Definition of Digital Marketing.

With how accessible the internet is today, would you believe me if I told you the number of people who go online every day is still increasing?

It is. In fact, "constant" internet usage among adults increased by 5% in just the last three years, according to Pew Research. And although we say it a lot, the way people shop and buy really has changed along with it -- meaning offline marketing isn't as effective as it used to be.

Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience in the right place and at the right time. Today, that means you need to meet them where they are already spending time: on the internet.

Enter digital marketing - in other words, any form of marketing that exists online.

What is digital marketing?

“Digital marketing” characterizes marketing strategies executed online, including: web design/publishing, search engine optimization, social media optimization, digital campaigns such as emailing and paid campaigns (Google Adwords, Social Media or video Advertising) and data management to some extent.

Businesses, no matter their size, can use digital marketing to operate different channels in order to better reach their target audience. Because that is the goal of any effective marketing strategy: connect with your audience at the right time and place. Today, that happens online.

Why work with consultants?

Depending on your company size, your objectives will differ. Moreover, you may think of hiring someone full time to implement digital marketing strategies. It can be a solution, but its relevance hinges on your business strategy. 

Requesting the services of digital marketing experts is always a good idea (after all, bringing a fresh look brings no harm), though the spectrum of how they can help may be limited according to what you wish to achieve.

If your goal is one of the following, and you do not have dedicated resources, some professional guidance is advised:

• Expanding the customer base
• Measuring key performance indicators and using data to make business decisions
• Defining strong and realistic marketing goals
• Defining & implementing marketing plan with short & long-term objectives

 Yet, before calling upon agencies, clarify on your end the goal. Be as specific as possible: “increase the engagement rate on the company social media accounts by 5%”, “increase the conversion rate by 3% on the corporate website”, “grow my contact database by 1,000 entries”, etc.

Based on this communicated objective, the agencies will be able to build a customized action plan. It will be easier for you then to evaluate their propositions with your objective in mind.

In conclusion, Digital Marketing is the marketing of the future. In addition to all that I’ve highlighted in this article, you can track the results of your digital marketing efforts with incredible accuracy, which means it is easy to see which strategies are producing profitable results and which ones need some work.

If this article has convinced you that you need digital marketing (or need to up your digital marketing game), but you’d like some help identifying the right approach, let me know here or in the comments! We love helping businesses grow with digital marketing.