Yeah, you read that title correctly. It may seem like a biased opinion, but I have the facts to back it up. Just stick around!
The covid-19 pandemic hit the entire world like a slow-motion car crash. Businesses either had to close due to social distancing laws, or permanently shut down due to the lack of cash flow.
It was sad to see brick-and-mortar businesses fail due to their inability to adapt. And if you live(d) in a smaller community, you witnessed closings firsthand and lost town staples.
Whether we hit another pandemic (we pray it never happens) or not, digital marketing is here to stay. Its effectiveness has already been proven thanks to the pandemic. By promoting your business online, you can reach a larger audience than you would if you were relying solely on foot traffic. Don't believe me? Here's why digital marketing is important:
People are on their screens more than ever
In an age with almost 4 billion social media users, adults spend an estimated 11 hours a day interacting with different forms of media.
Whether it be TV, a computer screen, phone, or even radio, I'm almost certain you didn't realize it all added up to most of your day.
And since people are spending most of their time awake in front of screens, why not try to plot yourself in front of them during that time? With a consistent digital marketing strategy, businesses can see a significant increase in brand awareness and reach.
Virtual Events are a New Norm
How much money did you lose out on because you had to cancel meetings or events that you spent a huge chunk of time & money planning for? According to an article from Chatterbuzz.com, it's no longer a viable option for companies to commit a big chunk of their revenue toward live events and conferences. As we witnessed with the pandemic, many major events around the world had to be canceled, one of the more notable events being the Tokyo Olympics (it was ultimately rescheduled) *the first cancellation of an Olympics since World War ll*
As we saw with the pandemic, literally everyone turned to virtual meetings, from students to business professionals. Virtual platforms asserted their dominance by proving the convenience of using digital channels of communication rather than spending large amounts of money gathering in one spot.
Digital Marketing is budget-friendly
As opposed to traditional (billboards, benches, magazines, sports sponsorships), you can literally create a social media account for free on any platform and create a Google Profile. And I can't remember the last time I read a magazine, and I've definitely never taken any action as a result of seeing a billboard or bench ad (maybe for some Chik Fil A).
Email marketing software can even be purchased for as low as $10 a month. And guess what, this channel of digital marketing has the highest average return on investment if used correctly. You can't tell me you don't have $10 to spare after reading the last sentence! And you can send highly personalized messages to your audience through this channel, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Easily track your ROI
Social media platforms also make it easy for you to set a budget to run ads. You can target your desired audience, and set the duration of the ad. It's that easy, and with Instagram pushing its in-app commerce and encouraging the use of reels, it's becoming much easier to be seen on social.
All these features make it so simple to track your metrics & marketing return on investment, rather than waiting for someone to call you in regards to that billboard they saw off the freeway.
Faster response times
You can't just rip down a billboard or take your face off a bench in one fell swoop. One of the great advantages of digital marketing is the ability to immediately take action if issues arise and adjust strategies in an instant.
Digital marketers are currently ahead of their time and constantly thinking of ways to stay ahead, so to ignore these professional minds is foolish. Chances are they've been in the field for years and know exactly what to do if a problem arises, and better yet, they do it quickly.
Cryptocurrency and NFTs will be part of your business
Whether you like it or not, NFTs will be implemented in marketing strategies and cryptocurrency will open up new e-commerce opportunities.
They have more uses than just being a jpeg file, you know.
Your small online business is going global- at least that's the intention with cryptocurrency. With crypto, you would easily be able to accept payments from customers all over the world. And because crypto is decentralized, there are no pesky bank fees or transaction limits to worry about. Plus, your customers can remain anonymous if they choose- meaning they can shop with you without having to worry about their personal information being shared.
Imagine the avenues these two assets could open up for the business world. I think the first ones to take advantage of these things for their business will have a strong presence in the web 3.0 age.
Don't keep marketing in the stone age, there are modern methods of marketing that work.
The bottom line is digital marketing is here to stay, especially with the direction the world is heading. There are so many resources you have access to if you're not sure how to start or what exactly you want to do. You can do all these things yourself, but imagine how much time it would save you to have a team of experts to get you that many more results. That's why we're here.
We're a digital marketing agency in Temecula, and we do it all! From social media management to SEO. You name it, we can do it. We're always looking for ways to stay ahead of the game and love providing marketing tips for small business owners, so give us a holler if you want to improve your marketing strategy!
Thanks for reading!