Digital
marketing is something every company has to give due consideration to. Not an
online business you say. Too bad because that doesn’t excuse you from anything.
Even local, land-based businesses have to focus on the online arena, as that’s
where their target audiences are.
Here are
seven things about digital marketing you absolutely have to know.
1. Mobile Is
Now
Audiences
aren’t shifting more to browsing via mobile devices. They are already there.
Over 50% of all Internet users are now operating exclusively on mobile devices.
If you haven’t made your site responsive and geared everything towards smaller
screens, you’re in trouble. First, Google will actively penalize you in the
search results, consequently reducing your audience. Second, your existing
customers will become increasingly frustrated and alienated.
2.
Micro-Moments
The easiest
way to define this is by relating it to impulse shopping. Portability and
accessibility in the business world has led to the rise of micro-moments. You
have mere seconds to fulfill a customer’s need. Your company has to have a
platform that operates 24/7 in order to cater to anyone wherever they are.
3. Using
Apps
Apps are
becoming the ultimate way to reach your audience. A quick look at the TV and
you will see just how many companies are advertising their apps instead of
their core businesses. This is because many customers are ignoring browsers and
going straight for apps. If you don’t already have a related app for your
business, now is the time to address that.
4. Consider
The Internet Of Things
The Internet
of Things is a modern phenomenon relating to how ordinary every-day objects
can, and are expected to, connect with a network. In other words, our phones
turned from a simple way to make calls to connecting to the Internet. Smart
home technology is another example of how the Internet of Things is taking
hold. This is yet to become an absolute ‘must’ for businesses as it’s still in
its infancy, but you should already be considering what you’re going to do
about it. For now, this may be as simple as an app or thinking about the wider
impact of your products and services.
The definition of branding for digital marketers has changed. It once referred to printing business cards, coming up with a website, and slapping a logo on it. Your brand extends to everything, now, especially how you are going to communicate with customers. Branding for businesses in 2016 must be holistic. It must include delving into potentially difficult topics like reputation and crisis management. Brands that succeed in the long run plan for every possible eventuality. All it takes is a co-worker to say the wrong thing and it can completely smear the company’s reputation.
6. Pushing People Through The Door
According to Edward James, CEO of Go Up, “SEO was once measured by the amount of traffic flowing to a website. Digital marketers made their money through getting people through the door. What happened afterwards was none of their concern. Now the responsibilities of the digital marketer have changed. It’s less about pushing people through the door and more about monitoring them throughout the entire purchasing process.” The digital marketer must concentrate on all steps of the buying process. In addition, after that they have to think about how they are going to retain customers in the long-term.
Live streaming through platforms like Periscope and Twitch are on the up. Many companies have dismissed them as novelties that don’t need to be considered. Nevertheless, digital marketers have managed to turn them into dollar signs. Don’t underestimate the desire of customers to see what’s going on inside an operation. While we can’t give you any concrete tactics for how to utilize live streaming for the benefit of your business, what we can say is this is something to watch. Digital marketing is set to become more interactive than ever before, and part of this revolution will come from harnessing the potential of live streaming.
Conclusion
Digital marketing isn’t something you can ignore if you want to make your organization into a success. The time is now to take advantage of it. If you don’t know enough about it, hire someone. Nevertheless, whatever you do don’t let your competitors pass you by.
Source: Aj Agrawal
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