What is Digital Marketing? YOU be the ‘JUDGE’!

Being a HUGE Baseball fan, I couldn’t write this month’s Blog without mentioning Aaron Judge.  He has single-handedly brought back MLB to be a watchable sport, again.

As I write this, Judge just tied the immortal George Herman “Babe” Ruth at 60 HR’s <in a single season> for 2nd most in Yankees history.  He now has 14 days to tie (or mostly likely) break Roger Maris’ AL record of 61.

So…….JEFF………has does this tie-in with Digital marketing?  Great question:  Let me tell you:

The definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. 

In 2017, (Judge’s Rookie Season) he also set a MLB record…………the MOST strikeouts by a Rookie in a single season (208).  So how did he go from ZERO to HERO in just 5 years.  He made changes to his swing.

So – what are you doing differently – to stand out above your competition?  If the answer is nothing, then you’ll (most likely) be leading YOUR business category in ‘strike-outs’ as well.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing, also known as online marketing, refers to advertising delivered through digital channels to promote brands and connect potential customers using the internet and other forms of digital communication such as: 

  • Search engines
  • Websites
  • Social media
  • Email
  • Mobile apps
  • Text messaging
  • Web-based advertising

In-short, if a marketing campaign is using any of the above online media channels, it is digital marketing.

Consumers today rely heavily on digital means to research products. Some 77% of customers research a brand online before engaging with it, according to HubSpot Research. Meanwhile, 51% of consumers say they use Google to research products before buying.

 

So as I’ve always said – if your prospects can’t FIND you, they can’t BUY from you.

How does digital marketing work?

Digital marketing uses a range of strategies to reach customers, whether the aim is to tempt them into making a purchase, increase their brand awareness, or simply engage with your brand. Modern digital marketing comprises a broad system of channels, including: 

  • Social media
  • Content marketing
  • Website marketing
  • SEO (search engine optimization)
  • PPC (pay per click) advertising

To achieve the true potential of digital marketing, marketers must dig deep into today’s vast and intricate cross-channel world to discover strategies that make an impact through engagement marketing.

Engagement marketing is the method of forming meaningful interactions with potential and returning customers based on the data you collect over time. By engaging customers in a digital landscape, you build brand awareness, position yourself as a thought leader, and place your business at the forefront when the customer is ready to buy.

The Benefits of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing can help you get to know your audience, learn important information about them, and provide metrics that will give your marketing team credibility. The benefits of digital marketing include: 

1. You will get to know your audience.

Digital marketing offers the perfect way to get to know and connect with your audience. You can test offers and messages and get an insight into the peak times they visit your website. If you have a social media strategy — and you really should — you can build relationships with them faster and more easily. Attune yourself to your audience and you’ll build credibility that can set you apart from the competition. 

2. It doesn’t cost much.

Compared to traditional marketing methods, digital marketing is cheap. There are fewer overheads. You can create a slick, professional website for a relatively small cost, using one of the many templated systems or paying more for a bespoke creation. You can create social media accounts for free, and partner with an email newsletter provider for a competitive price. Relatively cost-effective, digital marketing is suitable for even the smallest of businesses.

3. You can market to anyone, anywhere.

With digital marketing, your potential reach is huge. You can connect with customers on the other side of the world, in multiple time zones, as seamlessly as though you were taking out an ad in the local newspaper (easier, in fact). You can expand your market reach and grow your business in ways that would have seemed impossible before.

4. Digital marketing is adaptable.

With digital marketing, you can be fast, fluid and nimble in your approach. Trial different strategies, assess the results, and try something different the following month — or week. Get access to real-time data to help inform your business decisions — there’s no need to wait weeks to see the results of a campaign.

5. You can personalize by channel.

Your marketing must deploy cross-channel functionality from teams with multiple skillsets to engage customers where they are in that precise moment. For example, each social media platform includes different audiences and expectations, so marketing may look different for each. This includes tone, imagery, offers, and scheduling of your posts.

6. You can measure campaigns and set KPIs.

Digital marketing supports a vast universe of metrics that can be utilized to determine the effectiveness of your marketing. Start by setting your goals for each channel and the metrics you want to see for them. You can track the number of conversions and leads, visits to your website, and much more — giving you plenty of valuable insight to help grow your business.

Even IF you follow this as a “BLUEPRINT” to success, there’s one small ingredient that you need to keep in mind.  Doing ALL of the steps is great, but as my LINKEDIN profile tag says:

SIMPLICITY IS GOOD, BUT SIGNIFICANT IS BEST.

You MUST stand-out. 

As much as I’d love to tell you that website visitors go to a specific site to look for ads, I’d be lying to you.

Have a STRONG “call-to-action” to peak their interest and to give them a reason to move-away from the site, they initial came to visit, and “click” your message or offer. 

Make it worth their while to do-so, or else you’ll just be throwing money out-the-window and your Digital Campaign WILL FAIL

If you need help in getting the best ROI on your investment, reach out to us at Bullseye Marketing and we’ll sit down to discuss your goals and expectations.