working with a media partner can help cut through the noise and give you a better idea of how to invest in digital marketing more effectively.
The Importance of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is more important now than ever. It has become a highly effective way to reach consumers. Today's consumers spend more time online than ever before. They carry their phones with them wherever they go, and they use multiple platforms on a regular basis. The average US adult spends more than 30 minutes per day on Facebook alone and 16 to 24-year-olds spend an average of three hours per day on social media. Consumers spend even more time browsing, doing online research, and checking out materials online.
Digital marketing allows you to meet those consumers where they already are. It's targeted directly to them on platforms they're already on, any time they might be on them. Targeting has become increasingly sophisticated over the past several years. Facebook and other social media platforms allow for incredibly customized, targeted ads that can put you directly in front of your preferred target audience.
Employing an effective digital marketing strategy works. If your business isn't online, consumers who are interested in learning more about what you have to offer can't find you. By utilizing an effective digital marketing platform, however, you can expand your reach, not only to consumers who are already interested in learning more about your business but to those who might not yet know what you have to offer.
Reaching Your Audience in New Ways
Digital marketing has an incredible reach. You can target users in several different ways. Through your paid search marketing, you can directly target specific users who are searching for particular keywords related to your industry. On social media, you can focus on consumers in specific demographics or who have shown specific past buying behaviors. Your digital ads can help spread the word about your business to consumers who have shown an interest in specific topics or areas, or you can choose to retarget ads to consumers who have interacted with your business in the past. Through this highly targeted strategy, you can adapt your reach to those specific consumers who best fit your target audience. Digital marketing also offers you plenty of new and ways to reach your customers, including customized advertisements that meet their specific needs.
Benefiting Your Business with Digital Marketing
Digital marketing can prove incredibly beneficial to your business. Google ads, for example, have an average ROI of $2 for every $1 spent. Using social media can help you outsell your peers substantially. By utilizing digital marketing effectively, you can:
- Expand your reach and get your brand in front of a larger number of consumers
- Improve overall brand awareness, including awareness of what sets your brand apart from your competitors and how it can benefit consumers
- Interact more directly with consumers, especially on your social media accounts
- Create more impressions with consumers, which may increase the odds that they will make a purchase from your business
- Retarget consumers who have used your business in the past, but who might not have turned to you with their recent needs or who might have fallen away over time
Concentrated digital marketing efforts can allow you to increase the return on your marketing investment. Combining your digital marketing campaign with the other marketing strategies you're already using can take it even further. By working closely with a media partner, you can learn more about the strategies and tactics that will help you expand your reach and create an effective digital marketing strategy. A media partner can also help you track your results, refine your ads, and improve your ROI so that you can get even better results from your digital marketing efforts.
