FOCUS ON DIGITAL MARKETING

Photo by Nathana Rebouças

It wasn't THAT long ago when having internet access or a computer in the home was considered an enormous luxury. Maybe some of the other girls in the office are too young to remember the eye watering screech or painfully slow speed of a dial up connection back in the 90s, but I certainly do!

Fast forward to 2022 and, if you're anything like me, we all have a computer permanently attached to us. I know I feel a rush of anxiety when I can't find my phone, which almost matches the horror I feel when my iPhone notifies me of my average daily screen time. (Hello, up 20% last week to 9 hours a day! Yikes!)

Our obsession with technology certainly does allow us to remain connected to one another, whether that's socially, for work, for study/research, or to purchase or sell something.

Recent research indicates 71% of all Australians are online and spending an average of 6 hours and 14 minutes connected each day (according to the Digital 2021 Report prepared by We Are Social and Hootsuite).

With this in mind, and unless you've been living under a rock for the past ten years, it is safe to assume that digital marketing in some way or another forms part of your marketing mix.

Photo by Corinne Kutz

Digital marketing, also called online marketing, and as the name suggests, refers to any marketing activities undertaken online to connect brands to potential customers. Traditional marketing would be such things as television commercials, magazine ads, billboards, etc.

What are some of the elements that make up digital marketing?

Online Ads

Banner ads, perhaps most commonly seen in a Leaderboard (728x90) or an MREC (300x250), appear online and are usually purchased for a dollar amount per however-many thousand views.

eDMs

Similarly to old fashioned direct mail, eDMs are an electronic version of the same thing so, rather than being delivered to your letterbox, they hit your email inbox instead! eDMs are often used to promote content, sales, launches and events.

Social media

Social media marketing can take the form of paid ads - you know those sponsored ads you are fed on Facebook or Instagram? Or sponsored content, which is where a brand engages an influencer or another brand to promote their products or services for a fee. The overall engagement of users on social media is high, with users on Instagram spending an average of thirty minutes per day on the app (Social Media Today).

Website

The ultimate goal of digital marketing is to drive traffic to your website and convert that traffic into sales. A beautiful and functional website is essential for business in 2022.

Photo by Tranmautritam

So, why do you need digital marketing for your business? Well, the benefits of digital marketing for your business are clear:

1. Reach

Digital marketing allows you to reach a wider audience than traditional marketing and allows you to target prospects that are more engaged and more likely to purchase.

2. Measurable Results

Unlike most traditional marketing methods, digital marketing analytics are easily measurable meaning you can determine the ROI of any digital marketing element in your marketing mix.

3. Cost Efficiency

Digital marketing is far more cost effective than traditional marketing. If you're just starting out on your digital marketing journey and don't have a big advertising budget then elements such as social media can offer very strong results for a smaller spend. As digital marketing is trackable, you are able to modify and focus your efforts on elements of your digital campaign that's delivering the best results. The same can't be said for traditional advertising.

4. Easily customisable

If you were to get halfway through a campaign and discover that it wasn't effective, digital marketing has the flexibility to modify or change your marketing strategy.

5. Improved Conversion Rates

Digital marketing offers a high level of insight into how your marketing strategy is performing for you. With this knowledge you can refine your methods to create better strategies. In turn, this means higher quality leads which ultimately results in improved conversion rates.

Photo by Ivan Samkov

While you are an expert in your field, here at TLSE we are experts in Digital Marketing. If you don't yet have a digital marketing strategy or would like to review your digital marketing strategy then you can connect with us here to chat about how we can help you achieve your marketing goals.

WORDS | Emma McCann