There’s no denying that the world is going digital – people are using more and more devices, not just phones but computers, tablets and other gadgets. This has created a need for different types of marketing services such as social media marketing or email marketing. The need is met by digital marketing agencies.
The importance of having an online presence cannot be emphasized enough. People aren’t just using the internet to check email or search for information – they are doing their shopping, banking and business transactions via the internet.
Since this is so, most companies have invested in creating a website where people can learn more about them and also find information about their contact details, business hours, and other important things. An increasing number of companies are also using social media sites as a marketing platform.
It is for this reason that the demand for digital marketing agencies has increased in recent years. They help companies with creating and/or managing their websites, blogs and various social networking pages where they can interact with potential customers and clients.
So what is digital marketing?
Digital Marketing (or Digital Advertising) generally entails the use of interactive technologies to reach an online audience. It can be used on mobile apps, websites, blogs, or social media networks like Facebook.
The main objective of this type of advertising is to create awareness about
products and services through various channels such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), search engine ads like Google Ads or Sponsored Stories on Facebook. The goal is to drive potential customers to the company’s website where they can spend money.
Types of digital marketing:
Digital marketing is mostly divided into two categories:
1. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
2. Social Media Marketing
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing refers to the search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing that allow advertisers to market their websites through Pay Per Click (PPC), contextual advertising, or banner ads in order for them to be noticed by searchers on those search engines.
Some digital marketers are adept in using multiple marketing channels to maximize the efficiency of their efforts. They have
expertise in search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing and social media management.
On the other hand, most digital marketers specialize in one type of marketing activity – either they do SEO or SEM or SMM – because these activities require different skill sets.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is a growing field of digital marketing as more and more people are using social networking sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay in touch with their friends, share photos or even organize protests through Facebook. Social media has also become an important tool for small business strategies because it helps them
generate traffic towards their websites. With the growing number of social media networks, it has become necessary to hire digital marketers who can manage them for brands and businesses.
What is a digital marketing agency?
Digital marketing agencies provide digital marketing services to various businesses and organizations. They can help a company build their website, handle their SEO or SEM strategy, manage their social media accounts and even project-manage different types of digital campaigns.
Because of these functions, the market for digital marketing services is growing exponentially each year as new companies are coming up which offer digital marketing services.
What services do digital marketing agencies offer?
Digital marketing agencies can help businesses with different types of digital marketing functions like search engine optimization, pay-per-click management, social networking and blogging. Some agencies provide a combination of these services while others focus on the specific service they’re best at and leave the rest to other agencies.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is the process of optimizing your website and blog so that they rank highly on Google or Bing. SEO includes creating optimized content for your website, writing articles for guest bloggers who will post them on their websites, submitting articles to directories that are owned by third parties. The main objective of this type of optimization is to generate traffic.
Pay-Per-Click Management
In this type of digital marketing, companies bid on keywords that are relevant to their industry and the content of their website. The one with the highest bid will be shown to users when they search for those keywords. PPC is usually used by businesses that already have a website since it is difficult to rank higher in PPC if your website is a low-quality one.
Social Networking
This form of digital marketing involves building a community through social media sites and blogs which allows you to interact with your customers in real-time as well as build brand awareness for your business. The two most popular social networking sites have been Facebook and Twitter because they allow users to post blog entries and tweets which can have links to their web pages.
Blogging
This digital marketing activity involves creating a company blog that will be updated regularly with new posts or articles about your products or services. Blogging is usually done by companies that already have an established website because it is more difficult for businesses without one to start a blog and get traffic to it.
Smaller businesses especially those who don’t have in-house digital marketing expertise (or experience) can turn to some of these digital agencies for help with their marketing campaigns.
Does digital marketing work for all businesses?
Digital marketing works well for businesses of all sizes. However, the ability of digital marketing to generate traffic and increase sales depends on the size of your customer base. Every business has a limited number of people who they can reach through their online channels. The more people you know then the better your chances are of getting them to buy from you.
Digital Marketing for B2B Businesses
Digital marketing is more effective for businesses that sell products and services to other businesses. In addition to the indirect digital marketing benefits like SEO and PPC, B2B companies can also get personal with their prospects through blogging, social media sites and video marketing. They can also use metrics like click-through rate and conversion rate to measure the effectiveness of their digital marketing strategies.
Digital Marketing for B2C Businesses
B2C businesses have the advantage of being able to use blogs, videos and social networks to interact with their customers in a more personal way. So you’ll see them using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to create brand awareness and provide customer support through live chat services or by answering questions posted in their blogs and forums. They can also use these channels to solicit feedback from their customers and get them involved in the development of new products or services.
Small Businesses Can Do Digital Marketing Too!
It is very possible for small businesses to do digital marketing. In fact, because small businesses usually have fewer resources compared to big corporations, their ability to compete in the digital marketing arena is even greater.
All they need to do is find creative ways to get more value out of cheaper online channels like blogging, social media and video while using factors like SEO targeting, PPC bidding and content tailoring to maximize their return on investment.
Businesses that have a strong branding presence are more likely to succeed in this area. That’s where digital marketing agencies come in! If you’re looking for affordable digital marketing services, contact us today to learn how we can help you reach your target audience and increase sales.