Digilite is turning 15 this year which means we’ve been the intersection for everything creative, technology, and marketing-related for over a decade and a half now. Everything we do is with the effort of helping businesses grow on a local and international scale. As the famous saying goes “marketing takes a year to learn but a lifetime to master,” and undoubtedly the world of digital marketing has been anything but predictable over the years. This is the perfect time to reflect on key things about digital marketing that we’ve learned over the years and share them with you! Without further ado, let’s get into it.
1. Trends Change — Fast
This may sound like a given fact, but many businesses get stuck in what is trending at the moment and use it as their foundation for years to come. Trends start and finish in a blink of an eye in any sphere. In the world of digital marketing, it is exceptionally difficult because you not only have to follow the trends of the industry but popular marketing trends specifically. Always keep a sharp eye out for new trends so your strategies don’t run the risk of being outdated.
2. Adaption and Flexibility Are Key
If there’s anything that the past two years taught us is that not only your digital marketing, but your entire business can better withstand the test of time if you are able to adapt. For example, we moved our entire operations online for months on end, according to the local guidelines of each city we have an office in.
3. Paid Ads are Your Friend
If online traffic was a story, then organic traffic would be the protagonist and paid traffic would be the bad guy. Or so that’s what we’ve commonly misconceived for years. Contemporary digital marketing has developed to show that both are equally important for a business. One does not outweigh the other but rather, it all comes down to targeting. If you reach out to a target audience that is uninterested, then either method will be ineffective. Long gone are the days where consumers think because a business runs ads then they’re technically “buying” their customers.
4. Maintain Consistency
Consistency of brand, tone of voice, target, and so on are all valuable components of a successful digital marketing campaign. This is especially important for your website and social media marketing. Brands perform better when they know who they are first before showing the world. Stay true to your brand’s colors and you’ll notice the positive impact.
5. You Can’t Please Everyone
Not every blog post, social ad, or email campaign is going to perform outstandingly well and we need to accept it. Taking social media as an example, some posts will gain more reach and engagement than others. Instead of getting upset about unpromising results, take a look at what you can adjust. In the end, it’s all about analyzing and adjusting accordingly. This will yield the best results.
6. The Story Matters as Much as the Product
Marketing has evolved to not be as centred around the product or service as much as it is centred around experience. Hard sell marketing is becoming less and less widespread. This doesn’t mean, however, that doesn’t mean that it should only be seen as a tactic to integrate in your marketing strategy. Viewers will know if you are being unauthentic.
7. Offline Marketing is a Thing
If your business is picture-perfect online but doesn’t meet the mark offline, then you’ll risk ending up in a downward spiral. Word-of-mouth marketing is still very much prevalent and it can make or break your brand. What your consumers think outside of how you portray the business can directly impact all of your digital marketing efforts. Pay attention to what your customers are saying – even the most minuscule details!
8. Content is King
Content matters in absolutely every element of your marketing. From the images you use to the choices of words – all of this has an impact on how far your business goes. This is why we’ve grown to understand the importance of our content and aim towards creating value and authenticity for both us and our viewers.
9. SEO is a Must
Search engine optimization has transitioned from an option to a necessity for anyone who wants to establish a strong digital presence. We believe that SEO is here to stay, even if it undergoes transformation over time. Voice search, for example, is becoming highly prominent and it is the direction where SEO is headed in order to optimize further for voice searches as well. Certainly, don’t overlook it.
10. Anything can be Interesting
A little dash of creativity can go a long way in digital marketing if it’s used right. Even the industries you may think are difficult to develop creative and fresh ideas for are not impossible – they just require time, patience, and inspiration.
11. Invest in User Experience and Design
Your digital marketing is closely intertwined with all other aspects and user experience is a big one. Having an intuitive and user-friendly design throughout your website will only boost how long viewers will be interested in your brand. For example, if you have an eCommerce business and market all of these captivating products but shoppers have a hard time navigating your online store, then chances are they’ll also click “unfollow” or “unsubscribe”.
12. Collaboration Makes All the Difference
As individuals, we don’t have all the answers, but when many minds come together then even the unimaginable becomes possible. For this reason, we have and will continue to value the partnerships and collaborations we make across every corner of the world. With partners already in major cities such as Sydney, Toronto, Yerevan, and Los Angeles, we aspire to keep expanding this network.
13. Remove What Doesn’t Work
As difficult as it seems, cut off dead leaves and let your business flourish. Cut out strategies, tools, technologies, and anything else that isn’t delivering time and time again. These can all hold you down and make the journey towards your target results tougher.
14. Invest in Yourself
There’s only so far your digital marketing can go with the use of free technologies and tools. Opting for professional tools and specialists who know how to utilize them is both a short-term and long-term digital marketing investment that you can’t go wrong with. At the end of the day, your customers are smart and will know a free logo design from a professional one, for example.
15. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Test, test, test anything that you think has the slightest chance of adding value to your digital marketing. If TikTok is trending today, don’t shut the idea down and not consider it. Implement it in your strategy and then look at the metrics. If it works then it stays, if it doesn’t then move forward. Great results may come from the most unexpected places and you’ll never know unless you test them out.
Things are often easier said than done. If you are still not receiving the results you aspire for, get in touch with us today and we’ll bring you one step closer to your goals.
