When digital marketing first came to light, perhaps most business owners thought it was just another trend that came and would eventually go. But as years pass, more marketers and entrepreneurs are starting to realize just how big of an impact this type of marketing has in the business world. Now, it’s viewed as something as significant as other marketing strategies, if not more or the most effective.
Today, it’s no longer enough to have a website or a social media business account. Digital marketing has proven to be an integral component when running an e-commerce business. If your firm isn’t utilising this strategy yet, you’re missing out by a lot. It might be high time to reconsider making the most out of online marketing and how it can greatly benefit your company as a whole.
In case you’re not aware of these benefits yet, here are the ways digital marketing provides an added boost to your online enterprise:
1. Measurable results
Offline and traditional marketing strategies might be effective, but their results are almost impossible to track. For instance, placing an ad on a billboard or in a newspaper won’t tell you exactly how many people have seen your ad, and that can be frustrating. To add, these strategies can be pretty expensive too.
With digital marketing, you can utilise tools that can help you measure the results of your campaigns. On social media, for example, analytics are available to find out how many clicks, shares, views and comments your ads have gained or acquired. With such data, you can efficiently track the progress of your ads and what more you can do to grow the business through new leads, conversions, and traffic. (1)
Social media marketing is just one of the most popular marketing strategies you can try for your e-commerce business. Because of measurable results, you can get accurate findings of which strategies prove to be more effective for your brand. You can also easily modify or change your approach depending on the results you’re getting from your current campaigns. (2) If you don’t have time to manage a social media marketing campaign as well as run your business, hiring an expert is typically the best way to go. For example, the owner of a local tire shop looking to increase awareness of his shop with the younger people attending the university college 10 minutes from his shop. His best option is to hire a digital automotive marketing company that offers social media marketing services.
2. Small businesses can compete with big brands
You can’t deny that established brands and big companies are already several steps ahead of small businesses and startups. It’s not an easy task in a competitive market where being a well-known name is already an edge. With digital marketing, though, this norm somehow changes because it opens plenty of doors when it comes to reaching the same target audience as that mainstream enterprises. (3)
Because you can use the same strategies, the playing field is levelled and all e-commerce businesses, regardless of size, can gain the exact benefits. It may be true that corporations and large enterprises can spend more money on digital ads and campaigns, but it doesn’t mean that they’ll get better results than you. You may have a smaller marketing budget, but your chances of being successful are just as good as everybody else’s. It still boils down to your strategies and how relevant your content is to attract more customers and leads.
3. Cost-efficiency
As mentioned, traditional marketing strategies can be quite expensive. This is one reason why small businesses used to not stand a chance against established brands. Internet marketing is relatively cost-efficient, which means that you don’t have to spend too much. But still, you can expect to yield favourable results. That is if you’re able to eventually learn which strategy will be more effective for your brand and the identity you want your audience to perceive. (4)
Suppose you don’t have the budget yet for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. That doesn’t mean you can no longer benefit from digital marketing because you can still use other strategies such as social media, content optimization and email marketing. These techniques aren’t as expensive as PPC, but when leveraged wisely, they can help boost your online presence and get more leads for your e-commerce business. (3)
4. Wider Reach
Because digital marketing is done through the internet, it means being accessible to basically anyone with connectivity. Even when you’re a local brand, you can still have the potential to reach a wider fan base depending on the type of online marketing technique you choose to utilise. This means the capability to someday grow your e-commerce business should you decide to. (6)
You can reach any location in the world as long as there’s the internet. So it’s not a far-fetched goal to expand your business and turn it into a global brand. Your marketing efforts can surely be of an advantage in one way or another.
5. Engagement is more frequent and personalised
As a business owner, you surely already know how customer engagement is critical if you want to stay afloat in the market. In the past, such an objective can prove to be pretty tricky because it meant having to employ more people to be in charge of customer care. For small businesses with limited operating costs, hiring additional employees isn’t good for the budget.
Digital marketing makes it possible to engage with your audience more frequently, even 24/7 if you wish. With the help of automation, potential customers can get instant replies whenever they send you a message or email. As you engage with them, you get to know your clients better, thus allowing you to tailor your ads and campaigns according to their personas. (5) (6)
You also have the option to personalise your content so you can target the right audience base. Be it videos, blog posts, newsletters and other types of online content that you want to create, you can apply personalisation at different and effective levels. You can also customise emails and offers to bring in more leads. For example, you can send seasonal codes and exclusive discounts based on their demographics and shopping behaviour. Aside from making customers feel valued, these strategies can attract repeat sales and brand loyalty. (7)
Conclusion: Digital marketing for the win
Now that you know some of the benefits you can get from digital marketing, it’s your time to make a move. Will you take the opportunity to grow your e-commerce business even more? Regardless of the type of online marketing you choose to use, it’s almost a sure win as long as you do your research well and prepares effective campaigns.
Digital marketing offers measurable results. It’s also cost-efficient and allows you to level the playing field among bigger brands and competitors. To add, customer engagement is made more personalised and frequent, which can lead to satisfied clients who can stay loyal to your brand for a long time. Lastly, internet marketing lets you reach a wider audience, which means you have more room for growth as a company.
References
- “Measurable Marketing: Why You Need to Go Digital”, Source: https://www.inc.com/jim-schleckser/measurable-marketing-why-you-need-to-go-digital.html
- “Understanding the Role of Social Media in Marketing”, Source: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/understanding-the-role-of-social-media-in-marketing-2296140
- “5 Powerful Digital Marketing Hacks to Increase Sales”, Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/359050
- “Six Benefits of Internet Marketing”, Source: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/six-benefits-internet-marketing-31382.html
- “3 Smart Tips for Reaching New Customers in Different Markets”, Source: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11124-new-customers-different-market.html
- “Why Digital Marketing Is Important For Business Owners”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/08/02/why-digital-marketing-is-important-for-business-owners/?sh=4bb85a456f86
- “Why Content Is Vital In Digital Marketing”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/12/07/why-content-is-vital-in-digital-marketing/?sh=217864dc5e7b