Marketing brings customers closer to businesses by communicating specifics about products and services, where they can access them, and why they should choose brand over another. Marketing is an effective approach to gain a competitive edge, promote sales, and improve brand visibility. Technology is significantly influencing business operations today, and the area of marketing is no exception. Businesses are now relying on digital marketing, which primarily focuses on Internet and smartphone users, gradually moving away from traditional marketing paths such as radio and television.
About 79 percent of consumers use the Internet to research products and brands before making purchases. This is creating opportunities for forward-thinking entities to grow their market share and profits. Using suitable strategies, businesses can increase their reach, track and monitor consumer behavior, create and maintain good customer relationships, and minimize marketing costs by targeting a specific audience.
Creating and maintaining a website is perhaps the most critical digital marketing tool for businesses. Websites are the first place customers explore when interacting with a brand, making them key to creating a good first impression. Consumers trust entities with well designed websites, especially those that include descriptions of what they do, the products and services they offer, contact information, and testimonials. Notably, nearly 90 percent of consumers read reviews before making purchases.
With a high flow of traffic to their websites, organizations can effectively convert leads into sales. Search engine optimization (SEO), a strategy that helps a website rank high in search engine results to gain visibility to the target audience, can help direct users to a website. Businesses can also share links to their websites on their social media platforms to improve traffic and promote their products.
Social media marketing is a popular digital approach for businesses. Social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are connecting businesses and consumers globally. The average American adult spends over two and a half hours on social media every day. Businesses with a social media presence can target this audience easily and cost-effectively. Leveraging multiple social media networks increases the probability of reaching the right potential customers and making sales.
Effective social media marketing requires frequent engagement with followers. Businesses should post regularly, on all their platforms, utilizing texts, images, and videos. Additionally, they should answer questions promptly and use direct messages to reach out to those interested in their offerings. Most organizations hire social media managers to interact with their followers and build a positive image through quick responses.
Advertising on social media can be done without charges, but paid ads can make a difference. This option allows marketers to target the specific audience they wish to reach out to, access and analyze sophisticated market information, and run a campaign to maximize their reach. Entities can segment their target market based on several criteria, including age, gender, relationship status, interests, and geographic location to enhance efficiency.
Leveraging influencers is also an effective digital marketing strategy. This involves choosing popular figures, including celebrities and athletes, to send a message to the market. For a favorable return on investment (ROI), it is imperative to choose an influencer with a sizeable audience that embodies the company’s values. These individuals can help create awareness about a new product and spur consumers to make purchases.
Businesses can also organize an influencer takeover, where their chosen celebrities take charge of the social media platforms to interact with customers for a specific period of time. This approach can help advertise offers and promotions or communicate any other relevant information. The opportunity to interact with popular celebrities encourages the target audience to reach out to the company, inquire about products, and place orders.
