Marketing is both simple and complicated. It’s simple because its primary goal, no matter the approach, is to convince customers to patronize a business’s products and services. Meanwhile, marketing is also complicated because of the many ways that are available to reach that goal. Most of the time, a business won’t be successful without combining different strategies to get to that customer’s sweet yes. They need the tools at their disposal to cut through the voices of their competition. That also captures the attention of their target market.
In his New York Times article, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Charles Duhigg illustrates what good marketing is. Successful companies, the likes of Apple and Nike, use marketing to communicate stories that are “so enthralling that people lose track of their wallets.” Customers become enamored in the narratives that these businesses create that they become loyal to the brand, no matter what the competitor says. Apple doesn’t only sell iPhones or MacBooks, but they sell prestige and productivity. Nike, too, doesn’t deal with sportswear but with passion and athleticism.
Businesses can follow this same playbook without needing to spend a lot of resources on how big brands do their marketing. The wonders of the Internet and e-commerce made it easier and cheaper to engage with the target audience if businesses have the right marketing strategies at play. Sometimes, all it takes is a catchy website domain name, such as instagraph.com or veggiesmadeeasy.com, to encourage potential customers into paying ones. Here are other digital marketing strategies businesses can use to their advantage:
Search Engine Optimization
Today’s customers search for solutions to their problems on the Internet. The reason why they will come across a business’s website is that the company can potentially solve their issues. Search engine optimization (SEO) makes sure that prospective buyers can find one’s website and social media accounts on the first page of search engine sites like Google and Bing. It’s like being the first student to raise their hand to answer a teacher’s question in the classroom. Businesses who are late or can’t be seen when they respond will be unable to survive in a competitive environment.
Email Marketing
Say what you will about email, but this kind of communication is here to stay. According to Statista, close to 85% of American adults still use email, especially in professional settings. Businesses who fail to implement an email marketing strategy are saying no to engaging a big part of their market. Giving out email addresses, usually in exchange for free resources and discounts, are easy to do compared to sharing social media accounts and other personal information to businesses. The only thing to remember about email marketing is ensuring customers aren’t bombarded by a constant stream of advertisements. Monthly newsletters are enough.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a must for every business in today’s modern world. Everyone has a social media account, whether they’re digital natives like millennials and generation Z or digital nomads like baby boomers. Statista even predicts that over 4.4 billion people will be using social media in the next five years. Starting this kind of marketing also doesn’t have to be complicated during the initial stages. Businesses can post a photo and caption about their product and then gradually learn how to analyze metrics provided by different platforms.
Digital marketing strategies are invaluable in today’s Internet-driven world. Businesses should consider thinking through their marketing approaches, from SEO and email marketing to social media marketing.
