The whole concept of digital marketing is still very confusing to many business owners of small and medium enterprises. I honestly don’t blame you if you have been struggling to grasp it all. Digital marketing has gone by different names over the years, like internet marketing, online marketing, website marketing, inbound marketing, and on and on and on.

It is also made up of many sub-disciplines, which just adds to the confusion. If you have been making any efforts online for your business, or if you’ve tried to figure out how to do it, then I’m pretty sure you’ve come across phrases like Content marketing, Email marketing, Search engine optimization (SEO), Social media marketing, Pay-per-click, Web analytics and so on. Digital Marketing is also constantly evolving and let’s be honest, as Digital Marketers, we are not that great at explaining what we actually do.

If some or all of the things I’ve mentioned make you want to stick your head in a bucket full of ice, then I'm glad you’re here, and don’t do the ice bucket thing just yet. In this read, I will be explaining the concept of Digital Marketing as well as some of its basic fundamentals, to help you better understand how it can help you grow your business. The ultimate goal being that you’ll be able to walk away with a clear understanding of your options and an actionable way forward.

So let’s dive right into it! By the end, you should have an understanding of what Digital Marketing is, why it’s essential in growing your business and have an appreciation of the fundamentals of Digital Marketing. Because of all the reasons I mentioned, Digital Marketing probably still sounds extremely complicated if you’re still new in the space, so I’m going to try to take it a few levels down.

So What is Digital Marketing?

Simply put, Digital Marketing is the umbrella term for all marketing and engagement activities done through online media channels; to help you get found and noticed, generate interest, get leads, and then turn those leads into paying and returning customers.

Now that we have the definition covered, let’s talk about 5 Key Reasons why Digital Marketing Matters for your Small or Medium Sized Business.

1. Reach Your Customers

The tech giants Google and Facebook generate more revenue compared to traditional media companies because they control people’s attention, and that right there, is why Digital Marketing matters for your business. On these digital platforms is where people’s attention is. Just think about it, how much time do you spend online, especially now that we have a new normal globally?

The sales funnel for either a product or service based business starts with an awareness phase, during which prospects become aware of the existence of the solution you’re offering.

How do they become aware?

• You create Brand Awareness.

How do you create brand awareness?

• By getting and capturing people’s attention first.

Where are people more attentive?

• You guessed right, Online!

Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience or prospects in the right place and at the right time. Today, that means you need to meet them where they are already spending time: and that is online.

2. Your Competition Is Using It!

From entrepreneurs and freelancers to large companies, everyone is using digital marketing to establish a brand presence today. Consumers now expect and rely on it as a way to learn more about your brand, so in short, if you want to be competitive as a business owner, then you need to embrace some or more aspects of digital marketing.

3. Digital Marketing makes it easy for customers to find your business

How many times do you open Google in one day to search for a product or service you’d like to purchase? Likewise, when your consumers are looking for products and services like yours, they most likely start with a search on Google. Most of these searches are for products or services “near me” so they will be looking for local businesses that can give them what they need. If your business doesn’t have an online presence, these consumers won’t find you and they will likely end up going to your competitor instead.

Just embracing the most basic digital marketing aspects will allow small and medium sized business owners to reach more consumers.

4. Target your audience effectively.

Can you imagine the value of targeting and reaching your specific audience based on gender, language and location? That’s the great thing about digital marketing; it allows you to choose who visits your website, who sees your ads and so on. The targeting tools made available digitally are absolutely incredible in helping you talk directly to the person you want to talk to, and after that, you can also measure the value of that communication with the various available parameters.

5. High Return On Investment (ROI)

As small businesses, we don’t have a massive marketing budget, so it just makes sense to market your business online, even if it’s a small brick-and-mortar store that you just started. You’ll see a huge return for the money spent marketing online and the great thing is it’s easily scalable so you can then adjust your budget as and when needed so you can continue to grow your business and bring in more customers. It’s not just your budget that can be adjusted, you can also observe which aspects of your strategy need tweaking, and make changes accordingly. This gives you enormous control over your marketing campaigns and your budget.

Just to recap why Digital Marketing is Essential for your Business

1. It allows you to Reach Your Customers Where They Are

2. Your Competition Is Using It!

3. It Makes it Easy for Customers to Find the Business

4. It allows you to Target your audience effectively and

5. It offers a higher ROI compared to any other type of marketing

Hope you learnt something new from this article, and if you have any questions about the content, feel free to email us on hello@chenymedia.com