7 Reasons Why Businesses Can’t Survive without Digital Marketing
I’ve been working as a digital marketer for over six years now in the San Francisco area. And I’ve seen firsthand how a solid online promotions campaign can quickly launch new startups. I’ve also seen several old brands fizzle out of the marketplace. All because they did not pay much attention to this area of marketing. During my recent stint with the Spectrum Triple Play project, I even have to know of a few cases in which companies only rely on organic marketing. And for some businesses with an existing & large market share, this makes a lot of sense. Why waste money on something expensive, when you can get it free?
Going with the Flow
Many economists have been predicting, for over two decades now, how the future of all business is tied to the internet. And it largely seems that that future is here! Due to their increasingly busy lifestyles, most consumers nowadays prefer to place their orders from home. This is because they have neither the time nor the patience, to go to crowded marketplaces.
This trend has come on the shoulders of the (recent) popular availability of various e-payment solutions. These payment tools include credit card, online bank transfer, and mobile payment options. And for those customers who cannot avail these facilities, cash-on-delivery offers come in to save the day!
In another twenty years or so, many experts predict that ‘brick n mortar’ businesses will largely cease to exist. Online ‘virtual’ retail stores will replace these, according to them. And the age of the ‘congested supermarket chains’ will become a thing for the history books.
Some Real-World Examples of Digital Marketing Success
Most Fortune 500 Companies and industrial leaders like Coca Cola, Pepsi Co., Nestle, and even tech giants like Apple and Samsung, understand these trends. And in doing so, they are currently channeling millions of dollars every year into building up their online presence.
For them, the internet is a new type of ‘real-estate’. And the ‘property’ that it offers has to be won over as soon as possible before another competitor snatches it. This is where digital marketing enters into the equation.
As per some recent e-commerce reports, those businesses that jumped onto the digital marketing bandwagon early have already started experiencing the benefits. Their profits are at an all-time high, and they seem likely to stay that way for some time.
U.S supermarket chains like Walmart, Costco and Home Depot, in particular, are making a lot of profits through digital marketing. Some Chinese companies, in their fascination with the U.S market, are also eyeing their success. And through the global expansion of such Chinese brands as Alibaba and Huawei, it doesn’t seem far off when Chinese goods will completely dominate the American market.
Seven Reasons Why…
Over here, I’m going to list seven of the top reasons why businesses can’t survive without digital marketing. And I haven’t taken of any of these points from a marketing article or textbook.
No.
These are based on my practical experiences. And so you can rely on them to guide your own future digital marketing decisions. I’m going to discuss them in the following order:
1. Customers are now more interested in making online orders,
2. Organic (SEO-focused) Digital Marketing can save a ton of money,
3. Digital marketing allows businesses to target large numbers of consumers,
4. Digital marketing is simple,
5. It is easy to track Digital Marketing results,
6. Digital marketing allows businesses to monitor upcoming trends,
7. Digital marketing allows business to monitor customer feedback more efficiently
Customers Prefer to Make Online Purchases
Like many people, I’m a good example of a customer who likes to make a lot of online purchases. And I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Or going to the supermarket, and wasting precious car fuel.
And good businesses, it seems, understand this.
Digital Marketing Can Save a Ton of Money
Using an organic marketing approach like SEO, companies nowadays can save a lot of money. And in time, they can even choose to discontinue their paid campaigns totally.
And it’s not hard to figure out how very attractive this ‘free publicity’ route can seem to most businesses.
Large Audience Targeting
Through various online apps, businesses now have the option of targeting record numbers of consumers with their promotions. And their effort really does pay off. Just check the profit figures of some of the leading online business giants to gain an idea of just how much!
Digital Marketing is Easy…
To learn, that is.
Digital Marketing Results Can Be Easily Tracked
This becomes possible through the use of all sorts of free and paid ‘analytics’ software.
Digital Marketing Allows for Easy Monitoring of Emerging Trends
Common digital marketing apps allow businesses to easily monitor emerging marketplace trends. This provides companies with the edge that they need to score over their competition.
Digital Marketing Allows Businesses to Monitor Customer Feedback Easily
And as a result of this feature, companies can check their mistakes in good time.
Recently, I came to know of an ISP Company’s attempts to connect with its customers through digital marketing. For every at&t fiber map search, Google automatically directed searchers to the brand’s main website. And using this approach, the company managed to get a lot of people to sign-up.