The Digital Transformation Road Map for Future-Ready Marketing

1. What is the reason for the growth of digital marketing compared to traditional marketing?

Digital transformation is taking over every business nowadays. While traditional marketing tactics still exist, modern marketers are adapting to trends in technology to address consumer behavior better. For that answer, you will have to explore the benefits of digital marketing 

• Cost Effective: Running a business is an expensive affair. It is understandable if an entrepreneur or business leader is hesitant to invest a large sum without solid assurances in marketing tactics. This is where digital marketing completely changes the game.
• High reach: Digital marketing strategies are not limited by geographical boundaries. By using a digital medium, these new-age approaches can reach customers worldwide. With digital marketing, brands can reach the right audience at the right time, no matter where they are or when they are browsing.
• Customer Base: Digital marketing drives customer acquisition and retention. Several steps are involved, such as creating a blog, hosting webinars, optimizing search engine optimization, setting up affiliate programs, and interacting with customers. Email marketing, social media, and SEO enable quick and effective customer communication, increasing conversions.
• Measuring indicators of success: Conversion rates can be measured in real-time by brands with a digital presence as their primary revenue source. By identifying the factors that led to the conversion, future strategies can be revised.
• A greater sense of engagement: Mobile phones are indispensable today, whether for work or for personal use. Customers with smartphones are targeted by brands and their online behavior is assessed. The ease of communication facilitates a new level of engagement with customers.
• A more visible brand: Using digital marketing allows brands to reach consumers at their most receptive time. Scalable, cost-effective, and scalable, digital marketing strategies increase awareness, leads, and revenue. 

2. What is the importance of keyword research?

There is a possibility that you are not targeting ‘effective’ keywords if your site is ranking highly for specific keywords but you are still not seeing the results of your efforts. The process of keyword research involves investigation and refinement. Identifying keywords that are related to your business and target audiences isn’t the only goal of keyword research; finding keywords that will generate plenty of traffic and aren’t too competitive is also critical.

In addition to determining which keywords to target, keyword research offers valuable insight into what your target audience is actually searching for on Google. Understanding these actual search terms can help inform your content strategy and a larger marketing strategy. Furthermore, keyword research contributes to the development of novel content ideas, which is another reason why keyword research is critical for SEO. Content ideas for your blog can sometimes be difficult to come up with. It’s easy to come up with creative content ideas and keywords using most keyword research tools.

3. When it comes to digital marketing, what is most relevant? 

It is proven that digital marketing strategies are powerful when they are combined in the right proportions. It’s a recipe for success. Components of digital marketing typically include:

• Social Media – With 2.3 billion people using social media, it is an invaluable component of digital marketing. You can develop relationships with current and potential customers through social media. A social media platform can also be used as a customer service tool. You can answer their questions directly on social media if they have any about your products and services. Responding to their comments on social media in a timely manner will ultimately lead to your audience becoming loyal customers and establishing trust with them.
• Furthermore, social media listening allows you to gain insight into consumers’ thoughts and opinions related to your brand, industry, products, services, and even your competitors. Other strategies can be informed by this information. Additionally, most online platforms allow you to run paid ads to reach your ideal customers.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The foundation for successful digital marketing is search engine optimization (SEO), which refers to a variety of strategies designed to boost your rankings in online search results. It doesn’t matter how well-designed your website is. If it doesn’t rank on the first page, most people won’t find it. Your website will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) when potential customers search for your products or services. As a result, higher search rankings lead to more leads, phone calls, and revenue.
• Email Marketing – Digital marketing also involves email marketing, which can yield a high return on investment (ROI). By opting in to receive your emails, you know your customers are interested in your products. Email marketing is an excellent lead-nurturing strategy because it allows you to follow up with potential customers and send them relevant information. With segmentation, you can deliver content tailored to subscribers’ interests and needs. Among the most appealing parts is that when a customer subscribes, buys, or takes a specific action on your site, you can automate your email strategy. You can make your marketing more effective and focus on running your business by using this method.
• Content Creation – our digital marketing strategy must include content to increase your search ranking and educate potential customers about your business. Considering that content marketing generates 3x more leads than traditional marketing, it’s a highly effective strategy for generating more leads and revenue.  A key component of content marketing is quality content. In order to achieve higher rankings, you need quality content that targets relevant keywords for your business and answers searchers’ questions. Quality and depth are significant considerations when creating content. The content you provide should answer searchers’ questions effectively.

4. Which digital marketing trends are expected to emerge in the near future?

Business acumen and seed capital alone are not enough to deliver on promises to customers in this digital era. Adapting to the digital age requires modernizing processes and mindsets. When used effectively, these digital marketing trends can create a competitive advantage:

# Influencer Marketing

It is the practice of using an influencer’s image and goodwill to promote and advertise a brand’s product or services. Influencers can be individuals or groups with a massive fan following:

• Audiences can be swayed in a jiffy by influencers due to their loyal fanbases. Influencer marketing attracts a diverse audience for brands.
• It increases trust by promoting or advertising products or services through social media. Influencer marketing can amplify a brand’s social media presence and increase brand awareness.
• Influencer marketing supports content marketing strategy by filling in the gaps.

# Omnichannel marketing

One of the most effective forms of marketing is omnichannel. Omnichannel retail involves engaging customers through both digital and physical channels. As of 2022, retail, entertainment, food service, and business use omnichannel marketing. The advantages of omnichannel marketing include

• Market segmentation and customer acquisition
• After-sales customer engagement
• Gaining the trust and loyalty of customers
• Increasing sales and customer satisfaction
• Analyzing customer demands and needs

# Artificial intelligence

AI is the process of developing smart computer systems that can perform similar functions to the human brain. Companies can use AI to gauge the needs and demands of their customers. In addition, it can be used to find patterns in customer buying behaviors and monitor, and formulate marketing strategies. Furthermore, AI applications such as machine learning, deep learning, and others can be applied to a wide variety of marketing and customer-related activities, including product promotion, ad monitoring, and more. For companies looking to level up their advertising game, AI is a boon.

# Video Marketing

In order to increase their customer base, brands can use video marketing. The use of video marketing is popular among businesses trying to gain more customers. In order to promote their products or services, many brands are shifting their focus to developing content-rich and enthralling videos that engage viewers. Short-form content is also integrated into social media algorithms by Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and others, helping brands reach their target audience. In order to increase their customer base, brands can use video marketing.

# Long-form content

Companies often promote their products and services through content marketing. Long-form content is created to increase visibility, industry expertise, and customer engagement. A long-form piece of content is an article or blog post of over 3000 words, used for marketing a product or service. Additionally, businesses opt for lengthy-form content for these reasons:

• Increase website traffic

The popularity of long-form content drives more visitors to the company’s website.

• Ranking high in search engines

Rankings and traffic are closely related. Increased traffic will boost a website’s ranking on search engines, resulting in more customer interaction and engagement.

• Enhances customer engagement and interaction

Brands use long-form content to engage their customers. Additionally, it increases customer loyalty.

# Social Media Shopping

Businesses have benefited from the advent of social media by interacting directly with their customers and selling goods and services to them. E-commerce and social media have combined to create a marketplace where customers from different strata of society can buy products and services that match their expectations. The trend transcends industries and is popular on social media. Additionally, it helps you interact with customers and engage them while promoting your products.

# Progressive Web Pages

Websites that operate like mobile applications are progressive web pages. Some of their features include sending push notifications, loading faster than other sites, and being accessible offline. Progressive web pages are one of the latest trends in digital marketing that have addressed the need for websites that can offer a flexible user interface. 

However, there are also some new-age tech products or services related to digital marketing that are slowly but surely making their presence in the digital market. These include AI in marketing, Metaverse, NFT, Crypto, Augmented reality, Programmatic Advertising, Chatbot, etc.

5. Can you tell us about your experience with the FIIB? Do you have any messages for the FIIB community?

I have found life to be both challenging and rewarding since joining FIIB. During these two years, I have had the most wonderful experiences of my life. There was always something to learn at FIIB, no matter if you were in the classroom or outside. Thanks to FIIB’s relentless efforts to keep its curriculum relevant, innovative, and industry-ready, I had a solid foundation for a successful career ahead. As a result of my rockstar faculty, vibrant campus, industry exposure, and extracurricular activities, I was able to attain the professional courage I possess today.

To all aspiring marketers, I would like to say that marketing is no longer a diluted skill. Increasingly, it is becoming highly contextual, industry-specific, and specialized. It is therefore essential to push one’s boundaries in order to thrive and succeed. It is always important to remember that the lessons you learn, the friends you make, and above all else, the perspective you carry, can change your world. Always commit to growth, take the time to understand, and conversely, grow.