When you are in the business of delivering results from any kind of marketing strategy it's essential that you know how each different approach can fit together as a whole, or whether one specific methodology will be best for your company. The way that digital marketing has revolutionized the advertising and promotional aspects of almost every business means that having a good overview of how it works is key. However, knowing how to get the best value from it is vital as well. So whether you are a business IT professional, a marketing manager or executive specialist, or simply a tech enthusiast who likes to know what's going on, the ever-changing world of digital marketing is something that you should learn much more about.

Why choose a digital marketing campaign?

If recent reports suggesting that up to 60% of the total digital marketing spend could be wasted and fail to deliver a return on investment are to be believed, two questions arise. Firstly, is the 40% it does work for worth the effort, and secondly how can you increase the effectiveness of your campaign and cut the waste?

The first thing to look at is how difficult it is to measure day-to-day activities in digital marketing and relate them effectively to productivity or sales. The metrics used can be confusing to outsiders and often seem to exaggerate success rates. However, it's actually quite easy to know whether a digital marketing campaign is working for you or not - the bottom line is how your bottom line is doing! Are you seeing an increase in sales, queries or traffic to your website? Are your physical locations seeing greater footfall? Is your brand being talked about more on social media? All of these things can be hard to quantify as direct results of a successful digital marketing campaign, but there are also desirable outcomes that may be at the heart of your campaign's aims.

State of play

Digital marketing is in a constant state of flux and that is another reason it can be difficult to know whether it is giving you good value. It's not only the fact that new platforms seem to emerge on a regular basis, with the thought that your online target demographic is moving on to the latest thing being hard to ignore, but the methods themselves are constantly evolving. Live streaming, 3D capabilities, and ad-blockers - all of these aspects can make choosing the right digital marketing strategy a challenge. However, all of these things actually make targeting your marketing easier than ever, as long as you know your audience or the wider demographic that you want to reach. Although consumer and buyer behavior is by no means static when it comes to online activities, people in general are much more likely to stick with what they know. So unless your business is specifically aiming at early adopters, risk takers or tech professionals, you can quite easily work out which of the major networks, platforms or online publishers are best suited for your campaigns.

Potential benefits

Putting a successful digital marketing campaign in place can have immeasurable positive outcomes for a company. The fact that so many people now live a significant proportion of their lives 'online' is down to the revolutionary tech developments over recent years. Mobile handheld devices with anywhere/anytime cell and Wi-Fi connectivity options mean that consumer behaviors have changed beyond recognition. Many businesses that have failed to recognize this have already fallen by the wayside and a new generation of start-ups is very eager to take advantage of the new trading paradigm. To reap the benefits for your own company you need to acknowledge that the commercial landscape is very different from that of only a few years ago, but also know that having experience and being able to adapt older tried and trusted methods can also offer huge benefits.

Value

The question of value for money always cuts two ways in whatever business you are working in. Firstly, your clients, customers or consumers will be looking for the best deal and that includes pricing as well as quality of products or services. Secondly, your company needs to get the most 'bang for its buck' whatever the situation, whether that is choosing the right supplier, employing the right people or choosing the best methods of marketing the brand.

A perfect example of a company that takes all of these aspects into account and comes up with a massively successful model is As Seen on TV. Probably one of the best know brands in the US, the way that the business model brings together the best elements of traditional trading and modern marketing stands as a testament to how to get the best value for company and customers alike. Seamlessly tying together a business approach that has worked for many years alongside the very best that sophisticated digital marketing has to offer, means that the company has managed to transition to a new way of doing things without compromising on its own core values.

Digital marketing and beyond

Of course digital marketing is much more than running an email campaign, having a great website, knowing how to utilize social media and taking advantage of emerging technologies. If used correctly, the speed and depth of impact it can offer is something entirely new in the realm of commerce, as the direct connections that can be made with individuals has never been previously available to marketers to this extent. Knowing how to tie a great online and social media presence into actually sealing a sale or purchase means taking into account things like in-store location-based marketing, mobile payment systems or geo-location apps. Essentially for each business it requires an in-depth bespoke approach, and this can only be successful if you really understand your customers and are willing to adapt to the ways that they want to interact with you. Delivering the best value and the greatest impact can easily go hand in hand if you take the time to plan your digital marketing as part of a holistic approach to your company's overall digital media identity.

Tags : Digital Marketing, Social Media, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter