Digital Marketing 101: What is it? Does Your Business Need it?

If you own a business in 2023, there’s no way around it. Digital marketing services are essential to effective brand establishment, recognition and growth.

Without it, you miss hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities to get in front of your target audience.

While digital marketing has evolved over the last decade, one thing is for certain:

It’s not going anywhere!

Digital marketing is only becoming more and more prominent.

The methods consumers use may change and adapt as new platforms become available. But the root concept of digital marketing is stronger than ever.

Essentially, if you want to compete in today’s market, you must embrace its digital landscape.

But where do you begin?

In this article, we deep dive into all things digital marketing. We discuss everything - from its definition to how to best take advantage of its waiting opportunities.

Keep reading to get your business on the (virtual) map!

 

What is Digital Marketing?

As a business owner, you have probably heard the term digital marketing frequently. After all, it’s one of the most crucial aspects of owning a business.

We’re here to ensure you understand,

1. What it means,
2. The opportunities it presents and
3. How you can best access those opportunities.

Let’s get started!

In a nutshell, digital marketing is advertising delivered through digital channels.

The type of digital channel a marketer chooses depends on their client, product, budget, etc.

These factors help narrow down where, when and how a business should show up online.

Common Digital Channels:

• Social media
• Search engines
• Websites
• Email
• SMS

Which online platform(s) do you think best fit your business?

We’ll dig deeper into these platforms later. But for now, think of some examples of digital marketing you have seen in these online spaces. Things like promotional video ads, banners, text messages, etc.

Chances are, you have seen hundreds of these promotions via your own personal channels.

This leads us to our next question…

 

Why is Digital Marketing Important?

Digital marketing is a big part of everyday life. Whether we like it or not, it's everywhere!

This is exactly why it’s so important.

Digital marketing allows you to connect and engage with prospective and existing customers. Not where you are. But where they are. And on an almost constant basis!

E-commerce has steadily grown in popularity for years, which is no surprise! Online shopping is incredibly convenient. After all, it’s literally at your fingertips.

This year alone, there are 80 million more digital buyers than in 2022. That puts the total number at 2.64 billion.

To put that number into perspective, we’re talking 33.3% of the world’s population.

Consider these statistics!

• 81% of consumers research a product/service online before purchasing in-store.
• The average Canadian spends over six hours/day on digital media.
• Digital advertising accounted for 64.8% of the total advertising spend in 2021.
• 87% of online Canadians start following a brand after visiting their website.

It’s easy to see that digital marketing is now an integral part of the Canadian economy. Not only is it taking over other forms of advertising, but it also focuses on today's most crucial aspect of marketing: personal connection!

Top Benefits of Digital Marketing:

• Global reach
• Local reach
• Cost efficiency
• Improved customer experience
• Measurable results
• Effective targeting
• Enhanced brand awareness
• Increased engagement

There’s also the convenience of different types of content on each platform. Online marketing opens up an array of content types that cater to your specific industry. Examples include blogs, podcasts and video content!

Now that you know what it is and its importance, it’s time to better understand how to use it.

 

Types of Digital Marketing and How to Use Them!

While many forms of digital marketing exist, most small businesses focus on those with the highest ROI potential. In most cases, that includes content, SEO and social media.

Content Marketing

Content is one of the most popular forms of digital marketing.

Digital content marketing is any form of content shared digitally. It’s usually informative, leading your audience to take a specific action - like asking a question or clicking a button!

At its core, its intent is to,

a) Attract visitors to view said content and

b) Encourage them to take the desired action (whatever that action might be).

Examples of Digital Content:

• Blogs
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Visual Content
• Podcasts

Pro Tip: Create content with your specific target audience in mind. This helps position your brand as a trusted voice and relate directly to your people.

Discover how good copywriting can help boost your marketing efforts!

SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) typically goes hand in hand with content marketing. After all, how else do you get your content in front of the right people?

Optimizing content specifically for search can help it rank higher in search results. This puts your content in front of more people. And the best part is, those people are already searching for you!

While there are many forms of SEO, we recommend focusing on:

• Content Strategy
• Keyword Research and
• Technical Optimization.

These three elements help focus your content and ensure it’s searchable by the right people.

Social Media Marketing

If you’re looking for an easy way to connect and communicate with your audience, this is it!

The right platform allows you to effectively build awareness and generate leads!

Examples of Social Platforms:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Snapchat
• Pinterest
• Threads
• TikTok
• BeReal

The best thing about social media marketing is that it builds on its own success. Your efforts can quickly magnify as engagement with your account adds up.

This is a great way to use organic (unpaid) content to boost your business. And while organic content goes a long way, these platforms also offer the opportunity for paid ads!

Not sure where to get started? A social media agency can help simplify and optimize your marketing!

 

Develop Your Own Digital Marketing Strategy

What does your digital marketing strategy look like?

Before you start marketing, we always recommend starting from square one. You have to know WHO you are targeting and WHY!

These two factors are the basis for any digital strategy and will hugely boost your ROI.

Without knowing who you want to target and why, you can’t decipher HOW best to connect with them.

Let’s start developing your strategy with effective digital marketing services today! Our marketing team at OSM ensures your plan fits your business goals and budget.

All our marketing packages are customizable. So you can choose a plan that caters directly to your needs!

Discover 7 Benefits of Hiring a Local Digital Marketing Agency!

 

Get In Touch

Let’s talk all things digital marketing!

Call our marketing team at (613) 969-0626 or contact us online!