Thanks to the internet, online marketing is a never-ending source of information. While this might be helpful for consumers, it can also be a challenge for businesses, especially for medical professionals who may feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the volume of information. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, being aware of current trends and utilizing them effectively can only prove beneficial to your future marketing efforts.
Why Are Online Marketers Changing The Way We Look At Ads?
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a complete rethinking of how we consume and interact with marketing information. While some of this can be attributed to the influence of social media, the shift probably began with digital marketing.
When companies turn to online marketers to grow their business, they’re often after someone who is tech-savvy and passionate about marketing analytics. If you’re looking to make the switch yourself, here are three pivotal reasons why digital marketing is becoming so appealing.
1. Data-driven Marketing
Unlike marketing in the past, where data was often absent (if not entirely unavailable) or at least difficult to come by, businesses are now able to access data about their customers and prospective customers in greater amounts and with increasing ease. This has shifted the perspective of marketers and given rise to a new phrase:”data-driven marketing.”
Data-driven marketing means utilizing metrics and analytical tools to inform your marketing endeavors. It can be argued that this is a more effective and less intrusive method of marketing than anything that came before it. Analytics allow you to measure the results of your campaigns and allow you to course-correct in real-time as you go.
2. Innovative Tools
If you’re looking to venture into digital marketing, you’ll need a toolbox full of marketing gadgets, including a camera, a computer, and a printer. While these items may seem necessary for any marketer, what makes digital marketing tools special is their ability to connect the dots and analyse data from various sources, all in one place.
Many digital marketing platforms come with a variety of tools that can help you measure the success of your campaigns. If you’re using Google Ads, you can take advantage of the various metrics that this platform offers. You can also use Google Analytics to track the performance of your website and monitor the behavior of your audience.
3. Industry Expertise
Since the beginning of time, marketing has predominantly been viewed as a “buzzword” or a “niche” subject. For the most part, marketers have just gone about their business without thinking much about the topic. While this might have been effective in the past, modern-day marketing is much more specialized and requires expertise in several areas, including technology, SEO, social media, and analytics.
Being able to tout your industry expertise is one of the biggest draws of a career in digital marketing. Not only will you be able to advise clients on the latest trends, but you’ll also be able to offer expert advice on how to effectively utilize the internet to grow their business.
4. Growing Job And Income Prospects
Since the dawn of time, marketing has been viewed as a source of income and job growth for companies and individuals. While earning potential has mostly been concentrated within the marketing industry, the demand for marketers has continued to rise, indicating that there’s still good money to be made.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2022, marketing managers and executives will earn an average of $130,000-$150,000 annually. While the median wage might not seem high, keeping in mind that you can become an expert in this field and still have a very normal, comfortable life. For those just entering the field or looking to switch careers, this might be a lucrative opportunity to pursue.
Top 5 Examples of Digital Marketing Campaigns
In order to provide you with a clearer picture of what is entailed in a digital marketing campaign, here are five essential steps.
1. Define your target audience
In the beginning stages of any marketing campaign, it is essential to identify your target audience and know precisely who you are Marketing to. Before you begin any type of marketing activity, you should have a clear picture in mind of who you are targeting and what their needs are. This step is important because it allows you to craft a compelling message that will attract the right audience and retain their attention through to the end of the campaign.
As your marketing plan develops, you will want to take into consideration various factors, including your budget, time frame, and goals. Bear in mind that your target audience may be based on location, so be sure to consider the demographics of your intended audience when defining your target audience.
2. Craft a compelling message
Crafting a compelling message doesn’t mean that you have to focus on selling your product or service. On the contrary, you want to develop a narrative that will resonate with your target audience and convince them to take action. A compelling message is one that will keep your target audience interested and engaged throughout the entire marketing campaign. To do this, you will want to focus on developing a story that will make the listener or reader curious enough to want to learn more.
Whether you’re marketing to existing or potential customers, a compelling message will keep your audience interested and engaged; this is especially beneficial for marketing campaigns that involve some type of digital component, such as a YouTube video or a banner ad on a website.
3. Identify your target audience’s problems
As a marketer, your job is to identify the problems that your target audience is experiencing and create a solution for them. When you identify the problems that your target audience is facing, you will be able to create a solution that is specifically tailored to their needs. This will make them more receptive to your message and increase the chances of them taking action, which is the essence of marketing.
Often times, companies will go about identifying their target audience’s problems by simply looking at the demographics and psychographics of their website’s audience. While this may put them in the right frame of mind to solve an issue, it doesn’t always give them the complete picture. To get the most out of this step, you will want to get into the habit of asking questions and listening to the answers. Doing this will put you in the right mindset to find the issues that your target audience is facing and create a solution for them.
4. Match your offers to the problems you’ve identified
When businesses become aware of a problem that is preventing them from achieving their goals, they will want to find a solution to this problem. As a marketer, you will want to take advantage of this knowledge and offer your services to solve the problem. Using the information you’ve gathered, you will want to create an offer that is specifically tailored to the needs of your target audience. This will make them more receptive to your message and increase the chances of them taking action, which is the essence of marketing.
For example, if you’re marketing to pet owners and you’ve identified that a lack of active social media usage is preventing them from establishing meaningful connections with other pet lovers, you could design an offer to integrate social media into your pet’s daily routine. This could include posting pictures of your pet on social media or creating themed group chats around topics that are of interest to your target audience. In this way, you will be able to draw them into the action by offering them social media usage that is tailored to their interests.
5. Measure the success of your campaign
Thanks to the proliferation of digital marketing analytics platforms, being able to measure the success of your campaign and course-correct as needed is now easier than ever. To begin with, you will want to set a benchmark for yourself (and your team) by gathering key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be tracked throughout your campaign. Once you’ve set this benchmark, you will be able to determine if your efforts were successful or if there are areas in which you can improve.
The above steps will help you begin your journey to becoming an effective digital marketer. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide, consider checking out the Digital Marketing for Non-Profits: A Step-by-Step Guide, which will give you a comprehensive look at all the steps necessary to set up a successful campaign.