{"componentChunkName":"component---src-components-blog-blog-page-layout-js","path":"/the-digital-dilemma…-where-to-start/","result":{"pageContext":{"blogItem":{"html":"","frontmatter":{"content":[{"sectionHeading":null,"sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Marketing is crucial to the success of every business, and never more so, than in difficult economic times.  Digital marketing has for some time, been a fundamental strand of any good strategy.  In fact, it has now grown in efficacy, that we no longer really distinguish between digital and traditional marketing, it is all just marketing!  There are very few businesses who do not operate in some shape or form within the digital world.  ","asteriskText":false},{"paragraph":"The options are vast and continually increasing in the digital arena and choice is always great. The amazing thing about digital marketing is it accessible to every business on every budget.  However, for results, it is critical to select the right platform and strategy for your business!","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"So where do you start?","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Firstly, and most importantly what exactly are you trying to achieve?  We all want to sell more, but your objective needs to be specific - Are you trying to increase your online conversion rate? Drive customers to your shop?  Or develop your brand? ","asteriskText":false},{"paragraph":"Secondly, who are you trying to talk to?  It is vital to understand your audience.  The days of postcode, age and gender are gone.  You need to really understand your audience.  What do they like? Where do they hang out (digitally and physically)? Who are they ‘friends’ with? Who do they admire? What line of work are they in? This is called their ‘Persona’.","asteriskText":false},{"paragraph":"A complete understanding of our customers and potential customers journey is required to develop a plan, that talks to them in the correct tone, at the correct time and with the most appropriate method.  This is crucial for every business no matter what size they are.","asteriskText":false},{"paragraph":"This vital preparation will ensure your marketing initiatives will work as hard as possible for you.  Niche targeting and identifying the right digital method for you, will also, most importantly, ensure your budget is not wasted and your conversions are high. ","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"The Digital Daze","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"So, with clear objectives and ‘Personas’ you can start to formulate your marketing.  Here is a brief rundown of digital marketing methods with their pros and cons, for the development of a robust and successful digital marketing strategy.","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Websites","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Websites are your shop window, even if you are not an ecommerce site!  It is a brochure to promote your brand and business, what you sell and what services you offer.  Websites are a powerful tool for lead generation, remarketing and vital for being seen on google with effective Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Do not assume if you are not selling online you do not need a website. Most importantly, do not assume if you have a website you will be seen, you need to tell people it is there.","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Social Media","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"This has become an incredibly powerful tool over the past few years for businesses around the world.  Currently in the UK Facebook alone has over 44 Million users.  Can you imagine being able to target 44 Million users with budgets as small as £100 a month?  There are no TV channels or Magazines with that reach, and you would need much deeper pockets.","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Facebook","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"People use Facebook to stay connected, to discover what is going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.  This is an extremely powerful tool for B2C marketing and extremely cost effective. ","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Instagram","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Instagram is a photo sharing app which allows users to assign filters to photos and share them with followers.  With more than 25 million businesses are actively using Instagram, to market to their audience as millions of consumers use it to shop.  The visual content is extremely appealing and helps consumers with the buying decision.  The growing Instagram network helps brands and retailers leverage visuals to better describe and detail their products.  It is part of the Facebook network and advertising on Instagram is also inexpensive.","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Twitter","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Tweets can be a great lead generation or brand awareness tactic.  The con is that the tweets are very short so you have to be concise with your message but it is pretty cost effective to advertise on Twitter and it works well for both B2B and B2C audiences. ","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"LinkedIn","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"This is the number one platform for B2B marketing.  There are currently 630 million professionals on LinkedIn, and you can reach all of them or drill down to create your perfect niche target audience.   You can use this free platform to organically grow your network by creating stimulating and relevant posts or you can create and post adverts to generate new business leads.  The con is the extra functionality on the platform is relatively expensive compared to the other social channels, however, the price is justified due to the quality audience available to you.","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Email Marketing","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Email Marketing is not dead, it is most definitely alive!  Businesses can improve their reach and visibility, allowing them to engage and convert more leads on a consistent basis by creating a regular email flow.  Targeting can be niche and best of all most systems are free below a certain audience volume. ","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Measurement is a Must!","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":null,"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"So, you have picked your platform or combination of platforms now you need to make sure it is working for you.   I love the analytics capability digital platforms provide, real time results from your marketing campaign - how many people have seen it, clicked on it, opened it, or bought from it at your fingertips.  This ensures you can manage what is working and what is not. ","asteriskText":false}]},{"sectionHeading":"Conversion","sectionHeadingIcon":null,"sectionImages":null,"sectionLinks":[],"sectionParagraphs":[{"paragraph":"Ensure your investment is not wasted by creating suitable landing pages to optimise the conversion rates.  Understand your customers journey to you and serve them the content they are expecting.","asteriskText":false},{"paragraph":"The digital marketing landscape is forever changing, if you would like more information on what the best platform for your business is please get in touch and let us walk you through the most suitable digital solutions to achieve your business objectives. ","asteriskText":false}]}],"title":"The Digital Dilemma … Where to Start?","metadataTitle":"Where to start in digital marketing","heroImg":{"publicURL":"/static/873adfc6f6ceed3aaf58533f67202138/digital-dilemma-hero.jpg"},"author":"Not in the list","company":"Purple Octopus Marketing","guestName":"Ann-Marie","guestAvatar":{"publicURL":"/static/0df02b351ed63d2bd8294a61ffab91ba/purple-octopus-logo.png"},"publishedDate":"03 DEC 2020","contactLinkIntro":null,"contactLinkLabel":null,"contactLinkUrl":null},"fields":{"sourceName":"blogPages","slug":"/the-digital-dilemma…-where-to-start/"}}}}}