6 Reasons to Include Digital Marketing in Your Strategy

The battle between “old-school” and “new-school” will always rage on, however, the definition of the two schools of thought is constantly changing. With new ideas being introduced to the market daily, you should explore your options to make sure you are getting the most out of your business outreach strategy. It’s time you made sure you are using digital marketing tactics – and using them wisely.

Here are six reasons you should include digital marketing tactics in your overall planning.

Increased reach: It’s no secret that your business won’t grow if people never hear about you. So you want to get in front of as many eyes as possible. Using digital channels in your marketing strategy helps to remove some of the barriers related to face-to-face tactics. You are no longer limited geographically and are free to connect with potential clients on the other side of the world. If you tried to implement an experiential, in-person campaign on a global scale, you would also need a global budget to match.

You also have the capability to tap into individual influencer networks to engage your audience.

Controlled brand story: When you rely on others to tell your brand story, whether in the media or through reviews, you have to relinquish some control over what gets said. It could be a mispronunciation of your name (or the wrong name completely), a fact that is slightly off, or an emotional connection that isn’t made. When you introduce digital tactics to your strategy, you keep a certain amount of control over what gets put out there. Of course this means you have to be on you’re A-game to make sure you don’t have a major PR fail on your hands, but you still make the initial effort to create shared experiences with your audience.

There is the chance that your well-intentioned hashtag or content could be misread or misappropriated by certain individuals who want to run you off the rails. A good contingency plan will have that under control in no time.

Improved efficiency: With automation and other benefits associated with digital marketing, business owners, especially small business owners, can focus their efforts on tasks that will get the biggest returns. The key is to use these tools wisely and to not get lazy with your marketing strategy. “Set it and forget” it is not an option.

Improved customer service: Organizations have many different options when it comes to customer service online. Using these channels can help to cut down on response times, which is good for all parties involved. Because the channels are easily accessible (ie. Social media), it also adds a level of convenience for your customers.

Become an expert authority: It used to be that you had to be in the media a lot or go on a speaking tour to become an expert. Now, there are other options available. You can start a blog, contribute to other blogs, be heavily active and connected on social media, or publish an eBook. Individuals and organizations are building credibility by showcasing their expertise through a strong online profile. Ironically, this profile might lead to you becoming a regular media commentator or a number of speaking gigs.

Tracking and tweaking: You should never just plow through any strategy. There always has to be a sense of what is working and what isn’t. To know that, you have to be able to take a step back and look at what you are doing with a critical eye. Digital tactics make it easier to collect and track data, even if it’s just looking at how many people are seeing and interacting with your content.

Certain digital media tactics fits somewhere in between old-school and new-school. It seems to be the missing link that ties both schools of thought together. Your marketing strategy will be more successful if you can find ways to marry the two schools of thought.