Digital marketing has become the heart of brands in today’s times. In 2023, it became a vital part of marketing. Without digital marketing, no brand can estimate its performance, improvements required and results of the marketing campaigns. 

Before we get into detail about the importance of digital marketing, it is important for us to know the scope of digital marketing in the future. 

SCOPE OF DIGITAL MARKETING 

The beginning of digital marketing can be tracked down to the time when search engines and social media became primary preferences of knowledge and interaction for users. Since then, the scope and importance have been skyrocketing. 

Nowadays, many businesses are turning to digital mediums for their branding needs as target audiences are moving towards search engines and social media. All the more, digital marketing will help businesses in receiving trackable results, leads, and eventually sales. Isn’t digital marketing doing great? Yes, that would be your answer, right? 

Digital marketing has led to immense growth in businesses which led to more budget allocation for digital marketers which in turn has increased the number of jobs in the digital marketing sector. Hence, the scope of digital marketing is constantly evolving and growing exponentially. 

There’s one more reason that has led to the growth of digital marketing which we will discuss below.

IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL MARKETING DURING COVID TIMES

Pre-Covid-19: The digital marketing sector was growing at this stage. People were getting aware and the information of digital marketing was increasing at a slower pace. Only a few big brands understood the necessity of digital marketing in order to reach their global audience. Moreover, unconventional startups leveraged the benefits of digital marketing as they had low marketing budgets. 

During Covid-19: The Covid-19 pandemic has really transformed how businesses carry out operations. With increasing health and safety concerns, many businesses opted to virtually open markets and also take customer interactions online. Right from groceries and medicines to clothing, the internet has taken the world. 

Businesses underwent a rapid digital transformation, with 59% of them intensifying their digital marketing initiatives and 66% accomplishing digital marketing tasks that were previously deemed difficult, based on a survey. 

Post Covid 19: Once the pandemic relieved and the world started getting to its normal state, all brands who were digitally running their business continued to do so. And they also secured great results and saved on various traditional marketing costs. 

This helped in opening doors for more career opportunities for freshers in the marketing sector as businesses expanded themselves digitally and were in need of people. All of this led to an exponential growth in demand for digital marketers from all brands hence making it one of the best career opportunities in 2023. 

In the current era of technology, digital marketing is one of the most crucial aspects of promoting any business or brand. In the last few years, digital marketing has completely revolutionized the way businesses reach their target audience, generate leads, and increase sales. With the increasing use of the internet and smartphones, digital marketing has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes. 

Digital marketing can be explained as a process of promoting products or services through digital channels, including social media, search engines, email, websites, and mobile apps. It involves using various digital tactics to reach out to potential customers, build brand awareness, and promote products or services. 

Here are some reasons why digital marketing is crucial for any business. Let’s dive in: 

1. Wider Reach 

One of the most significant benefits of digital marketing is its ability to reach a wider audience than traditional marketing tactics. With the increasing number of people using the internet and smartphones, businesses can now reach out to customers around the world. Unlike traditional marketing, where businesses are limited to a local audience, digital marketing allows businesses to target a global audience, understand their needs and wants and provide services according to their preferences. 

2. Cost-Effective 

Digital marketing is a cost-effective way to promote a business. Traditional marketing methods, such as TV and print ads, can be very expensive and may not always provide a good return on investment. Whereas with digital marketing, businesses can reach out to a larger audience at a lower cost. Digital marketing tactics like social media, email, and search engine optimization are cost-effective and provide a good return on investment and can be able to cater to the needs of customers. 

3. Measurable Results 

Digital marketing provides measurable results, making it easier for businesses to track their progress and determine the success of their campaigns. Businesses can use various tools and analytics to track their website traffic, email open rates, click-through rates, and social media engagement.

This allows businesses to adjust their marketing strategies and improve their campaigns based on the data and eventually the sales of the business will increase which is the ultimate goal of any business organisation. What do you say? 

4. Increased Brand Awareness 

Brand image matters a lot in the market. People tend to buy or show more interest towards brands that they are aware of or that have good reputations in the market. Agreed? 

Digital marketing is an excellent way to increase brand awareness. By promoting a business on various digital channels, businesses can reach a wider audience and build a strong online presence such as Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing, etc. This not only helps to increase brand awareness but also helps to establish the business as an authority in its industry and drive as many sales as possible. 

5. Targeted Marketing 

How do you receive emails related to your favourite product launches in the market? 

That is because of target marketing. Digital marketing has the greatest ability to identify its target audience and convert them. One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is the ability to target specific audiences.

Businesses can use various digital marketing tactics, such as social media advertising and search engine optimization, to target specific demographics and interests. This allows businesses to reach out to potential customers who are more likely to be interested in their products or services. 

6. Engage With Customers 

Has any brand contacted you following a purchase of one of their products? Asked you for a review of the product. 

Yes. The company might have contacted you. Why did it do so? Because it wants to engage with its customers. The companies will be in desire to know the customer’s thoughts, needs, and satisfaction with the products.

With this, brands will be in a position to monitor their production process, further improvements to be made, and increase customer satisfaction. This will eventually lead to profit maximization. 

Digital marketing provides businesses with a platform to engage with their customers. Social media and email marketing are great ways to connect with customers, answer their queries, and receive feedback. This allows businesses to build strong relationships with their customers and create a loyal customer base. 

7. Better Customer Insights 

Have you ever given your feedback for a product you purchased? 

It seems that most of us rate our customer care calls or food deliveries on platforms such as Zomato. In simple words, companies try to collect this data, to improve product development and customer support. 

Digital marketing provides businesses with better insights into their customers. By tracking website traffic and social media engagement, businesses can gain insights into the interests and behaviours of their customers. This information can be used to improve marketing strategies and create more targeted campaigns. 

These customer insights will help the brands in creating a 360-degree view of the customer, analyse the market demand and understand how their products impact the purchase decisions of customers and compare to their competitors. 

8. Competitive Advantage 

Digital marketing can give businesses a competitive advantage over their competitors. By having a strong online presence and using effective digital marketing tactics, businesses can stand out from their competitors and attract more customers. 

Competitive advantage plays a key role in digital marketing as it helps brands stay ahead of the competition. This will help the businesses to offer more distinct and superior products to the customers better than their competitors to survive in the market.

9. Flexibility 

Flexibility in digital marketing can be explained as “staying on your toes and being willing to respond and adapt to the new information as it arises”. 

Digital marketing provides businesses with flexibility. Unlike traditional marketing methods, which can take a long time to implement and change, digital marketing can be changed and adjusted quickly. This allows businesses to respond to changes in the market and adapt their marketing strategies accordingly. 

10. Increased Sales 

Digital marketing plays a vital role in increasing the sales of companies. It helps in making the appropriate strategies. It will guide the brand in the right direction at the right time. 

Digital marketing can help businesses increase their sales. By reaching out to a wider audience, building brand awareness, and targeting specific demographics, businesses can generate more leads and convert them into customers. This leads to increased sales and revenue for the business. 

To sum things up… 

In conclusion, digital marketing is a crucial aspect of promoting any business or brand in today’s digital age. It provides businesses with a wide range of benefits, including a wider reach, cost-effectiveness, measurable results, increased brand awareness, targeted marketing, engagement with customers, better customer insights, competitive advantage, flexibility, and increased sales. Therefore, businesses should invest in digital marketing to stay competitive and succeed in today’s digital landscape.