Tag: direct mail

Blogs, Digital, Technology

10 Types Of Digital Marketing For Your Business

Marketing has always been key to achieving success in your business, and in this day and age, developing a digital marketing strategy is more important than ever. But you must understand what this means, how to use it, and the different types of digital marketing that you can use.

We wanted to have a look at different types of digital marketing to help you gain an understanding of how they can help boost traffic to your website, grow your customer base and brand awareness, and engage with your audience.

  1. Content Marketing

Consumers are hungry for information, whether it’s to increase their knowledge base, fulfil their desires, or save a problem. By providing your customers with high-quality and useful content, you will gain their trust and confidence.

Quality content will place your business in a position of authority in your market, and help cement your brand at the front of their mind when they are making purchasing decisions.

Content marketing is about providing your audience with answers to questions by publishing useful content, whether that’s in blogs, on social media, emails, or other channels, such as in apps or push notifications for mobile devices.

Content can take on many different formats, depending on the channel it is optimised for, and there are many different types of content, for instance, blog posts, infographics, videos, data sheets and more.

Content marketing can be orientated by a ‘funnel’, influencing the type of content used. At the top of this funnel, content is more general, for example, evergreen posts like relevant industry news or guides, and then will get more specific as the funnel narrows, such as testimonials, demonstrations, product news or releases.

  1. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

If you want your business to be a success, then consumers must be able to find it. SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, will help your website and content to rank highly in search engine searches, meaning that your website can be easily found by consumers actively searching for what you provide.

To leverage SEO, you need to know the keywords that the consumers you want to reach are searching for, and then develop your content around these.

According to statistics from the Search Engine Journal, 91.5 per cent of web traffic is shared by the websites listed on the first page of results on Google, the first Google organic search accounts for 32.5 per cent of traffic, and 51 per cent of all website traffic comes from organic searches.

Organic traffic can be leveraged by producing high-quality content that is found in searches on Google or other search engines, demonstrating that SEO simply cannot be ignored.

  1. Social Media Marketing

As the name suggests, Social Media Marketing is a method of promoting your brand, products, or content through social media. It can be done organically, by paying for ads and posts on social media, or by using both simultaneously.

You can publish your content on social media for your followers and audience, or pay for ads to be placed in front of a specific social media audience or demographic. Either way, it is vital that you choose the right social network for your brand, product, or content. For example, Tik Tok is better for the younger generations, while Facebook may be more appropriate for older ones.

The advantages of social media marketing are that it is possible to get closer to your desired audience and improve your engagement and interaction with them. There is also the benefit of gaining extra validation of your brand, if or when your audience shares your content.

Social media also provides your brand with means of direct communication with your audience, which is why it is important to continually and consistently update and monitor your social media channels.

  1. Email marketing

Many people may claim that email marketing is dead or dying, due to the sheer number of email messages sent every day. But it is actually one of the more effective types of digital marketing and, used strategically, can provide significant results.

The way to accomplish this is to ensure that email subscribers are provided with useful, informative, and engaging content or interesting product or service promotions, but it is important that you always respect your audience’s privacy and refrain from sending spam. Email also provides a means of direct communication with your customers.

  1. Instant Message Marketing

Worldwide, the use of instant messaging has significantly increased, and almost all social media platforms have integrated direct messaging systems, while more and more brands are using platforms such as WhatsApp, providing a great opportunity for your marketing strategies.

If your customers need support, they can use these channels to get a quick reply, which in turn leads to positive associations with your brand, building on the relationships forged between brand and customer.

According to Statista, WhatsApp has 2 billion users in 2022, easily demonstrating the power and reach of this specific messaging channel and showing that this type of digital marketing cannot be neglected.

  1. Influencer Marketing

An influencer is a specialist in a specific subject with a considerable audience who is interested in their opinions and voice. A digital influencer may be enticed to produce specific content for your business if it fits well with their tone of voice.

For example, they can produce content such as product tests for their audience, reviews, or make affiliate content. However, there are risks, as influencers may also post about any negative experiences, which could be detrimental to your brand.

Despite these risks, more and more brands are using influencer marketing in their strategies and getting very good results, spreading the word to their loyal followers, and helping your brand find a new audience.

  1. Mobile Marketing

To reach your audience in this day and age, mobile marketing is almost mandatory. We all rely on our smartphones 24/7, for everything from communication, social media, health, shopping, and much more.

Mobile marketing is not just a trend, it now needs to be a reality for brands so they can ensure they are immediately available for their customers whenever they are needed.

This can be achieved by creating an app that allows for push notifications and instant messaging for direct marketing and communications with your customers, as well as exclusive mobile content such as engaging videos that they can consume anywhere.

  1. Video Marketing

Over 2 billion people per month look for videos on YouTube, according to Google, whether it’s for entertainment, the latest news, study content, or more. It is a huge opportunity for brands to reach new customers.

By integrating video marketing into your digital marketing strategy, you will be able to drive results through your marketing funnel.

People tend to search for videos for a variety of reasons, such as product reviews, or to find out more about specific products or services, and how others have used them. Over half of consumers will search for these videos before making a purchasing decision.

Developing engaging, informative videos as part of your marketing is an opportunity to boost sales and find new customers.

  1. Audio Marketing

Audio marketing has taken a different turn from the days of radio advertising with the prominence of podcasts, as more and more people listen while undertaking everyday tasks.

It may be an opportunity to develop audio marketing that targets the habits and podcast preferences of consumers, by inserting your product or service contextually into podcast advertising opportunities and making audio marketing a huge sales opportunity.

  1. Virtual/Augmented Reality Marketing

VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) are becoming more commonplace in our lives and can be leveraged by marketers to provide your audience with a more immersive experience with your brand product or service.

It is a rather unique marketing experience that will be almost unforgettable for consumers who try it out and will help differentiate your brand from the competition.

VR and AR are innovative and can help associate you with more modern concepts, helping to position your brand as an innovator and ahead of your time.

Are you making good use of digital marketing?

Digital marketing is simply marketing but leverages modern technology, such as smartphones, email, and the devices and online services we all use every day.

To get ahead and build your brand, you must make the best use of the opportunities available. Digital will only continue to grow, and who knows what innovation in technology and marketing we will all be using in the future!

If you want to know more about how digital marketing can help your business become and success, then come and talk to us at Tonic today!

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Blogs

Is Print Advertising Dead?

We live in an ever-increasingly connected world, and if we’re not glued to our smartphones, with digital adverts being thrust upon us on every conceivable social media platform and app, and businesses and brands sending marketing messages via SMS, alerts, websites and more.

It could be easy to believe the hype that print advertising is a dead medium and a waste of your precious marketing budget. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Print is alive and well, and any brand that bases its marketing strategy on a ‘print is dead’ basis is doomed to fail.

Even in this digital age, your customers still pay attention to the world of print, and by investing in print advertising, in newspapers, magazines, and direct mail, you can boost your sales and increase brand awareness.

Let’s have a look at some print marketing statistics that may surprise you.

Print marketing statistics:

  • When combining print and digital advertising, marketing campaigns were 400 per cent more effective.
  • Newspapers are read by 13.6 million Brits every day.
  • An astonishing 95 per cent of those aged 25 and under still read magazines.
  • According to a US survey in 2016, 82 per cent of internet users trusted print ads when making purchasing decisions.
  • Readers will spend, on average, 20 minutes or more reading printed publications, compared to just five minutes on digital news sites.
  • Print advertising requires 21 per cent less cognitive effort to process.

Digital vs. Print Advertising Statistics: 

  • There is a 20 per cent higher motivation response to print adverts, which increases if it appeals to more senses than just touch.
  • There is a 77 per cent higher brand recall for print advertising, compared to 46 per cent for digital.
  • In the 18 to 23-year-old age group, 92 per cent find print content easier to read than digital content.

Benefits of Print Marketing Statistics

  • Newspapers are read by 25 per cent of Millennials, Gen-Z, or those aged under 35 years old.
  • Over 60 per cent of adults aged over 35 years old regularly read newspapers
  • Consumers who see print ads are highly likely to also visit the advertiser’s website.

It’s plain to see that print publications still have a profound effect on consumers, even among those who grew up in the digital age – the Millennials and Gen-Z, aka the advertising goldmine.

But what is it that makes print advertising so appealing in the digital age?

Print advertising commands more attention

Despite the naysayers, the digital age has not killed off print, and if anything it has helped draw a sharper focus on how much impact print advertising has compared to digital marketing and advertising.

Print advertising commands attention that digital adverts are unable to achieve, as our brains are able to remember print advertising better than digital. This is why those who grew up in the digital age will still pay more attention to print ads than digital ads.

Print advertising also has better longevity than online advertising. Banner ads disappear once the user clicks away to another page. Viral videos and memes only grab attention for a few seconds or minutes at the most, while print adverts live on. Pick up an old magazine or newspaper, and those ads will still be there.

Print advertising offers stronger credibility

Consumers place stronger credibility in print advertising, which is an aspect that marketers should pay attention to. Consumers trust print in far larger numbers (71 per cent) than TV advertising (41 per cent) or online advertising (25 per cent).

Undoubtedly, digital advertising will continue to grow, but this does not mean the end of print advertising. Sales of print advertising did decline, but this has levelled off, demonstrating that print is not going anywhere, and the most effective advertising strategies will combine the power of print and digital media.

Print is still an inexpensive and effective way to advertise your business, brand or product, attract new customers, and generate sales, as well as helping to drive people to your website.

Magazine advertising

Magazines also still have a massive impact and are still read by millions of Brits (44.3 million between April 2019 and March 2020, according to Statistica). Most people who read online magazines also read print magazines, and many of these could potentially become new customers.

While social media advertising can help you reach more potential customers, magazine print advertising has a higher likelihood of reaching the right customers.

Of the three different types of readers – those who read both print and online, those who read print only, and those who read online only – print/online readers tend to have the highest average income, followed by print-only readers, while online-only readers make up the lowest average income of the three.

Direct Mail

Around 80 per cent of marketing emails are disregarded, with the remaining 20 per cent opened, but not necessarily read. However, 80 per cent of traditional direct mail is opened, showing that there is little doubt about the effectiveness of direct mail.

Email marketing has gained a bad reputation, with email spam filters and unsubscribe buttons causing a low engagement rate, while direct mail has maintained a high engagement rate. The average response for direct mail is 4.4 per cent, compared to just 0.12 per cent for email.

Alive and kicking

To refer back to the title of the article, it is plain for all to see that print marketing is certainly not dead. It is currently going through somewhat of a resurgence, as many people, particularly following the lockdowns and working from home, look for ways to disconnect from a noisy and cluttered online world.

It has long been proven to be a trusted and tangible medium that helps provide more of an emotional connection that can be achieved via a smartphone or computer screen.

Digital will continue to grow, and the print industry is predicted to experience a continued decline in ad spending, the impact of print advertising on consumer brand recall and purchasing decisions will still be a major consideration for marketers, particularly if they want to implement a multi-channel marketing strategy.

If you want to know more about how print advertising can help your brand, then come and talk to us at Tonic today!