If there’s one universal truth in marketing, it’s that businesses go with what works. That being the case, it’s clear from Forrester’s research on growth in digital marketing, and their estimate of nearly $150 billion in spending by 2023, that companies are definitely benefiting from strategies that incorporate digital services.
One of the reasons that digital marketing is so effective is that there are many “channels” to choose from as you look to connect with and engage prospects, each playing a key role in moving them further into the sales funnel. By asking the right questions, you can zero in on the right platforms and tools to include in a multi-channel campaign that leverages multiple success metrics to help you optimize your strategy.
- Are they actively searching for your product/service?
- How much research do they do?
- How do they reach a purchase decision?
- How often are they likely to purchase your product/service?
- What action do you want them to take?
- What information sources will they trust most in their decision?
- Where are they? And is location-based targeting important?
The answers to these questions point you to the digital services that will help you attract prospects and turn them into customers.
Selecting Digital Services That Will Give You a Competitive Edge
If you don’t reach your potential customers, someone else will. Consequently, knowing which digital services to use and how to use them is critical.
Native and display ads
Native ads are designed to match the look and feel of the platform where they are displayed so that they seem to belong there. Digital display ads can appear anywhere on the internet that ads are shown.
Facebook and Instagram
The huge user numbers for these social media platforms and their granular targeting capabilities make them valuable to virtually any company looking to draw attention to its offerings.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising
PPC ads help marketers get in front of people who have expressed their interests or goals through their search query. One advantage of this medium is that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, making it very cost-effective.
Mobile conquesting
This channel puts your ads on smartphones based on criteria like consumer demographics, searches, content consumed, and location.
Geo-framing, geo-fencing, and IP targeting
These techniques help you serve ads to people who are likely to be highly receptive to your offer due to their current or past physical location. For example, displaying an ad featuring the delicious flavors available at the ice cream shop that is just down the street from a consumer’s current location is highly effective.
Live chat
Live chat connects consumers with people trained to engage with them and available 24/7. This type of interaction can generate highly qualified leads.
Video pre-roll and OTT
A pre-roll ad is a video piece that plays before the content that a user wants to see. OTT (Over The Top) is TV-style video that is transmitted over the internet rather than regular broadcast or cable networks, and that can be viewed on any internet-connected device.
SEO and reputation management
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving and promoting a website so that it appears higher on search results pages, thereby increasing traffic to the site. Reputation management involves requesting reviews from customers, displaying positive responses, and taking action to address negative reviews.
Connecting With the Right Consumers
Essential to using digital channels effectively is understanding how to connect with the right audience. From behavioral and artificial intelligence targeting to keyword targeting and retargeting, there are many tools that enable savvy marketers to do exactly that.