Getting started with Digital Marketing in 2022? What you should do first

Digital marketing is not just a passing phase, and never will be. We spend a large portion of our days online, and ignoring digital marketing for your business means you are dismissing the opportunity to reach your target market on the right online platforms, at the right time.  Today, every business whether B2B or B2C needs to understand that almost every customer or potential customer can be found online today and by not exposing your brand to them, can be damaging for a business.

If you are starting a new business, or are looking to reinvigorate your digital marketing efforts, it is important to understand what digital marketing is, and what digital marketing tools would best work to deliver your end goals and help your business achieve growth. 

What is Digital Marketing in 2022?

In 2022,, Digital Marketing is made up of a set of marketing strategies and tools that are applied online, in order to help you business gain brand awareness, generate leads, and make sales. As a society, we experience digital marketing every day, whether through Facebook sponsored ads, Instagram influencers, or search engine marketing. Digital Marketing has become such an intricate part of our lives that we hardly notice when we are learning about a business, or being directed to a business page. 

And this is the difference between Digital Marketing and traditional marketing, and this subtlety is what makes the former so powerful. 

Digital Marketing Versus Traditional Marketing

Both traditional and Digital Marketing are implemented with the same goal in mind: to inform a target market about a specific business offering, and convince the target audience to make a purchase. However, connecting with customers in an online space is vastly different than trying to connect with consumers traditionally.

Traditional Marketing Includes:

This form of marketing is largely based on connecting with local, targeted audiences through print or broadcast advertisements that are delivered to specific geographical areas.

Producing traditional marketing materials such as fliers, brochures, catalogues, banners, and billboards are usually more costly than digital marketing and are difficult to measure and track - which makes it difficult for businesses to track their return on investment.

Digital Marketing Includes:

Digital Marketing allows marketers to customise audiences on a global scale - as online audiences can be reached anywhere in the world. With highly advanced marketing tools in place, marketers are also able to reach highly targeted audiences using demographics, behaviours, likes and dislikes, age, gender, and more. The audience is also able to engage with this type of marketing, allowing businesses to gain more insight into what is working and what needs to be improved in regards to their customer service, product offerings, and marketing campaigns in general. 

Digital Marketing also uses multiple platforms based on audience preference, helping direct the buying cycle successfully. And as opposed to traditional marketing, all Digital Marketing efforts can be measured and tracked, identifying the success of a campaign. 

Now that you have a basic understanding of Digital Marketing, you need to understand what Digital Marketing services are available, and how they can help you reach specific goals. 

Every business has different goals and objectives, and understanding what each digital marketing service offers will help you pinpoint where you would like to place your digital marketing efforts.

Digital Marketing Services

There are a variety of Digital Marketing services available and business owners looking to launch their Digital Marketing efforts need to understand how these services can benefit them.

Below, we outline some of the most vital and proven digital marketing services available today:

Search Engine Optimisation

Search Engine Optimisation, referred to as SEO, is a marketing strategy that ensures your online content appears in the search engine results when people are searching for your business offerings online. When a person is actively searching for a product or service that your business offers, you want your website to appear on the first page of the search results - and SEO is the tactic to help you do just that. 

This is a tactic all businesses need to consider when launching their Digital Marketing efforts. It is important to note that Search Engine Optimisation is a long term strategy and you will not instantly rise to the top of the search engine ranks as it is implemented. But if your goal is to build your business for long term success, SEO is the tactic for you. 

Learn more about SEO and how it can benefit your business, here. 

Content Marketing

Content marketing is an online marketing technique that requires the creation and distribution of quality, unique, relevant, and helpful content designed to attract and acquire a targeted audience - with the objective being to generate leads and drive sales. 

Digital content marketing is an umbrella term for a variety of content tactics including:

• Blog Posts: Informative articles related to your business and your target market - providing helpful information and adding value to the readers life in one way or another.
• Guides and ebooks: Long form resources that allow you to inform your audience while capturing lead information as they will usually have to fill out a lead form in order to download the information. 
• Video Content: Videos that cover topics relevant to your target market. These videos can be shared on platforms such as YouTube, and then shared across your social media platforms, encouraging shares and engagement. 
• Email Campaigns: Newsletters, business announcements or related information that can be shared with your current clients, and leads to encourage customer retention and sales.

The most important thing to remember is that content marketing is not about “sell sell sell” it is a strategy put in place to provide your audience with helpful information that adds value to their lives. 

This kind of content delivery builds brand trust and establishes your place as an industry leader, as you are consistently providing your target market with industry specific content . It also helps with your Search Engine Optimisation, as the search engines will pick up on your content delivery and relevance - which in turn helps you rise up the search result ranks. 

When you are looking to begin your digital marketing efforts, content marketing is vital and should never be overlooked. Without content, you are unable to engage with your target market, build a community and acquire quality leads. 

Learn more about the importance of content marketing, here.

Social Media Marketing

Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and more. There are a variety of social media platforms that the world engages with on a daily basis. Not only is social media a way for individuals to connect with friends and family, it is a way for businesses to connect with target audiences in an engaging space. 

Creating a strong social media presence allows your target market to engage with your brand outside of your website - it also works to direct your target market to your brand and helps build a community of trust and brand loyalty. Another important aspect of social media is that it's not simply a stand alone platform, you are able to direct your target audience to a variety of other platforms through your social media pages, including your website, leads forms, and related online channels. 

In fact, by using social media to share and promote your website blogs or service and product pages, you help increase your SEO efforts as new viewers will visit your website, which in turn helps to increase your website ranking. 

Learn more about the importance of social media, here. 

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay Per Click (PPC)  is an online advertising model that is used to drive traffic to your website and this is done by publishing your advert to Google search results related to your business offerings, and you will pay every time your ad is clicked. 

As opposed to SEO, PPC advertising is a quick solution for getting your website to rank at the top of the search engine results - but this isn’t a simple process. An experienced digital marketing agency will be able to take on the work that goes into implementing a successful PPC campaign, delivering leads in a short period of time. What makes paid advertising a powerful way to generate leads quickly is because you are choosing what kind of visitors land on your site. You are able to target people who are looking for your specific services, ensuring you are focusing on leads with the highest potential for conversion. With that in mind, you may pay for every click, but every click is worth it. 

As opposed to SEO, PPC is about “buying” visits to your site as opposed to achieving these businesses organically. This is a short-term strategy that will become difficult to sustain in the long run. This is why many new businesses begin with a PPC strategy while rolling out SEO efforts at the same time. As the site begins to rank organically, PPC will no longer be a necessity for immediate results. 

Learn more about the importance of Pay-Per-Click Advertising, here. 

Now that you have an understanding of the variety of digital marketing strategies and services available for your business, it is time to find an agency that can assist you in the marketing process and help you achieve your business goals.

Select the Right Digital Marketing Agency for your Business

Before you select your agency, your decision should be guided by your business objectives, goals and of course, budget. For example: Ask yourself whether you are looking to achieve brand awareness, or a specific number of leads per month, or greater ranking position in the search engine results - or all of the above. 

A digital marketing agency will be able to understand your goals and create a strategy to achieve everything you require - they are also able to let you know whether your objectives are achievable within your budget, and help find different ways to make your budget work for your goals.

The Agency that you Select Should:

• Understand your Goals and Objectives
• Be Transparent and Honest about Targets and Deliverables
• Provide a Tailored Service and Service Breakdowns
• Offer Reporting that Shows your Digital Marketing Progress and ROI
• Have experience and credibility in the market and be able to produce real case studies

In Conclusion

Choosing a Digital Marketing Agency for your business is an important process.  Make sure you understand the importance of digital marketing, the variety of services available, the benefits of digital marketing and the outcomes that you expect from adopting this strategy for your business.  

Nexa is a digital-first company that opened its doors in 2005, and since its inception it has helped thousands of businesses across the globe achieve their true Digital Marketing potential. Nexa prides itself on its ability to support all businesses, from small start-up companies to large corporations, providing professional and unwavering support to all clients. 

Contact Nexa today for all your digital marketing needs.