Have you had questions about the connection between digital marketing and branding? It’s no secret that people of all ages are more present in online spaces than ever before.
If you are having issues with the brakes on your car and you have just moved to a new neighborhood, you will probably go online to find a highly-rated mechanic in the area.
Or let’s say you’re hoping to get some work done in a coffee shop you’ve never visited—it’s pretty likely you will turn to social media to see photos of their space and get a sense of the atmosphere before you decide to travel there.
Maybe you are seeking legal advice and you are wary of who you can trust with such personal, sensitive information. Rightfully, you will probably want to spend some time reading through different attorney websites to find the best fit for your case.
All of the above scenarios present problems, and as we have recognized, more and more consumers are turning to the web to find solutions. It greatly benefits business owners to take this opportunity to improve their branding strategy by creating high-quality content that is more accessible to their target audience, and to engage with that audience regularly.
Here are the top 5 ways in which digital marketing can improve your branding strategy:
1. Digital Marketing is more cost-effective than traditional marketing.
When we look at all of the different resources that are necessary to fulfill traditional marketing tactics, we can clearly see that the expenses can add up.
For example, print advertisements can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars—and generally, the more you spend, the wider the audience those advertisements will reach. A comparable advertisement on Facebook or Instagram may typically range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
While it does remain true that traditional advertisements are accessible in public spaces regardless of whether people choose to be active online, it is important to weigh the cost as it relates to your ROI. Having a consistent digital marketing strategy that includes paid advertisements as well as a regular content calendar and engagement with your audience will continue to benefit both you and your consumers beyond the sales you make.
2. You can connect more effectively with your target audience.
One of the biggest benefits of digital marketing is that it gives you the chance to use SEO (search engine optimization) to your advantage. As online spaces change rapidly, so do the interests of the people present in those spaces. New topics, media, and styles of branding emerge to accommodate these changing interests, and it is important to stay up to date with how your target audience spends time online.
A quality digital marketing agency is equipped with experts and the tools necessary to boost your brand visibility and attractiveness to your ideal audience.
3. Your online presence can nurture your current audience.
As we know, the purpose of your marketing strategy is to convert leads into sales. Naturally, the focus tends to be on the target audience and reaching new leads who have not yet encountered the brand.
It can be easy to forget that some of your most valuable consumers are the ones who have already been invested in your product or service. These are the people who have chosen you above your competitors and will continue to choose you time and time again.
When you have a loyal audience, you have a base of supporters who will want to engage with you online, if you present them with the opportunity! Providing valuable information and entertaining, relevant content to your current customers will allow you to solidify that system of support for your business.
4. Shifting your focus to digital marketing can streamline your marketing analytics.
Once you have decided to shift toward a primarily digital marketing strategy, it is important to track the metrics so you can determine the success of your efforts. While this process can be time-consuming, tracking these analytics tends to be simpler in online marketing.
Think of it this way: if a majority of your activity is online, you will be able to track how many clicks to your website in the last month came from search engines, online advertisements, and social media posts. If, for example, a majority of website clicks in the last month came from Instagram, you can then take a deeper look at your Instagram analytics to find the specific types of content that were most attractive.
This strategy is also beneficial to determine the effectiveness of your website. If you have noticed your engagement has increased on social media platforms and your website has received more visits but your sales have not increased, you may want to reconsider the layout of your landing page.
All of these factors work together, and using digital marketing as your primary strategy will simplify the steps necessary to assess your success.
5. Digital marketing helps you stay relevant.
As a brand, it is important to find your niche, and perhaps that niche lies within a community of older individuals who still consume primarily traditional marketing content.
While traditional marketing remains useful, digital marketing is the way of the future. As new platforms continue to emerge, the age range of online users will widen to include both older and younger people.
Digital marketing is not a trend, but a new method of providing accessible information to people of all ages. For this reason, it will benefit business owners to take the initiative to adjust their marketing strategies toward online audiences.
