How to take your brand digital

Recent statistics have shown that of all the platforms available for marketing, including television, radio, print and outdoor that it is digital that is now enjoying the bulk of the spend. Estimates suggest that digital will receive around 45% of all marketing spend before the end of 2019. Given that less than 20 years ago it could scarcely muster a 5% share of the same spend, it shows just how the medium has gained prominence and importance and why, if you are not there already, that you have to start the migration. Having a digital presence is no longer a nice to have, it has now reached a stage where it is commercial suicide to not have a digital presence. So, if you are a bit behind the curve, here are a few things to help you manage your migration into the digital era successfully.

Don’t go it alone

If you haven’t made the switch from analogue to digital yet, then there is probably a reason – and more than likely that reason is that digital is not something that comes naturally to you. And that is okay. The good news is that there are plenty of people who have made the move successfully and many whose job it is to manage digital transformation on a daily basis. These are the people you need to find and engage with. There are plenty of digital agencies to choose from and once you have identified the one you want to work with, they will walk you through the process from start to finish. They will help you develop a strategy that suits your budget and your company goals, and you can take it from there.   

It is measurable

One of the nicest things about digital is that it is all completely measurable. In other words, you can track exactly what sort of return on investment you are getting on your spend. Ask the agency that you work with and ask them for case studies. In short, what we are saying is that you can tell very easily what effect your digital campaigns are having. Who is seeing your campaigns, who is clicking on them, what sort of interactions are you having? Good numbers should translate into sales and that, is ultimately what you want.

Phone directories of the now

Some people still have landlines and phone books, but the truth is that these are anachronisms, relics of the past. Now, if a person needs a service, they simply type a relevant phrase or brand name into Google and contact details are returned instantly. The internet is the modern equivalent of the old-school phone book and it is high most businesses are now generating new business. If this doesn’t scream to you that you need to have a presence there, then nothing will. And if that is all you need digitally then so be it, you don’t have to get distracted with social media and newsletters and anything else. But take some advice from the experts and make sure that you are not operating in a vacuum. Digital is a living and vibrant ecosystem that can’t be left and ignored.