Digital Marketing Is Not A Fad

Digital Marketing is not a luxury and it’s not a fad.

I’m pretty sure that buggy whip manufacturers never thought that they would become irrelevant. Carriage based businesses that survived did so by adapting to the changing times. Timken Company and Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing survived because they made the necessary changes to their business structure to enter into the automotive space.

How are those phone book and newspaper ads working for you today? Have you truly embraced the fact that you must have an online presence to grow? Do you ignore digital because it’s not how you used to do business?

Benefits of Digital Marketing

Look, I’m not here to browbeat you or make you feel bad. I just know, through over 22 years of experience, that online marketing works and can work well if you take the time to learn about it. It works for you round the clock and never takes a vacation. Digital Marketing is measurable and trackable. It can be customized to just the right audience.

After all, you are reading this online, right?

Decision makers read on average 10 pieces of content before finalizing their purchase choice. People now have the convenience and scope of information never before available and they are using it to make some very serious decisions in their life.

Ok, where to get the best cheesecake is not earth-shattering information but how to care for an ailing parent is. People spend over 2 hours a day consuming media on their computers. And we all know that everyone and their great aunt has a mobile device. In fact, there are more mobile devices than humans!

Inbound Marketing Builds Trust and Creates Loyal Customers

When people are doing online searches, they want to find useful and engaging content. They want to intake good, well written, and relevant information at their own pace. People don’t want intrusion into their hectic over-stimulated lives. So how you market to your user persona is important. The days of manipulating people into submission by intrusive methods are over. The consumer has grown more sophisticated and less patient.

Enter inbound marketing. It’s about building trust and confidence. People identify with and support a culture that they can identify with. And if it’s you, they can become very loyal customers, clients, and advocates.

Alright, that’s all well and good in the abstract but how do you actually do the work? How do you twist that digital wrench and frame that virtual house? How do you stay on top of changing trends and new tools?

Well, you could take courses, read books, and trust that your nephew knows what he’s talking about. You could also spend countless hours experimenting, analyzing, tweaking and just plain fooling around. Or, you could hire a professional. How do I find someone qualified? Go online... (is it just me or is that funny?) Seriously, do your research.

If choosing to outsource, look at their work, their clients, their longevity, their staff, and how well they relate to you when you meet face to face. Come prepared and ask lots of questions.