Digital Marketing is not a Magical Unicorn!

Everyone loves a unicorn, especially the ones that solve all of your complex sales and marketing problems in one go. We all want the fastest and easiest solution. You know, those magical ones so effective that they outperform our wildest dreams, that skyrocket our online sales and bring hordes of customers right to our door.

The misinformed often believe that digital marketing alone will be that unicorn.

Don’t get me wrong, there are unicorns to be found within your overall digital marketing strategy –  unicorn ads, blogs and e-newsletters that out perform everything that came before, but don’t be sold on the idea that digital marketing alone can completely replace all of your business’s sales and marketing functions.

Most potential customers will not buy a product or service from your business on their first interaction, and when they are bombarded every day with advertising from every industry, it takes so much more to convert them in to customers.

This is especially true in the B2B arena, or where you are selling a complex or expensive service or product to the consumer. Don’t be surprised when paid digital marketing alone doesn’t immediately deliver a flood of new sales, phone calls and enquiries.

Instead, your digital activity should be seen as complementary to your overall marketing activity, and not a replacement. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater and abandon the use of traditional media. Make sure you have an integrated approach, especially when you need to tailor your messages for different segments of the market.

Not everyone consumes their content in the same way, both within and outside of your digital channels

Don’t forget other supporting channels such as magazine advertisements and advertorials, billboards and flyers, television or radio advertising, and face to face events, as well as the good old telephone (or cellphone these days).

And if you are set on a digital-alone approach don’t forget that just one paid campaign or platform won’t work on its own. You need to support it with an easy-to-use and engaging website, customer follow-up with newsletters and EDM’s, and of course excellent customer service.

Our advice.

Don’t jump into the digital marketing world with unreasonable expectations, thinking that’s all you’ll need to grow your business. We can guarantee you’ll come away disappointed, having not stuck with it long enough, or done enough supporting activity to see the true value for your business.

If you want to know more, need a digital marketing strategy, or would like help implementing one to complement your current marketing activities, then feel free to reach out to one of  Happy Monday’s digital marketing team.