We live in a digital world today; where products can be ordered with a single click and delivered to a buyer’s door within a few hours. Any marketing approach that engages with potential clients via a digital interface online, such as email marketing, website campaigns, and social media marketing, is considered digital marketing. Not only are digital marketing tactics much more cost-efficient than print or television advertisements, but they can also reach larger audiences with greater efficiency than ever before. Startups will limit their growth potential and, as a result, their profit potential if they do not have a solid digital marketing plan.
While many leaders of startups fail to recognize the value of digital marketing today, the impact of this approach is shown in the data itself. 86% of marketers claimed that digital marketing helped them increase brand awareness, and 75% said it helped them increase brand credibility and trust with consumers. Digital marketing provides startups with a way to connect with potential customers worldwide, build brand awareness, and connect with people in uniquely creative ways.
Consider digital marketing as one big umbrella that holds social media marketing, email campaigns, an effective website, and more services underneath it. It can be difficult to know where to begin with this marketing plan due to its many facets. Here are three crucial aspects of digital marketing for startups:
This is priority #1. If you don’t have a website where customers can learn about your
offerings and purchase your products, you’re automatically behind your competitors. Websites must be professional, provide detailed information about your organization, and be simple to use. 83% of consumers expect website pages to load in less than 3 seconds, and Google prioritizes websites with fast load rates as well. If your website doesn’t offer a seamless user experience in both desktop and mobile formats, it’s time to invest in a better website.
Social media allows businesses to connect with potential customers in new and creative ways. Brands can showcase behind-the-scenes footage, display their organizational values, and build relationships with large groups of people. Not only does social media provide great organic reach and growth potential, but it offers a new way for businesses to provide exceptional customer service. Actively answering messages on social media platforms is important because 67% of consumers expect that level of service.
Marketing is all about analytics. With non-digital marketing approaches, it can be nearly impossible to determine the effectiveness of specific campaigns, but digital marketing offers visibility into how each campaign impacted sales. An effective digital marketing strategy must include well-defined KPIs for tracking customer activity via click rates and other means.
