Once upon a time the word advertising meant adverts and promotions on traditional media such as Television, billboard, posters, radio station. However in the past years a game changer has popped up with an immense growth in popularity in recent years. Digital Advertising cannot be termed the “new kid on block” has it has been practiced tentatively by a few big companies with large advertising budget; however it has gained a large amount of popularity among small and medium businesses.
WHAT IS DIGITAL ADVERTISING?
Digital advertising is the practice of using media technologies to deliver promotional advertisements to consumers. It includes promotional advertisements and messages delivered through email (Gmail Promotions, Yahoo mail etc.), social media websites (Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn etc.), search advertising on search engines (e.g. as Bing, Google, Yahoo), Rich media ads/banner/display ads/video ads on mobile (mobile Apps) or websites and affiliate Programs
The concept of digital advertising is usually used interchangeably with Online Advertising. However this term is restrictive as over the years, digital advertising has evolved to the use of even non-web based platforms (e.g. mobile phones) for advertising
WHY DOES MY BUSINESS NEED DIGITAL MARKETING?
Businesses and advertisers are beginning to go more deeply into Digital Advertising due to the numerous advantages it offers over Traditional Media Advertising. Some of these advantages include the following;
-Results are much easier to track and measure;
-digital campaigns can reach an infinite audience.
-It is also possible to tailor a digital campaign to reach a local audience but it can also be used on the web and reach the entire globe when appropriate.
-Digital marketing is also a very interactive means of reaching an audience since it makes use of social media platforms.
– There can be plenty of direct contact between the audience and the business which means that the business can get some very valuable consumer feedback.
In recent years, Digital Marketing has evolved into an Art. Gone are the days of selling ads to customers with clicks and impressions as success metrics. An artist before a painting decides which message he wants his painting to portray, and picks the right tools to use before building his masterpiece. This can be compared to Digital Advertising.
Digital platforms and social networks have changed the relationship between brands and consumers. Advertisers and Businesses are now looking to connect on a more personal base with their customer’s interests and become one with their passions.
Advertisers through Digital Marketing can make this possible by defining the “Path to Purchase”(Awareness->Consideration->Intent->Decision) of a customer and connecting personally with them through the various points in the Path until they achieve their Purpose; this is the beautiful Art of Digital Marketing!
A detailed marketing strategy must be developed around the following questions.
-The business’ description?
-The industry the business operates in?
-The Business’ target market and advertising goals
-The business’ competitors
-The business’ core ideology, strengths and weaknesses, and a combination of several other factors must be taken into consideration before embarking on a digital advertising campaign. Here’s a case study as an example.
It is important to determine your business online goals before starting your online campaign. Some of the major reasons businesses advertise include the following
-Customer Retention/Loyalty
-Increase in sales
-Brand awareness
-Social Media Engagement etc
Once your Campaign goal(s) have been clearly defined a Marketing Strategy will be put in place while using effective digital platforms that will help realize your business campaign goals
The cool feature of Digital advertising is the flexibility in budget and transparency. SMBs can benefit immensely from advertising even with a minimal budget.
You can download our WebCoupers Marketing Brief to get more insights on how we can help grow your Business online.
Have a great week. Cheers!