How Digital Marketing Works: What You Need to Know

The way that successful marketing operates has changed. A study published by Salesforce shows that 87% of all shoppers start their search for a new product or service online. Another report quoted by Forbes shows that 82% of smartphone users first search online before proceeding to make in-store purchases – research online buy offline. This shift in buying behaviour has made digital marketing a must for any business trying to compete in the modern marketplace – regardless of industry or size.

As a business owner or business leader, it is imperative that you understand how digital marketing works and how it can help your business. This article is a handy guide to digital marketing and all the different elements involved in raising awareness, creating impressions, converting leads and delighting customers online. But first:

What is Digital Marketing?

Let’s start by answering the question – what is digital marketing? Every marketing agency in Toronto will give you a different definition. However, in a nutshell, digital marketing, also referred to as online marketing, is an umbrella term used to describe all marketing and engagement activities done through online media channels such as the internet and other digital avenues. The goal is to get your business noticed, found, to get leads and then turn these leads into loyal customers.

There are many different digital technologies offered by the best marketing companies in Canada that can help you get your marketing message to your target audience, including:

The internet plays a significant role in our day to day lives, none more so than in making purchasing decisions. Even when shoppers visit a physical store to make their purchase, they start by looking for information on the internet to help them make an informed purchasing decision. In other cases, consumers make the purchase online and only engage with the store through online channels. This makes it critical for businesses to not only be online but also to boost their visibility as much as possible. This is the role of digital marketing.

It helps you reach these consumers at the point they are in their consumer buyer’s journey. It helps you attract strangers, who then visit your platforms where you convert them into leads. Here, you encourage them to make a purchase and persuade them to become return customers or even to promote your business.

How Digital Marketing Works – Digital Marketing Tactics Explained

Even before you consult a digital marketing agency in Toronto, understanding how digital marketing works will help you make smarter decisions about your digital marketing campaigns. Here is how some of the above digital marketing tactics work and how you can use them in your business.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization

A recent study conducted by Forrester found that 71% of consumers start their buyer’s journey by using a search engine to discover new products and services. 74% reported using a search engine when considering a purchase or during the actual purchase. This makes search engine optimization a powerful tool to reach a significant amount of leads. But what is search engine optimization? Well, it as the process of optimizing your site and its content to appeal to the search engines with the aim of ranking higher on the search engine results page (SERP). This is because the higher you rank, the more visibility you get and also more traffic to your website.

SEO not only increases traffic to your site but also helps ensure that you are bringing in higher-level traffic through local SEO services. By emphasizing certain topics and intent-based popular search phrases, you can reach and attract those who are interested in your products and services and most likely to make a purchase. To get the most out of our SEO services, we recommend that you start with an SEO Audit to identify all the problem areas and to set your objectives.

PPC – Pay-Per-Click

This is a type of advertising that involves paying the ad publisher every time a new lead clicks on your ad. Google Ads, being one of the most popular types of PPC ads, helps businesses appear on the first page of the search results.

Should you still use PPC when you are working to improve your SEO? Well, yes! This is because SEO, though very important, takes a long time to become effective. PPC, on the other hand, can help you appear at the top of the SERP for relevant search terms almost instantaneously. This gives you more visibility and increases qualified traffic to your website quickly.

As with SEO, if you are looking to use PPC or Paid Search Services, we recommend that you start with our free and no-obligation PPC Audit. It will help you identify underlying problems and maximize your advertising investment.

Remarketing Services

Remarketing helps convert one-time visitors to your site into recurring customers. A consumer typically visits 5 to 20 or more websites, comparing and seeking more information before making a purchase decision. After a consumer finds your website and clicks on it, you then must capture their attention and make sure that they come back later.

Our Pay-Per-Click advertising remarketing strategy can help you stay at the top of the minds of protective consumers.

Display Advertising Services

Today, customers have access to more information and choices than ever before. A recent study found that 81% of people conduct extensive online research before making a purchasing decision. With consumers comparing your products and services against your competitors, local and abroad, it is essential to leave a lasting impression when they visit.

Display advertising places your visually captivating ads on other websites and can be used to target people who have previously visited your website or are looking for a similar product or service that you offer. This increases your brand awareness and the chances that they will visit your website.

Why an Integrated Marketing Approach is Important

Now that you understand how each tactic works, it is time to discover how these tactics can work together for your overall campaign goals.

Integrated multi-channel marketing is a marketing approach that combines all the digital marketing tactics that you have employed to create a seamless experience for your target audience across various platforms. This helps you create a more unified brand message and improves the success of your campaign – in essence, that is when you master how digital marketing works.

Not Sure What to Do Next? We’d Love to Help

Are you looking for a Toronto marketing agency to help you build your digital marketing strategy? Our team of digital marketing experts have extensive knowledge and experience in all matters concerning how digital marketing works and how each tactic fits into different marketing campaigns. We will create and implement a custom digital marketing strategy to help your business reach more qualified leads and increase conversion over time. Contact us today to learn more about how our team can help you take your company to the next level through our digital marketing service Toronto.