Digital marketing strategy has changed how we advertise our products and services. Before the 1990s, the only way I’d be able to get noticed was the traditional methods. This means trying to use direct print, getting an advert on TV or radio. This process is massively expensive, and even the more prominent companies stood to lose a lot on a bad campaign. I’m personally thanking my lucky stars that digital marketing has come around in the last thirty years.
We’ll be going over the sectors that have become the market leaders in digital strategy. Some of the results may surprise you, others not so much. The digital marketing skills that are being used to change industries is astounding.
To understand more about which industries are benefiting, we have to understand what digital marketing is—this quite simple to define, if not broad. Digital marketing is the process of using the internet and another digital tech to market your products and services. With more people coming online than ever before, it’s becoming more critical to have an effective digital marketing strategy. I’m responsible for implementing the digital marketing strategy at DMS, and I can tell you with certainty that if you do it right, I’m going to hear you telling me you should have done it sooner.
Digital Marketing Strategy in Law
This is one of those on the list that may surprise you. I’m not shocked by it because of my work in the legal sector. You may think of the legal industry as stuffy, behind the times and just an overall boring place. The first two are accurate in some regards, with many professionals complaining about draconian practices. Thankfully, digital marketing strategy is one area where the legal and law firms are beginning to thrive. So, how is this happening? I’m going to get to that in a second. I’m just going to let you pick your jaw up off the floor first.
A study has shown that 25% of American law firms are now implementing a content marketing strategy. Why wouldn’t you? The legal world is exceedingly complex, and having a business blog that can explain challenging legal concepts can make you stand out. I always find that I gravitate to the company that provides the most educational material to customers, especially in such a complex and competitive industry. The legal sector is already making effective digital marketing use, so even if the leads don’t convert now- the customers will remember their name and their content.
Digital Marketing Strategy in Retail
This one is probably going to be less of a shock for you. Retail brands were among the first to jump on the digital marketing bandwagon. For example, retailers were some of the first companies to allow customers to shop online- with delivery! Nowadays, these retailers have experienced professionals and tested processes to ensure success. This isn’t just restricted to large companies either. Even the smaller retailers are making fair use of digital marketing strategy. This has become even more prevalent with the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered so many things to my house in my life!
You should especially consider using digital marketing to advertise your products if you’re a retailer. This is especially true if you happen to stock a quite niche product but still has a high demand. Furthermore, digital marketing also helps retailers stay on top of customer queries and complaints before they become a problem. I much prefer to talk to a customer about their issues using digital means, as it’s easier to keep proof of what has been said. These are some of the reasons why retailers are benefitting from digital marketing.
Digital Marketing Strategy in Education
Digital marketing in education has become a big deal over the years, focusing on social media marketing. Using platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow students and institutions to communicate efficiently. Something like this was seen as implausible years earlier, and as I said, we have social media to thank for that. Most universities and other education providers will use social media to draw your attention to upcoming events. I struggle to count the number of times I’ve seen my university advertising for a new webinar or academic skills event, and the turnout is always good.
That’s not all, though. I would be silly not to mention the other ways academic institutions use digital marketing. For example, many universities make a significant profit on international students. This is why many universities and other course providers will try to make a digital marketing drive in other countries. I would argue that this shows the mentality of profit over education, but that’s an entirely different debate. I guess I’ll leave you with a nice little statistic on this section. 50% of educational providers use digital marketing strategy to raise money for various things.
Entertainment’s Lead in Digital Effectiveness
Social media marketing and other forms of digital media are the entertainment business’s lifeblood. Don’t believe me? Why don’t you look at your social media and keep track of how many adverts or posts you see for new movies, TV shows, events and more. It’s straightforward to be a digital marketer in entertainment if you’re competent. This is because all you need to get is start creating the content, and the fans of whatever you’re working on will do the rest for you. I saw an advert on social media to release my favourite band’s new album, and you can bet I clicked it instantly.
Digital marketing is also much easier to track for entertainment than other methods- although this is the same for most industries. The use of analytics data on posts and adverts can be used to see whether the correct message is being conveyed. When I feel like the message has been well-received, I’ll double-check this with analytics. If the news is being said, I would then use the analytics to see whether engagement levels are expected. If they aren’t, I can formulate an idea of what went wrong and how I can improve those numbers for improved engagement.
The Juggernaught of Fashion in Media
The fashion industry has wholeheartedly embraced digital marketing and has also rapidly revolutionised the arena of influencer marketing. Some people think this is a good thing. Some people believe that influencers need to be held to account. I have an opinion on this, but you don’t want to hear that. Fashion brands can amass huge viewership and engagement on posts on platforms like Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. The fantastic thing is, this can be achieved in seconds by some of the more prominent names. Despite this, it’s not only the more notable names that benefit from digital marketing. Smaller fashion brands are also making the most of it.
I challenge you to find a fashion brand, not using digital marketing. Marketers can see whether their campaigns around their products are doing well. I use analytics to give me an insight into whether my services are desirable. Furthermore, taking a short drive into your promotion comments section can provide you with an idea of what people think of the clothes.
Digital marketing has taken over fashion marketing, giving you and me more freedom. We get to think about what we buy and see what other people think of it before buying it.
Digital In The Automotive Industry
I don’t need to tell you that the automotive industry has always been driven by marketing. Even back to the times when Henry Ford revolutionised the concept of mass production in 1913. With the amount of money that car manufacturers make, they’ve used every marketing trick in the book before. The emphasis has always been on the traditional methods, but now the market is shifting in a digital direction. The main reason behind this is that digital marketing creates a considerable cost-saving in these companies’ marketing budget. The funds have been diverted from traditional marketing into digital marketing, where the emphasis is now placed.
From 2016 to 2019, marketing budgets have changed massively in the automotive industry in terms of statistics. For example, during this time frame, digital marketing budgets have increased by a whopping 35%. This is a minimum average figure, and for some companies, these numbers are even higher. Another benefit of automotive companies using digital marketing is that they can target the customers they want more effectively. I’m an unmarried man with no kids. Why would I want a people carrier? You know, the ones I’m talking about, with seven seats and absolutely no style whatsoever—pure practicality.
Digital Marketing in Health
Digital marketing has become a weird one in the health sector. In the UK, we’re not affected by digital marketing campaigns. The exception to this rule can be found in the private healthcare sector and the UK government. Since rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine, the British government has been fighting a digital marketing campaign. This campaign has been centred around the assertions by some conspiracy theorists that the COVID-19 vaccine is unsafe and shouldn’t be used by the population. Regardless of who is right, it’s clear that digital marketing’s rapid and long reach is becoming more important in health.
Another reason why healthcare providers are using digital marketing is convenience. It’s been found that 77% of people search online for information about their health. Now, I must advise caution when doing this. I still find myself guilty of researching my symptoms online when I shouldn’t. I just felt a little unwell. Using digital marketing can help relieve stress on medical facilities when done right. This is because people who don’t need emergency or doctoral help will be less likely to visit.
Digital Marketing in Food
Let’s be honest; we all love food. I bet you’re thinking about your favourite food whilst you’re reading this. My favourite standard dish is a hot curry with plenty of garlic naan bread if you want to know. The fact that we love food is why digital marketing in the food industry is becoming so popular. Additionally, with the visual nature of social media and the amount you can post, restaurants and food manufacturers regularly upload photos of delicious food. It takes minimal effort, just snapping a good picture of something in the kitchen. I’m always sending my friends videos of fantastic food from Facebook.
Using food on digital marketing platforms helps the audience, us, to connect with their brand. This is why you should be using digital channels if you own a food manufacturing company or you’re a restauranteur. If you still don’t believe me, think about how many food-based viral videos you’ve seen. Maybe it’s the cake that looked like a real dog, the horror when the baker cut into it was palpable. Additionally, people believe that digital marketing companies will consider their eating preferences. So, I’ll say again- your food business should be using digital marketing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we’ve looked at a total of eight industries that are using digital marketing to a significant effect. A summary of those industries is provided in the below bullet points.
- Law
- Retail
- Education
- Entertainment
- Fashion
- Automotive
- Health
- Food
One of the main benefits that these companies are seeing is that their marketing is becoming less expensive. Additionally, these companies are better able to target their ideal audience and track their campaigns’ effectiveness. This means that it’s easier to see what’s going well and what isn’t. This also makes digital marketing a lot more personal than traditional marketing, with the customer better interacting with the brands they like.
We’ll likely see even more examples of industries coming out of the darkness of traditional marketing in the future. Then they’ll go into the light of digital marketing, saving them money and improving customer satisfaction.