The digital world is often changing and evolving faster than businesses can keep up with. Even over the course of the past decade, the ways companies are marketing themselves and their products have seen modern trends eclipse traditional methods of marketing. While certain marketing methods of old still remain effective today, such as print ads and billboards, companies can’t afford to be left behind as the masses increasingly turn their attention to digital means.
So, what are the pillars of modern marketing as we know it today? Why are businesses clamoring for SEO digital marketing? How does your business stand out online and not fall into a void of corporate white noise? In this blog, we’re going to take a deep dive into the methods that are most effective for businesses in the online world, and how digital marketing has evolved because of them.
At Peaks Digital Marketing, our experts stay on top of the latest trends, algorithm updates, and industry-leading marketing strategies to boost your business’s online presence to stand out in a crowded field. Whether you need content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), or web design or development, we offer unique tools and strategies to move your business up to the search engine result page (SERP) ladder. Your brand is incredibly important; let us help you maximize it online.
How Has the Industry Changed In Recent Years?
One of the main reasons marketing has evolved so much over recent years is the immense proliferation of information seen in the digital age. Brands can reach a vast amount of audiences compared to in the past, with social media taking a front seat in how people consume their information.
Because of this, companies need to be relevant on the web. When potential customers search for your brand online, you need to be noticeable in your field. If you aren’t, you can quickly be overlooked as consumers find and patronize your competitors first.
Also, companies back in the day would simply introduce a brand, tell you what it does, and announce its price. Today, businesses are crafting tailored marketing campaigns to answer specific needs of their customers. In a crowded market that is the internet, many similar companies have to create unique ways to stand out above their competitors and sell their products effectively.
Philip Kotler, widely regarded as the father of modern marketing, said brands today are promising things that go beyond the functionality of their products. Companies are trying to identify with the customers on a closer level than a simple supply-and-demand relationship. Brands are looking to flatter their customers and associate a higher success with buying their products.
Also, customers can learn about brands from a variety of different sources compared to in the past, where the companies themselves were the main, and often only, source of information about their products or services. In an online public sphere, brands are susceptible to immediate mass praise or scrutiny. In other words, a brand’s reputation is more malleable and crucial than ever.
Why A Digital Marketing Expert is Important
It’s crucial to understand the direction digital marketing is heading. There are a slew of online tricks and tools at your disposal as a business owner for marketing, but prioritizing and utilizing the right ones for your brand can be tricky. That’s where having a trusted digital marketing expert in your back pocket comes in handy.
They can build your brand online, monitor and tweak their approach based on shifting trends and algorithm changes in the industry, and tackle certain time-consuming methods—like building high-authority backlinks— that allow you to focus on more pressing issues in your company.
Compared to hiring experts in-house, outsourcing your digital marketing needs to an expert or specialized company will save you time, money, and stress. Many businesses can’t afford to be overwhelmed by the time it takes to build a brand online today, or to hire an in-house team to manage these needs.
Your business may be more than capable of performing these methods in-house, but they require learning a specific set of skills and knowledge (not to mention valuable company time) to perfect. An expert can lift the weight off your shoulders.
Five Pillars of Modern Digital Marketing
Because the behaviors of modern consumers are changing, businesses have been forced to either adapt or be left behind. When marketing a product or service, you need to be available for your customers, and this counts for your online presence as well.
Consumers today have a short attention span, and want their products now. Your business can’t afford to be on the fourth result page on Google. It simply isn’t sustainable, and the traffic you’ll receive will be insufficient compared to your competitors. Below, we break down the five pillars of modern digital marketing that all businesses should consider when adapting to the digital landscape of the world today.
1. Mobile Platform Considerations
Most people are searching for brands on their phones. It’s the most convenient way to do so. With smartphones, you can simply ask your phone a question and it will answer immediately. Because of this, businesses need their websites and brands to be mobile friendly. When you build your marketing strategy, keeping mobile device functionality in mind is as essential as the product or service itself.
2. SEO - Organic Search
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving brand quality and traffic to a certain website, product or service page, or other important web page from a search engine. In other words, when you Google, “Best tacos near me”, and you own a taco restaurant, you want to see your shop at the top of the search results page.
Compared to pay per click (PPC) methods, organic search optimization will rank higher with search engines and drive more traffic to your company’s website. These more “natural”, unpaid methods use and measure specific keywords, high authority links, domain authority, and other factors to rank web pages. An SEO expert can build these factors for your business through an SEO campaign.
3. Content Marketing
Content is king. Having readable, easily-consumable content on your website through your landing pages, blogs, service and product pages, and more, will keep customers’ attention and have them coming back for more. A quick way to ensure you lose a customer is to have a clustered, unappealing website for your brand.
Today, content marketing strategies need to be tailored for mobile consumption as well. Short and readable paragraphs, concise sentences, and the implementation of specific keywords in your content will help your business rank higher and attract more online visitors.
4. Social Media Marketing
Chances are, the majority of your customers are going to be social media users. Because of this, they spend a lot of time on different online platforms, where their attention resides for a decent percentage of their time. Businesses need to capitalize on this medium and build their brands in this sphere as well. It can be a very powerful tool for sharing information, spreading the word about your company, and securing more eyes on your products or services. This creates new opportunities for growing your audiences, and it’s likely your competitors are utilizing it as well.
5. Web Design & Development
One constant in all of marketing—both in old and new strategies—is design. Design is crucial for developing a brand that consumers can remember and attach your company to. If you have a strong logo, website, and user-friendly experience throughout your web pages, it’s more likely for customers to return.
This is where web design and web development come in. If your company doesn’t have a website in 2022, it is highly unlikely to succeed. But you can’t just have any ragtag website; it needs to be easy to navigate, appealing to look at, and answer any potential questions users have.
Conclusion - What Are The Pillars of Modern Digital Marketing?
While many traditional marketing tactics remain effective, it’s increasingly apparent that if your company doesn’t have a strong online presence, it can quickly fade into obscurity. Companies’ websites need to be user-friendly, meaning they are easy to navigate, consume, and are visually attractive to the online visitor.
SEO has emerged as a crucial element to not only standing out above the competition online, but to remain relevant in the industry itself. This allows companies to attract more traffic to their sites and increases consumers’ brand loyalty.
Companies are increasingly utilizing social media, email marketing, and mobile-friendly websites as a means for advertising and making their brand available to more eyes. In the digital age, consumers want their needs addressed immediately and brands need to be available in a variety of online vehicles.
At Peaks Digital Marketing, we understand the current landscape of the marketing world. We pride ourselves in providing the best SEO, content marketing, web design and development services, and more for businesses whose brands are primed to explode. Contact us today to learn how we can take your brand to the next level and reach your peak as a dominant brand.
