As accessible as the Internet is today, would you believe me if I told you that the number of people going online every day continues to grow?

There are around 4.9 billion internet users worldwide as of 2021, a jump of 400 million from 2020. And while we say it a lot, the way people shop and buy has really changed, which means offline marketing can't be your only strategy to drive sales because it needs to reach audiences where they already spend their time: online.

How does a company define digital marketing?

At this stage, digital marketing is vital to your business and brand awareness. It seems like every other brand has a website and, if they don't, they at least have a social media presence or a digital advertising strategy. Digital marketing and content is so commonplace that consumers now expect and rely on it as a way to learn about brands. Because digital marketing has so many possibilities, you can be creative and experiment with a variety of marketing tactics on a tight budget.

In general, digital marketing is defined by the use of numerous digital tactics and channels to connect with customers where they spend much of their time: online. The best digital marketers have a clear idea of how each digital marketing campaign supports your overall goals. And depending on the goals of your marketing strategy, marketers can support a larger campaign through the free and paid channels at your disposal.

Why is digital marketing important?

Digital marketing helps you reach a wider audience than you could through traditional methods and the prospects who are most likely to buy your product or service. It is also often more cost-effective than traditional advertising and allows you to measure success on a daily basis and change as you see fit.

• There are some important benefits of digital marketing:
• You can focus your efforts only on the prospects most likely to buy your product or service.
• It is more cost-effective than outbound marketing methods.
• Digital marketing levels the playing field within your industry and allows you to compete with bigger brands.
• Digital marketing is measurable.
• It is easier to adapt and change a digital marketing strategy.
• Digital marketing can improve your conversion rate and the quality of your leads.
• You can engage audiences at every stage with digital marketing.

Let's go deeper.

1. You can focus your efforts only on the prospects most likely to buy your product or service.

If you place an ad on TV, in a magazine or on a billboard, you have limited control over who sees the ad. Sure, you can measure certain demographics, including typical magazine readership or the demographics of a given neighbourhood, but it's still largely a shot in the dark.

Digital marketing allows you to identify and target a very specific audience with personalised, high-converting marketing messages.

2. It is more cost-effective than outbound marketing methods.

Digital marketing helps you track campaign performance on a day-to-day basis, so you know which channels are performing well and which are not, which helps you optimise your campaign budgets for a high ROI. The same cannot be said for traditional forms of advertising. It doesn't matter how your billboard performs: it still costs the same, even if it doesn't convert.

Plus, with digital marketing, you have full control over where you choose to spend your money. Perhaps you spend money on design software to create high-converting Instagram content instead of paying for PPC campaigns. A digital marketing strategy allows you to continually pivot, ensuring you never waste money on channels that don't work well.

Does digital marketing work for all companies?

Digital marketing can work for any business in any industry. Regardless of what your company sells, digital marketing still involves creating buyer personas to identify the needs of your audience and creating valuable content online. However, that doesn't mean that every business should implement a digital marketing strategy in the same way.

At Zapiplay we help you to create your marketing strategy, consult our plans and let's start working to boost your brand. Contact us!