In the planet of business development and branding, going digital is all of the buzz. So just what is digital marketing and how do we use it to cultivate our businesses?

Digital Marketing Defined

Digital marketing may be the advertising and promotion of businesses and their brands through digital media channels. Digital media, right now, includes websites, social media marketing, radio, television, mobile and even forms of traditionally non-digital media such as for example billboards and transit signs. Essentially any marketing media that is delivered electronically is considered digital marketing.

This leaves only various types of person-to-person (P2P) marketing, print advertising and direct marketing outside the digital marketing umbrella. Even then, print ads, direct mail, print directories, billboards and posters are starting to connect to their digital counterparts. With stuff like URL landing pages, QR codes, web banner advertising, online directories and text codes, traditional marketing and advertising almost always has a digital marketing connection.

Why the Concentrate on Digital Media?

The shift to digital media has been driven by marketing agencies, companies and consumers alike. The ever-increasing demand showing quantifiable results makes going digital a dream for the digital marketing agency. Most digital media, including websites, social media marketing and mobile advertising is a lot simpler to track than traditional marketing media such as print advertising.

For business owners, many types of digital advertising are very low priced. Having a website, engaging customers in conversations through social media and e-mail marketing are low cost alternatives to print advertising and direct mail. These digital channels can be found to businesses of any size, and help even the playing field for start-ups, smaller businesses and independent consultants seeking new business.

For consumers, the fast pace of life makes digital advertising essential. When consumers are looking for goods and services, gone will be the days of thumbing through a phonebook to get them. Now, we whip out our mobile devices or check out our computers for answers – and we find them fast.

Using Digital Media to Build Your Business and Brand

No matter what size your business is – large or small to medium sized business / enterprise (SMB or SME) – it is possible to effectively market your organization through low-cost digital channels. The building blocks of your marketing efforts will be your site. Invest wisely in your website, and be sure that it can the following:Adequately represents your business and brand (appear and feel, messaging)Adequately speaks to your target audienceCan be found by searchers at the top search enginesIs up-to-date and easily navigableProvides multiple channels for customer communicationConnects to other marketing efforts

It is recommended that you utilize a professional web design firm that is skilled in web development and search engine optimization. Because your website may be the foundation to and that all the digital channels will lead, it ought to be considered one of your top business investments.

Once you have your site complete, the next steps would be to launch regular monthly or bi-monthly e-mail campaigns, and interact with customers via social media. When you are truly on a shoestring budget, they are efforts that can be done in-house (by someone with the proper knowledge) or for an inexpensive by an outside digital marketing agency. Make sure that all your efforts lead customers back to your website where they can fully engage with your organization, products and services, and choose the channels through which they contact you.

If you’re thinking about getting aggressive with search marketing, it is possible to reserve some digital marketing dollars for search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. Many businesses today rely heavily on being found online to gain new customers. A standard misconception among business owners is that simply having a website means that customers will find it. Not so. Your site must be built with specific key phrases and phrases, meta data, page content and linking strategies that can help it reach top search rankings.

Because many key phrases and phrases have stiff competition for top search rankings, you will have to supplement your organic search engine optimization efforts with pay-per-click advertising. Getting established with pay-per-click promotional initiatives can be a little daunting, but with a little time, effort and instruction, that too could be accomplished in-house, or for a reasonable cost via an outside digital marketing agency.

Beyond e-mail, social media marketing and search engine marketing, it is possible to venture right into a host of other digital marketing efforts. Mobile advertising, radio, television, electronic billboards and much more are available as marketing outlets. Whatever digital efforts you select, they ought to all connect and tie into your foundation – your organization website.

If you have the means, a wise investment would be to engage the services of a digital marketing agency to assist in your marketing efforts. Today, many digital agencies offer multiple levels of service to accommodate businesses large and small.