Digital marketing is a relatively new term coined in the business industry. As society grows into technology-fueled consumers, the way marketers reach them will continue to evolve to meet the needs of consumer target audiences. Instead of a mail-out survey or hand written proposals, marketers will have to learn to change as the industry changes and begin to heavily utilize digital platforms as a means of communicating and connecting with consumer audiences.

Some small or even large businesses and companies may not yet have employed a digital marketer to run their marketing campaigns or monitor online engagement with their brand. Since not all businesses may have a thorough understanding the digital shift marketing is making, it would be beneficial for them to reach out to a digital marketing agency. Digital marketing agencies employ an abundance of professionals academically trained in digital marketing. These individuals understand from a scholarly level how to properly execute and measure digital marketing strategies. Digital marketers who are comfortable doing consulting work may be able to sit down one-on-one with the business and discuss ways to improve their marketing strategies.

One of the biggest shifts in consumer audiences is the way they reach information. Marketers used to heavily rely on television commercials, broadcast announcements, and billboards as a means of communicating and connecting with their consumers. As consumers are developing their own personal brand via online social media platforms, brands will have to also learn to develop their own online voice. It’s crucial that companies learn how their consumers interact and engage with each other and monitor their comments about a company. For example, if a business has a thriving Facebook account with many likes and followers, one of the easiest ways to keep a positive brand is by professional responding to comments on posts from the brand or posts from other consumers. Consumers like to know that their brand is digitally responsive to what they have to say because it shows that the company actually cares about them.

Social media allows companies to blur the lines between public relations, advertising, and marketing and create an entire new system of integrated marketing communications. Social media is just one primary example of companies gaining direct access to consumers. They can also develop a website and implement various marketing tools from them. Websites allow businesses to showcase their brand in a unique and creative way. They are able to create different pages and strategically share information about their brand. For example, by utilizing the about page to pitch a company’s platform and corporate social responsibility, it automatically lets consumers know what the brand stands for and why they should make an investment in their product or service. Having a contact page will demonstrate to consumers that the company truly cares about them and wishes to have feedback provided to improve a certain aspect of customer expectations. Maintaining a proper online presence with a consistent brand voice is crucial to the success of companies in the digital age. Companies will continue to learn the importance of digital marketing and use those strategies to gain consumer favorability.