Choosing the right strategy for you
As a digital marketing agency based in the West Midlands with over 20 years of experience, we’ve developed a deep understanding of what tactics work well in different situations. We’ve also learned that sometimes combining traditional marketing with this deep understanding of digital marketing methods such as search engine marketing, content marketing, and social media marketing that a far greater ROI can be achieved.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing is simply the use of assorted marketing tactics used across digital channels such as search engines, social media platforms, mobile apps, and just about anything that can display a digital advert (TV, Digital Billboards) or maybe play adverts to you while you listen, yes – even digital radio falls into this category.
And it’s not just all about advertising, the concept of content marketing for instance is designed to draw attention from, and educate those potential customers looking for product or service information to help them decide where they should be buying. Without this type of quality ‘educational/informative’ content Google might struggle to point users in the right direction.
There’s a vast array of tactics and digital channels to choose from, and it all depends on exactly what you’re looking to achieve.
How Digital Marketing Works
The components of a digital marketing campaign could include any or all of the following (and this isn't all of them):
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
This involves the optimisation of your website in order to ensure that it appears at, or near the top of, the search results when a relevant term is entered.
The optimisation in question involves everything from the content of the site – including the use of keywords and the inclusion of authoritative and useful information – to the technical performance and the quality of any external sites to which your pages link to.
Having a strong SEO strategy in place greatly increases the chances of your business being visible when and where it matters. As an online marketing agency, we know how to make that happen.
Content Marketing
This involves the optimisation of your website in order to ensure that it appears at, or near the top of, the search results when a relevant term is entered.
The optimisation in question involves everything from the content of the site – including the use of keywords and the inclusion of authoritative and useful information – to the technical performance and the quality of any external sites to which your pages link to.
Having a strong SEO strategy in place greatly increases the chances of your business being visible when and where it matters. As an online marketing agency, we know how to make that happen.
Paid Search
This is also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and refers to the sponsored results which appear at the top or side of a search engine results page.
There is a charge for every click on adverts like these, and they can be tailored to appear in the results on the basis of specific search terms being entered. In this way, the real-time bidding system utilises data to deliver your message to the right people at the right time.
Social Media Management
The power of social media to create and spread a brand has been illustrated time and time again, not least by some of the most famous celebrities in the world.
Effective social media marketing involves much more than simply a corporate presence on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. It involves crafting social media content that is responsive and accessible and helps to open two-way lines of communication between a business and its customers.
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Why Digital Marketing is Important
The key to an effective digital marketing campaign is to have all of these different aspects working as part of a coordinated effort designed to spread your brand to as many potential customers as possible.
A comprehensive digital marketing strategy opens up the possibility of a business of any size being able to reach out to a genuinely global audience. This will only prove to be effective in the long term, however, if the message and branding being communicated are consistent across every platform and within every individual piece of marketing.
In an increasingly digital age, with the rise of the 'Internet of Things’ and wearable tech about to herald the next revolution, a marketing strategy that correctly utilises digital channels should be at the forefront of the overarching business strategy, for any organisation looking to not just grow, but very possibly maintain its presence in the marketplace.
A business without a strong digital presence will, of course, in the eyes of customers, be a business with virtually no presence at all. In simple terms – your customers are online and so are your competitors... you need to be, too.
Which Digital Marketing Strategy is Best?
The short answer to this question is – it depends. When Omnisity delivers digital marketing services for a business the process begins with getting to know that business from top to bottom, further complimenting this with in-depth research into the target customer base and the competition.
This enables us to develop a digital marketing strategy designed specifically to deliver on the goals set by the agreed SMART objective. This could be to drive more enquiries, sell more products online or maybe develop long term brand saliency.
Regardless of the goals, we run a process of constant monitoring of the impact of the digital marketing being delivered, this enables us to modify the strategy to take into account a myriad of factors such as shifting SEO patterns, new trends within an industry, customer feedback, and any key performance indicators that require attention.
Ultimately, the best digital marketing strategy is one that works – the one that’s tailored to deliver for your business.
The late great Al Achenbaum once said:
“What distinguishes a brand from an unbranded commodity counterpart and gives it its equity is the sum total of consumers’ perceptions and feeling about the product’s attributes, about how it performs, about the brand name, and the company associated with producing it”.
Digital Marketing has a deep and far-reaching impact on customer behavior. The effects, requirements, and tactics of a digital marketing strategy will vary based upon touchpoints (how many interactions the customers make with your brand), awareness (whether the customer is aware of your brand), consideration (what they think about your product/service vs competitors), and finally conversion - when they buy from you or use your service.
All four factors need to work together for a campaign to be successful: Digital Marketing that creates plenty of Awareness, but does not translate into Consideration can lead to Reputation Management problems which may ultimately undermine Conversion rates.
Traditional marketing is usually about putting your message in front of as many eyeballs as possible, either through TV ads, billboards or posters.
It's hard work because to be successful it has to reach people who are not already looking for products or services you offer.
Digital marketing is more often than not the exact opposite - finding people who are actively searching for solutions related to what you have to offer and putting your brand and products in front of them at exactly the right time to encourage sales and enquiries.
Yes, but there are many things to consider before jumping into hiring an agency.
It is always better to have someone who has experience and expertise in the field you need to help you market your business, but that doesn't mean you'll get better results than with in-house staff. In-house staff can be a great addition to specifically focus on your brand and products, but if things in the market change, it's not as simple as "pausing" a campaign.
Depending on the scale of your company and what kind of expertise they need (mobile app developer? SEO guru?), then making sure you approach an agency with the right expertise is crucial.
Companies like Google and Facebook hire outside agencies for their marketing needs; thus proving that it can be worth it even for the largest and most resourceful enterprises.
The answer to the original question will depend on whether businesses want marketing done internally or externally; both come with benefits and disadvantages, which include cost and commitment levels.