No matter how big or small or old or new, all businesses have one goal in common: get new clients. Client acquisition is now pretty much synonymous with digital marketing. Although you can never totally discredit traditional advertising like print ads, billboards, and coupons, the importance of digital marketing in each businesses' sales strategy is indispensable. It proves to be a much easier and more effective way of connecting with your potential customers.

Your own internet usage practices are a testament to how digital marketing works. When you need an electrician to help you with a house electrical problem, you look for them on the internet, right? You probably google "electricians in Toronto" or something similar. If you want to try a new restaurant in town, you'll most likely look them up on Facebook to check their reviews and menu before heading there.

Everyone goes to the internet to search for all the answers to their problem. Whether it's the meaning of life or the recipe for a good Indian curry, you look online to find solutions.

For most business owners, though, the whole concept of Digital Marketing can be a bit intimidating. But it doesn't have to be. You don't have to do it all yourself. There are plenty of top digital marketing companies in Toronto that you can tap to do the work for you. Outsourcing your marketing efforts to a full-stack digital marketing agency is more cost-effective than trying to figure it all out on your own.

That said, putting your faith blindly in just any agency can be a costly risk. It's also important that you actually understand the basics of digital marketing and how your business can benefit from it.

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What is Digital Marketing?

Digital Marketing is an umbrella term for all your efforts to connect with your potential customers using the internet through various digital channels such as social media, email, websites, search engines, and even SMS!

Businesses and brands use digital marketing to help them hit various business goals. The overall goal is to acquire and retain clients. Depending on which part of your business growth plan and sales funnel digital marketing fits, these goals can include:

1. Generate or Increase Sales - Whether you're an e-commerce store extending your product availability online or a service-based company in need of leads to help support your sales team, digital marketing can boost your sales through strategies that help put your business in front of potential customers that need you.
2. Brand Awareness - Through strategies that allow you to engage with your target audience, you're helping them remember your brand. The goal is to increase brand recall so that when potential customers are in need of your product or service, you're on top of their mind. Before they have the need for your business, they already know about you.
3. Provide Additional Value - Your brand is only as good as the experience and service you give your customers. Providing your customers with additional service value such as educational content, guides, and support services, keeps them happy, encourages client retention, and brand loyalty.
4. Establish Credibility and Authority - A simple website and a well-managed Facebook page can do wonders in boosting your business' credibility and authority over your industry. Even when your customers heard about you through a friend or a flyer, they will most likely look for you online to make sure that you're real and can be trusted. If they can't find you anywhere, it usually raised a red flag.
5. Reduce Cost - When the operational cost for a brick-and-mortar store gets too expensive or when traditional advertising proves to be futile, going online can save you money! It reduces operational cost and, therefore, service cost while expanding your market to a wider audience.

Your digital marketing plan will depend on your marketing goals. It's not cost-effective and futile to run campaigns just because. There are various types of digital marketing that you can use to hit your goal.

• Social Media Marketing
• Email Marketing
• SEO
• Content Marketing
• Pay Per Click (PPC)

Why is Digital Marketing important?

The benefits of digital marketing and its usage are limitless. It isn't for no reason that digital marketing has taken over [traditional marketing] by miles. Whatever kind of business you have: B2B, B2C, Non-profit, or LGU, you can take advantage of the benefits of digital media and digital marketing. Businesses can leverage digital channels to achieve their business goals more than traditional marketing ever can. It's flexible, measurable, and gives you a better bang for your buck.

We look at the benefits of digital media and marketing in depth, below.

What are the advantages of digital marketing?

You can reach a wider and more targeted audience.

With over 60% of the world population using the internet actively daily, digital marketing allows you to reach a global marketplace. Small businesses catering to local clients can also target local clients through local search engine optimization services.

Online marketing also allows you to target customers who are more likely to purchase your product or service rather than just casting your net on such a vast marketplace, hoping your prospective customers will see your ad like traditional advertising does. You can create campaigns that are specific to your target audience's persona - display ads where they are most likely to see it or engage with them in platforms where they usually "hang out".

It's more cost-effective and provides a better ROI

Digital marketing is a long-haul solution to your business needs. It's not as easy as creating a graphic ad and publishing it in a newspaper, but it's much much, much more cost-effective when you do it right. It's also proven to provide a better return on investment. A few bucks can go a long way!

It's measurable and flexible.

Unlike newspaper ads, flyers, or billboards, you can track and measure your ads' reach, impressions, interests, bounce rates, and effectiveness. The ability to track your campaigns daily and then adjust them based on your campaign analytics ensures that you don't waste your money on something that does not work.

Keeps you competitive

Getting ahead of your industry competitors is important for any business owner. Online Marketing allows you to stay on top of your industry by becoming an authority and thought-leader in your line of service.

By being online, you also get the chance to learn from those who are ahead of you in the field, follow and improve on their strategies, so you become better than them!

Helps build brand reputation and brand loyalty

When consumers hear of a brand or business that solves their problem, they look online to find out more about your brand. It's, of course, not enough that they know about you. They also have to love you and connect with you. Connecting with your customers and spreading your brand advocacy is made possible and easier by establishing an online presence.

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How to develop a digital marketing strategy?

Now that you know the basics, it's time to roll your sleeves and get started with your digital marketing strategy. The easiest and most proficient way of doing this is to find a full-stack digital marketing agency in Toronto that can come up with a custom digital marketing plan tailored to your business goals and needs. You don't have to implement all the digital marketing tactics there is. Each tactic, channel, and platform has its own pros and cons. We simply have to find which one will work best for you.