IS DIGITAL MARKETING REALLY

“THE MOST ESSENTIAL PART OF ANY MARKETING STRATEGY WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?”

BY TOM JUNGEN (CANADA)

E-Commerce Jaaey Marketing

Attract Eyeballs, Get Clicks, and Make More Sales

I reflect on when I first had to decide where and how to start marketing my services. The overwhelmed feeling kicked in big time! The funny thing is that almost everyone will agree that marketing is essential; however, how to do that gets a lot more complicated. Of course, everyone has an opinion on what matters and how to do it. So, over the years, this is what I hear most often from small to mid-sized businesses:

  • Oh, marketing it’s too expensive; we do word of mouth (WOM). It’s the best way. 
  • No need to market; if your product or service is excellent, people will find you no matter where you are. 
  • Printing brochures is very costly once you add graphics and printing plates. 
  • Newspapers, no one reads them anymore. 
  • Radio can’t afford it.
  • TV out of reach for small business owners. 
  • Google Ad Words is too expensive, and people don’t convert or buy. 
  • My all-time favorite is the following; “Facebook and Google Ad Words doesn’t work; it’s all hype.”

Now let me be blunt, as time is money. Let’s have a look at each one, and I will give you my two cents worth: Is marketing expensive when starting your business? Hell yes! However, you can’t afford to invest in your business.  Word of mouth (WOM), of course, you should talk it up and create hype. However, WOM will only get you so far and is what I consider a booster.  What I would recommend is having WOM as an additive, just like salt and pepper, to augment the overall marketing strategy. As a stand-alone, you will be a dead man walking.

No need to market that’s a non-starter. Printing brochures is one of the most expensive print versions available.  My recommendation is that if you are starting out and working with a limited marketing budget, this one is on hold. Newspapers? No one reads them anymore.  Well, that makes me feel old. However, I agree that newspaper publications are not what they used to be since all things have gone online. However, I do have a heart for newspapers; seeing many properly placed ads for local markets can be very useful when strategically timed and placed. Radio? Can’t afford it? You may be surprised as to the cost of 10-second and 30-second spot buys for your local businesses.  This one surprises many business owners as they are pleasantly surprised by how competitive the rates have become in 2019. I encourage everyone to add this to your assortment of marketing tools.

Television is out of reach for small business owners.  Yes, 100% agreed. I recommend this is where you make use of your smartphone.  Take video clips to grab your potential clients’ attention on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Just a note of caution here, your videos don’t need to be professionally done. Save your money and keep pumping out essential videos with a proper strategy and messaging. I am rooting for you here till the cows come home! Next, we have Google AdWords: Too expensive.  Sure, it costs money. Many individuals compare Facebook costs to Google AdWord costs.  Don’t mix up the two; they are entirely different machines. In many ways, Google AdWords is much more straightforward than Facebook. Why do you ask? The reason for this is that people searching on Google are already showing intent.  These people are actively searching for a solution to their problems. This is key, as we now have an idea of the conversation going on in the online searchers’ heads.  In short, these people are further along in the buying journey as they have already shown interest.

Just take a time out and think about this.  What is the last thing you Googled? You are looking for something of interest or a solution to a problem. Facebook is very different because it is known as interruption marketing.  Meaning that people are not on Facebook actively seeking a solution to a problem.  The chances are that they are looking for the exact opposite. They are looking for gossip, an escape from the office, to catch up with family, and friends and watch funny videos to chill. Herein lies the magic and power of online digital marketing, i.e., Facebook.  You may have heard that Facebook collects an obscene amount of data. Let me repeat this…Facebook collects an obscene amount of data on its users, including where they visit and click on.  Just to make sure I really get this point across well, read the following statement, not my opinion.

“MIT Technology Review states that Facebook data is the most extensive data set ever assembled on human social behavior.”

So, what does that mean?  That means they know us better than we know ourselves. In number talk, that means Facebook has something like 400,000 data points on each of us.  Yes, Facebook knows every single click we have made, and trust me over time that paints a pretty good picture of each of us and what makes us tick and click.  This is the math on a large scale or what some call AI machine learning. Yes, it’s powerful. This is exciting stuff. Are you with me?  This means you can target people on Facebook with specific job titles, locations, schools, organizations, and so much more.  Therefore, you can get very specific on each of your Ad campaigns, not just “Vanilla ” blasting into a black abyss.

As you can see, this is why Digital Marketing really is “The Most Essential part of any marketing strategy when starting your business!” In summary, your marketing dollars can go much further on Facebook than anywhere else when done correctly. Maximize your marketing dollars, and achieve a low-cost and high impact with a Digital Marketing Strategy today.