Digital marketing refers to the use of electronic channels, particularly the internet, to promote a business or cause. There were offline marketing tactics before the internet, but now every small company to large enterprise relies on digital channels to get sales.
The big players can survive without it, but startups have to make the best use of the internet. It gives them a real shot to fight against monopolies and offers many other business benefits.
Here I’ve shared why every startup should give a special place to digital marketing when allocating budgets.
Can’t Rely on Current Clientele
You would not have started a business unless you already have a few customers or clients. You probably got them through your personal or professional network. They will give e you enough work to start your business, but it would not be smart to completely rely on them.
You have to get new clients who will keep giving you more work. It’s not just important for growth but for survival. You should plan for the time when your current clients will leave you or won’t have any business to give you.
This is one major reason why you have to invest in marketing to get new leads and convert them to customers. When it comes to marketing and sales, digital marketing is one thing you can’t ignore.
You will have to set up a website and social media channels to get started with digital marketing.
Seize the Opportunities on the Internet
The internet is used by almost the entire population of the world. Billions of people regularly use social channels like Facebook and search engines like Google.
They visit many sites with the intention of looking for a business like you. Some need information and guidance related to your business. If you want them to become your customer, you have to reach out to them and let them find you, which is not possible without digital marketing.
They will go to your competitors if you don’t get them. They won’t just grow their business; they will also knock you out of the market once they get strong enough.
You Don’t Need a Big Budget
One of the best things about digital marketing is the freedom of how much you have to invest. Offline marketing would be useless if you don’t spend at least a few thousand dollars.
On the other hand, you can start digital marketing for as low as $5. You don’t have to build a website and simply create free social media pages and start advertising your business. Even the little investment of $5 won’t go to waste. It will offer a return and you will clearly see what it offered. Even if not a lead, you will get data, which helps you make better decisions.
If you are a business, it is safe to assume you would start with at least a few hundred dollars for marketing. You should first consult a digital marketing expert before you invest in anything. He will tell how where you should invest and how it should be invested.
For example, there are a few types of websites and you wouldn’t know what you need. An expert will tell you whether you need a lead generation site or an online store and how it should be optimized for the internet.
Likewise, they will offer you social media marketing services to build a presence on social media presence and create campaigns that will actually get you a return. They will charge a fee of their own, but you get a much better return on investment with their help, which easily pays off their charges.
It Allows You to Experiment
Data is the gold of this century for businessmen. With data, they are able to make better decisions with more confidence that offers them a lot more profits, and saves them from many fatal mistakes.
It would not be easy for a business to learn its mistakes after spending thousands of dollars. However, you can start with the learning process with little investment that offers real data. Many digital marketers will start with A/B testing and try out a couple of strategies with little investment to see what works.
You get to learn about your products or services, market, and target audience. With the next real campaign, you can go all out with confidence, knowing what you are doing.
Get Measurable Results
Digital marketing offers measurable results and records everything. For example, you would how many people visited your website at what time and how many of them converted to become a lead. You can also see at what stage they made their decision and when they left.
You can analyze that data to see how you can improve. You would know what is offering results and how much you had to invest in getting those results. Every little thing is tracked so you can also use it in the future to find useful insights.
There is a reason why giants like Facebook and Google are collecting so much data that they have to keep visiting congress.
Offers Both Short-Term and Long-Term Growth
Digital marketing is not just about getting results for as long as you keep investing. It has short-term results as well as long-term growth opportunities.
For example, you will start with paid advertisements to get website visitors and leads. You will have to pay for every click or view you get on your ad, but it gets you immediate results. This is really helpful for new businesses who don’t have an organic following of their own.
On the other hand, search engine optimization will help you build organic website visitors. They will search queries on search engines and keep visiting your website as long as you are ranked on the first page. You don’t have to pay anything for their clicks. You will also build social media following who can become your customers if you do your job right.
