The Digital Media Effect: Holy Grail Strategies to use to Start Growing Your Brand
Daisy Seferoglou
Executive Leader | Global Influencer & Marketing Expert | Celebrity Partnerships | Global Brand Exposure
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#socialmediamarketingtips #digitalmedia #innovation, #socialnetworking, #influencers, #advertising, #branding, #beautycommunity, #fashion
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Marketing has looked very different for fashion and beauty brands over the years to the present day. Marketing Evolution defines digital marketing and media as “any marketing initiative that leverages online media and the internet through connected devices such as mobile phones, home computers, or the Internet of Things (IoT).” Initiatives have changed drastically every year from the 2010s to the current day due the rise of social media during the last few years of the pandemic. Many brick and mortar stores have made the switch to evolve online as 63% of the world’s population can be reached online through different digital marketing techniques. This has drastically elevated the way businesses market to their consumers and the way that consumers purchase and engage with products online- simply creating a personal and intimate shopping experience.
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According to a study conducted by Global Industry Analysts, the digital media & marketing sector is estimated at $155.3 billion as of 2021 and is said to grow to a $786.2 billion industry by 2026. In addition, one of the amazing perks of digital marketing is it allows for more personal exchanges between brands and consumers and since 45% of consumers prefer to purchase online there has never been a better time to extend your audience reach as a business.
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However, practice makes perfect and finding the strategies that work best for your brand and team is not a one size fits all scenario and creating a plan of action is the most effective way to see results. In fact, Hubspot conducted a study in 2019 that concluded that teams that documented their marketing strategies were 313% more likely to meet their goals and initiatives than those who did not. With this being said, here are the most simple and effective strategies to use to grow your brand using digital media organically.
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Top 4 Most Effective Digital Media Growth Strategie
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Engage and Grow Your Community
Your community is a quintessential thing to your success in any industry- especially communities that are fairly big in size and growing every day. During the pandemic, digital apps like Tiktok have become rising stars in pushing new and upcoming brands to their intended audiences and providing established brands with another metric to understand what their consumers want and why. Engaging your audience can look different for everyone:
●?????Creating content that is easygoing and relatable while still reaching your niche audience: Instead of the typical product promotion shots and posts, bring your customers in on what your life looks like day to day. Film a ‘Get Ready with Me’ video to showcase hair, makeup, and clothing looks; film a skincare or makeup routine, or even spend time with family and friends. Give your brand that personal touch by being vulnerable with your audience and letting them get to know you on a personal level. Instagram is very beauty-centric and this has always been great news for both the beauty and fashion community, however users have complained that the application has felt rather impersonal over the last few years due to algorithm changes. Apps like Tiktok give users what I like to call the ‘Facetime Effect’ where it feels as though you’re watching someone on the other end of a Facetime call which translates to appearing more relatable and honest.
●?????Q&A Sessions during livestreams to gather user feedback on products you’re helping to build.
●?????Incentivizing your customers to shop with you repeatedly (even if you are a one-time customer).
○?????Offering samples to those who shop with you or sign up for your newsletter.
○?????Offering a first-time discount and free goodies to new consumers
○?????Sending out promotional offers for upcoming holidays, events, etc.
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Build a multi-dimensional business
Once a brand gains some traction there is no end to the ways that your products can be featured such as:
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●?????Ecommerce site
●?????Blog/vlog
●?????Email newsletters
●?????Paid promotions on social media (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, & Twitter)
●?????Affiliate marketing
●?????Pay-per-click (PPC) Ads
●?????Search engine optimization (SEO) Marketing
●?????Mobile marketing
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In order to be successful in pushing their own brand, there has to be some strategy put into the methodical cross sharing between different platforms. It is essential for business owners to stay active with their customers and have a way for one medium to lead to the next (ex: button for newsletter directs users to all your other platforms such as Youtube, Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, pataeron, etc.). In doing this, businesses can direct traffic to their other channels and truly give their users an opportunity to tap into all the resources that are marketed towards them to have better brand engagement. Keeping your mind open to the different opportunities to monetize your business in another way keeps you ahead of the curve for market trends and future company initiatives that can be built upon.
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User Generated Content and reviews
Word of mouth will always remain a classic way to spread information quickly and to the right party. Using word of mouth helps in increasing brand awareness for your brands and others similar and is a great place to gather user feedback on the products you produce and how they can be better. Consumers love user-generated content because it is real and genuine- they know the reviews behind the post are authentic and made by someone whose opinion you TRUST. This would also be a great place to get consumer feedback on your current line releases, what your audience liked/did not like, and any pictures/videos/reviews that are generated from consumers can be repurposed as content for your brand.
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Collaborate with Influencers
The most important aspect of not only growing your community and reaping the benefits of the seeds you’ve planted into your community is to collaborate and share ideas with the very community that supports you- much of the time this will look like brand deals and collaboration with influencers. Influencer marketing has changed the way that businesses conduct B2B and B2C sales. Influencers have a large impact on consumer purchase decisions, what is trendy right now, and how a message gets delivered to a brand audience they are working with. For this reason, influencers must work with brands that represent them well and brands must select influencers that are inclusive of other genders, ethnicities, backgrounds, and body types while representing the brand message.
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Benefits of Utilizing Digital Marketing tactics:
·?????Understanding which strategies work best and which channels are driving the most value
·?????Understanding what content your users are most responsive to
·?????Increased site traffic, clicks on ads, and responsive data from email traffic
·?????Clean and organized data since data quality is prioritized
·?????Relationships with third party vendors (helping other businesses expand)
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Final Thoughts:
Digital media has made quite the impact on the world of beauty and fashion for business owners, influencers, and freelancers. Though there are many competitors and obstacles due to market saturation- access to various digital marketing tools can lead to several different solutions and high demand for a product that has a true village standing behind it. The best-kept secret of all to maintaining a high-value brand is to be kind, create products and businesses that you’re passionate about that solve user problems. As Alan Kay once said, “the best way to predict the future is to create it” which is exactly what fashion and beauty represent- becoming the trend.
President at Mākaha Angels Productions - Award Winning Filmmaker, Creative Content / Branding, & Surf Rider
2 年Thank you for these insights! As a content creator and filmmaker, I struggle with how to market myself and my brand. I see that there is much opportunity for what I can create for brands and even stock imagery living here in Hawaii. I just have to streamline my offerings to potential clients. I basically need help. Which after reading this article is at the forefront of my 2023 goals. Mahalo!