How to get more out of your digital marketing?

Let’s face it. The Internet is the place to be. Whether you’re a travel agency, a retailer or a bank, the Internet represents the main source of data for your customers. Digital marketing is also the most influential marketing channel throughout the consumer’s decision journey.

I’m not simply asking you to believe me. Look at the facts (and stats).

Fact 1: 86 % of consumers learn about products online.

If you think about it, you know it’s true. How do you think your potential clients find you? Sure, there are your local stores/offices, but if we are really honest with ourselves, we know that’s just one of many touchpoints on the decision journey. Nobody, and I mean nobody, uses the yellow pages any more.

So what’s left? TV? Radio? Magazines? Sure, they’re still influential and widely used, and we can’t just forget about them entirely. But these are top of the funnel mediums that drive intent and awareness. The Internet is a primary decision-making medium, where consumers research products and make decisions.

As we’re being entirely honest here, we have to admit that the Internet isn’t always the last channel consumers will use. But a huge majority of consumers will research and book over the Internet.

On average, the majority of purchase confirmations in B2B industry will happen offline (meetings, phone, video conferences etc.), not over some online form. This then leads us to the question: how then to measure online success? To get the answer you’ll have to read the article ??

Fact 2: Media consumption is shifting from TV and magazines to online

In the last few years, users have started to shift from TV to digital. Desktop and mobile usage is reaching new heights, while TV and print in particular are attracting smaller and smaller audiences.

While years ago offline mediums were the way to go to reach consumers and drive intent, now, with the drop in use of offline mediums, companies need to turn elsewhere. With digital emerging as the most widely used medium the choice is quite clear – users are already there.

Facebook, Google and the rest of the gang have been preparing for this moment for years. And they are really prepared. They spent the last few years researching online users and developing tools, apps and solutions for the new mobile-centric user. Now advertisers have so many options to reach users one has to think twice before deciding which channel to use.

Fact 3: Users aren’t stupid

The Internet has drastically changed the way we learn about products. While 15 years ago we went to a shop and asked a salesman there about the product, now we are more self-educated. We, as a society, are eager to know more, to learn – and coming online was like discovering paradise.

“How to” queries on Google have tripled since 2007. The problem is companies and their digital presence aren’t following this trend.

And here starts our journey to better digital marketing.

Read the rest of the article at Red Orbit blog.