Leveraging the Power of Digital Marketing

Running a business requires comprehensive planning if the organisation wants to reach its full economic potential. One of the best ways to realise that goal is by having an online marketing strategy that will build brand awareness and boost traffic.

Every Business Needs an Online Marketing Strategy

There is a misconception that only online retailers need to hire a social media agency to help them with their eCommerce website but that is not the case. Every business, even the traditional brick and mortar firms, need to have some type of web presence if they want to remain competitive.

Whenever a consumer is looking for a product or service they are going to go online and search for businesses that offer solutions. If the consumer finds a company website they will do further research by checking over the comments made on social media websites before making any purchase.

The first challenge for the business owner is making sure their business website comes up prominently when the customer is doing the initial search, which requires search engine optimisation, and a positive social media profile, which calls for the help of a good social media agency. If the business is lacking in either of these areas then their potential to attract new customers and gain market share will be severely diminished.

Selecting the Right Digital Marketing Firm

There are numerous digital marketing firms available to work with, however it is advantageous to work with a firm that has a keen understanding of your local economy. If you are in Melbourne then it would be prudent to develop an online marketing strategy for Melbourne; that is, a strategy optimised for the Melbourne market. A local digital agency, such as Social Panda, will have specific expertise in how to effectively market in Melbourne and provide SEO services a Melbourne company will see results from.

Determining if a firm has specific knowledge of the dynamics of your local economy is one consideration. Other points to research include:

* How much experience does the firm have with digital marketing? Marketing principles across all platforms may be the same, but digital marketing occupies its own specialised niche. The firm’s website should have a page for client portfolios or testimonials, like the Social Panda site. A few minutes of online research to find and review the websites of their clients should give a good indication of the quantity and quality of the firm’s digital marketing skills and experience.

* What type of experience does the prospective digital marketer have in your industry? Clearly it would be helpful to find an agency with direct experience in your line of business. The more experience they have the more effective they will be in helping you.

* What kind of results did the digital marketer achieve in the past 12-24 months? Past performance does not guarantee future success, but you should take a closer look at the results they have produced.

After running through these items, you can schedule meetings with the digital marketing companies and ask them to prepare a detailed plan. Pay attention to how much effort the firm is willing to put into your proposal and what the anticipated costs are for the work being proposed. When you have the pricing in place you can determine which digital marketing agency to hire.