Digital marketing, inbound and outbound marketing, SEO, websites, signs, apparel, video – oh my! When it comes to marketing, the vast number of options and “things you should be doing” can seem daunting. Each option has its place and benefits. However, it’s wise to look at your unique business and see what makes the most sense for you. This post will take a look at what digital marketing is, how to know if it’s right for your business, and what you can do to make the most of your investment.
What is Digital Marketing?
“Digital marketing” is an umbrella term for numerous tactics used to reach your audience online or in some electronic form. Basically, it refers to any marketing efforts on the web and electronic devices that promote your business in some way. Some digital marketing tactics include search engine optimization (SEO), blogs, social media, retargeting ads, paid search campaigns, and email marketing.
One thing all of these tactics have in common? They all drive traffic to your website, which serves as the “sweet spot” for customers to learn everything about you and what your business has to offer. Any time someone completes a purchase, fills out a form, or signs up for a blog, this is considered a “conversion” in the digital marketing world.
Conversion rates are metrics that businesses use to determine their return on investment (ROI) into digital marketing. Every business has a different definition of what a successful conversion looks like for each campaign. It’s important to set your own conversions so you can keep track of your marketing goals and adjust your campaigns as needed to make them more effective.
Digital vs. Inbound Marketing
“Wait, isn’t digital marketing the same as inbound marketing?” Look at you with all the smart questions! Digital marketing refers to the number of tactics you can utilize online to attract customers. However, it is not compelled to focus on two-way communication like inbound.
While they may use some of the same tactics, inbound differs from digital in that it is a marketing method. It focuses solely on providing helpful info (think e-books, infographics, etc.) to pull an audience in. Outbound is a push method where marketing messages are put in front of the audience whether they ask for it or not (web banner ads, direct mail, etc.). Digital marketing incorporates both push and pull methods into a strategy.
Consider Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Digital marketing is an amazing tool to help businesses reach their audience. However, it’s only one tool in the big shed of marketing. Spending a bunch of money on one digital ad campaign will only get you so far. It’s important to use a mix of traditional, digital, and social media to build a strong marketing strategy that helps you reach your target audience in different ways.
A note of caution: Beware of the companies that are not actually in the business of digital marketing and are just selling plans on the side as an additional service. Oftentimes, these tend to oversell data that holds little weight and may prove useless to your business. Think logically about what makes the most sense for your company.
Not sure where to start with digital marketing? Talk to our team at Stray Media Group. We understand the challenges you might face when finding digital marketing solutions that fit your needs and budget. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you build a strategic digital marketing plan, feel free to give us a call!
