The dynamics of marketing have evolved over the years. Due to the growing popularity of the internet, there’s unlimited information online. Consumers have become more enlightened about products from dissecting the reservoir of knowledge at their disposal at no cost. Hence, they are more informed and guided in their buying decisions.
According to Statista, there were 4.2 billion people online as of October 2018, and the number is on the rise. With such a high population online, it’s only logical that marketers are channeling their marketing campaigns in that direction more than ever.
It’s common place to desire a more rewarding business year as we enter 2019. However, this cannot happen by accident. It’s important that you get off on the right foot with an effective digital marketing strategy.
Here are five reasons you shouldn’t step into the new year without a digital marketing strategy.
- Focus on goals
Digital marketing objectives are ambiguous. There’s the tendency to want to exhaust the checklist. In the pursuit of these, you might up with little or no results.
The loud noise online makes it easier to get distracted.
A digital marketing strategy enables you to focus on definite goals. It keeps you fixated on what’s most important. You are able to outline practical steps to achieve set targets on time with a variety of resources at your disposal.
For instance, your goal might be to increase your brand reach by getting more followers on social media. More followers could be any number. A digital marketing strategy pinpoints the specific number of followers you want within a given period of time, where to get them and how to get them.
- Understand the online marketplace
Digital marketing strategies are created for audiences. Marketers often depend on their perceived knowledge of the marketplace in reaching these audiences, but market research data might be different.
Casting your nets into digital marketing waters without facts about the online marketplace is a wild goose chase.
A good digital marketing strategy is preceded by consumer online behavior research. This provides you with concrete information to build an effective strategy on. Online tools like Google Keyword Planner can be used for this purpose. It gives you data about users’ searches, shares, likes and a host of others to create relevant content.
- Prevent waste of resources
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all digital marketing budget. It’s prudent to work with what you can afford. However, there’s the possibility of spending a chunk of your budget on duplicated tasks if you aren’t careful.
A crystal-clear digital marketing strategy X-rays all activities involved. Each activity is tied to the personnel who execute them. Similar tasks can also be performed by individuals who are already on the team to minimize resources. Every penny spent is accounted for, leaving no room for wastage.
- Optimize performance
Evaluating current processes is a necessity to achieve maximum results. Some factors could deflect a previously effective strategy, making it less effective. Not taking note of this leads to a waste of time and resources.
A solid digital marketing strategy gives you a framework to regularly evaluate the effectiveness of adopted methods. Issues observed are examined to identify causes for swift resolution.
Changes in the consumer behavior can affect the efficacy of your strategy. When this is detected, you can modify your campaign in line with the information at your disposal for the new environment. Unproductive campaigns can be cut short, instead of running till the end at the expense of your resources.
- Beat the competition
If you thought market competition was fierce in 2018, you are in for a shocker as the stakes are bound to go higher in 2019. With more organizations recognizing the efficiency of digital marketing, they are harnessing its potentials.
Digital marketing is beyond posting about your brand on social media. After the likes and comments, what next?
An effective digital strategy provides mechanisms to get audience interest into the sales funnel and drive it through the checkout point. It also enables you to integrate multiple digital mediums into a single plan. You get to enjoy the unique benefits of each medium in increasing your returns on investment (ROI).
Creating a digital marketing strategy isn’t as difficult as it might seem. Gaining clarity about your goal simplifies the process. You simply identify ways to drive your goal through each stage of your digital marketing funnel. Take your time to create a thorough strategy – one that truly represents your brand.
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