Once you’ve decided that you do, in fact, need to pursue some form of digital marketing, the next step is to actually sit down and define your strategy. Unfortunately, there is no ‘one size fits all’ strategic panacea here. We don’t have a magic recipe to ensure your digital marketing success, and neither does anybody else (despite some of the online hyperbola you may read on the subject).
Laying strong digital foundations
The good news is that you’ve almost certainly already started the process of
. Before even picking up this book you’ve probably been thinking about digital marketing in the context of your business, about what your competitors are doing online and why, about how your customers and prospects are integrating digital technology into their lives, and about how you can best exploit these new and exciting digital channels to foster longer, more productive relationships with them.
Understanding the digital consumer
There is a notion that pervades marketing circles today, a notion of mysterious ethereal creatures who exist in a hyper-connected, multifaceted cyber world of their own. They are an enigma: they speak a different language, interconnect in ways we don’t appreciate, and they are turning the world of marketing on its head. These are the ephemeral, wraith-like ‘digital consumers’, who slip effortlessly through the dealer’s grasp. Digital patrons are different, we’re told… but are they really.
Key traits of the online consumer
We are all familiar with the old road-rage analogy of the congenial, neighborly man or woman who suddenly becomes a raving speed demon when they get behind the wheel of a car. Well, there is something about the immediacy and anonymity of the digital experience that has a similar effect on people.
Conclusion
It’s always risky to generalize and make assumptions about people – especially in a field as dynamic and fast-moving as this one. The only real way to know your market intimately is to conduct original research within your particular target group
