Maximising ROI: The Importance of Viewing Marketing as an Investment for Long-term Brand Success

Summary: In today's fast-paced and highly competitive business environment, it's essential to take a strategic approach to marketing in order to drive long-term success for a brand. This article highlights that viewing marketing as a payment may be a short-term strategy and could imply that a company is simply spending money to reach potential customers without any expectation of a ROI. In contrast, viewing marketing as an investment means that a company understands the long-term value it can bring to their business.

I was having a conversation with some friends who recently started their Activewear online business and they've said that they have always been on and off with the notion of investing in marketing. As a Marketer, I can't think of anything more rewarding to ROI than investing in Marketing for future growth.

Marketing is a crucial aspect of any business and its main goal is to attract and persuade consumers to choose your product or service over others. It is a vital tool for creating customers and driving sales, which ultimately leads to the survival of a business.

However, many businesses make the mistake of viewing marketing as an unnecessary expense. This perception often leads to a lack of focus on marketing efforts and a lack of investment in them, leading to poor and lacklustre marketing results. It is important for businesses to understand that marketing should be viewed as an investment for continued success.

Investing in Digital Marketing: A Path to Business Growth and Increased Revenue

If presented with the opportunity to invest $500 today with the guarantee of receiving a return of $1,000 in 30 days, it would be a logical decision to invest the funds. This is a clear-cut and risk-free investment opportunity, with the potential for a 100% return on the initial investment. The only potential obstacle to accepting this offer would be an inability to secure the funds to invest. However, even in this scenario, the opportunity to invest with a smaller amount such as $300 should still be considered as the potential return on investment remains substantial. Overall, given the parameters presented, it is a highly advantageous investment opportunity that should not be overlooked.

Digital marketing, when executed correctly, can be a highly beneficial investment for a business. When working with a reputable agency or hiring the right people for the department, the long-term financial return on the initial investment in marketing efforts can be substantial. Similar to the scenario presented in the previous example, there is an initial cost, but the potential return on investment is significant.

However, many businesses may hesitate to invest in marketing due to a lack of understanding or past experiences with agencies or workers that overpromised and underdelivered on their promised return on investment. On the other hand, some agencies may not provide clear and tangible benefits of their services to potential clients, making it harder to close a deal.

The solution to this problem is to work with a reputable and transparent agency that sets realistic expectations and consistently delivers on their promises. A transparent and reliable agency will be able to provide clear and measurable results, making it easier for businesses to justify the investment in digital marketing.

Efficient and Cost-Effective Digital Marketing Strategies are Possible

In the past, I've discussed the potential for making a significant impact with minimal investments in social media advertising. While this approach may not be the most conventional method, it can be an effective way to introduce businesses who are sceptical about marketing to the potential benefits of digital advertising.

For businesses that have limited funds for marketing, starting small can be a great option. By implementing cost-effective strategies such as PPC campaigns, businesses can test the waters and see the potential return on investment. Once the effectiveness of these strategies is proven, it can help to build trust and establish a long-term relationship between the business and the agency.

It is important to note that this approach is not about offering services for free, but rather finding a reasonable and effective solution that meets the budget of the business. It's not a conventional approach but it's better than nothing and it's a good way to test the waters and build trust for a long-term relationship.

Emerging Digital Marketing Strategies Worth Investing In

SEO

Search engine optimization is evolving rapidly, with frequent updates to Google's algorithm and the emergence of new optimization trends. To stay competitive, it is essential for marketing teams to stay up-to-date with the latest developments. One of the key trends in SEO is the focus on user intent. As more users type full queries into search engines, data and heuristics are collected which can provide more targeted results. To take advantage of this trend, businesses should identify the questions their target audience is asking and optimize their content to match those queries. This will help to ensure that their pages are appearing in the search results for relevant queries and attract the right audience to their website.

Measuring the Return on Investment of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Simply launching a website does not guarantee visibility on search engines. In order to increase visibility and drive traffic to your website, it is essential to implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies that align with the ever-changing requirements of search engines in areas such as security, quality, freshness, authority, speed, and user experience.

Effective SEO strategies can be divided into two categories: technical SEO, which focuses on optimizing the overall structure and functionality of the website, and on-page SEO, which focuses on optimizing the content of individual pages. By staying on top of these optimization efforts, businesses can expect to see benefits such as:

• Increased visibility on search engines
• Increased website traffic
• Improved user experience
• Increased conversion rates
• Increased brand awareness
• Improved search engine rankings

Content Marketing

Content marketing is not limited to blog writing, it includes various forms of content that align with audience preferences such as videos, podcasts, infographics, research papers, and studies. Corporate blogs can be a great ROI driver for businesses. To see results from content marketing, consistency and patience are key. It can take over a year to see ROI. Consistent content marketing keeps your website fresh in search engines, showcases your expertise, and lends authenticity to your branding. Instead of worrying about the time invested in creating a post, focus on the long-term benefits.

• Keyword optimization through content can help improve your search engine ranking for specific terms and phrases. Creating content around your keywords not only helps with on-page SEO but also brings in your target audience who are most likely to convert.
• Link building is crucial for SEO, earning links from high-quality websites can improve your position. Enticing new content provides a bigger opportunity to earn links and build authority. Creating content specifically for link building efforts can be effective.
• Lead generation is essential for any business, providing valuable gated content such as infographics, video tutorials, or ebooks can entice people to share their contact information.
• Content is a versatile asset that can be repurposed for different marketing channels. Blog posts and case studies can be shared on social media, used in email marketing campaigns, and even used for ads. This helps drive traffic back to your site, increasing the potential for conversion.

And Finally... Social Media

Social media is often undervalued as part of a digital marketing strategy, but it can have a significant impact on SEO. While social media activity does not directly affect domain authority or search engine rankings, it can indirectly influence SEO by increasing reach and engagement, earning links, and enhancing the overall online presence of a business. Social media profiles can also be used to share a company's story and values, which is important to Millennial and Gen Z consumers. Search engines also scrape online business profiles, including social media, to understand the business and its location, which is vital for local SEO. To achieve a strong ROI, it is important to focus on the social media channels where your audience is most active, rather than trying to be present on every platform.

To Conclude

Marketing should be viewed as an investment in the brand and its ideas. Similar to how a gym membership is an investment in health and a savings account is an investment in financial future, marketing is an investment in the business. It's the job of an agency or marketing department to take big ideas and help them reach their potential through digital technology. They are ready to help when a company is ready to invest in their future by providing a sound digital marketing strategy that will yield a positive return.