What is Digital Advertising and / or Marketing in 2017?

You can find these forms everywhere, from billboards, smart phones, and ads on the internet. Their purpose is to reach as many consumers as possible. Businesses build their brand and/or market their services/product, all the while still “choosing” who to advertise to in a net that is wider than traditional advertising and marketing.

Internet marketing is extremely popular and always changing. If your business is not utilizing the internet then it would behoove you to get on that bandwagon ASAP. If we are not on our computers then we are on our smart phones or tablets, meaning your brand needs to be where the consumer’s eyes are.

Other than a business having their own website (you should if you don’t, by the way), advertising online can be sneaky and helpful for the consumer at the same time. Honestly, websites prefer to cater to their viewers. It keeps them relevant and the consumer more likely to visit again, albeit subconsciously. If you’ve ever watched an ad on YouTube that is related to the video you are trying to watch, let it be known that tactic is purposeful. Not all video ads work this way, but some do, and it’s pretty neat.

Another sneaky (and effective!) tactic is utilizing cookies. For example: I visit a website and look at a pair of boots. I spend a little time on the page, click through the photos a bit, and maybe I’ll add them to the cart. I won’t buy them though. Later on that evening I’ll be on another website, reading an article of some sort, and that pair of boots will show up as an advertisement. It’s a creepy feeling at first, but it sure works to remind you that those boots exist and “Don’t you want to buy us?!”

Viral marketing gets more and more popular every quarter. Viral marketing is when a business utilizes their current customers and inspires them to spread the word about their experience and product and/or service. It’s like word of mouth, only it’s on the internet. Sure, it’s definitely possible for this to work and then transfer over into spreading the word verbally, but the intent usually lays with the internet, where everything is shared and spreads like wildfire. Say I give in a buy the boots that showed up in an ad. That website will now send me an e-mail promoting a new pair of boots a week or so later. Or I’ll considering following the brand’s official page on Facebook, where they post about new boots every Tuesday. I like the post and then that post will show up on my friends’ timelines. Mission accomplished, Awesome Boots Store.

Another form of this digital advertising are those fancy electronic billboards you see all over the city. They are pretty great considering the advertisement will flip consistently throughout the day. With a digital billboard, not only can multiple advertisements be displayed the same day, but they can have new content in a snap. The process of display is much easier with a quick turnaround when these ads can be designed quickly and immediately ready.

Now, what qualifies as digital marketing and advertising is wide considering how immersed our culture is with the digital world. If you’re not careful, though, you can fail. The digital world is a song and dance, where as soon as you get the moves down the song will abruptly change. Next session’s 101 will cover what the new digital advertising trends are and how you can utilize them while the numbers are up.