Digital 101: Justifying Your Digital Marketing Spend

Digital Marketing. You know you need it, but are you constantly asked to justify your digital ad spend? Never fear – we’ve gathered a few of our favourite reasons for that next budget meeting below.

Digital marketing trends are on the rise – for good reason. Don’t get left behind.

It’s 2015 and there seems to be online advertising for almost everything. As Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon puts it “It’s harder to find things that won’t sell online.” As more and more people go online to research, converse and purchase products, marketers have also moved online. The IAB reported that online advertising produced $1.5 billion during Q1 of 2015, a 5% increase from 2014. And it’s no surprise – Australians spend more than 36 hours over 62 sessions, online – more than 40 billion minutes and 30 billion pages per month. That’s a lot of eyeballs.

Does it actually work? Well, yes it does.

You could ask the Dedes Waterfront Group, one of our clients who have successfully navigated the move towards a more integrated digital advertising strategy. With the increasing use of mobile technology, it was imperative Dedes have a mobile-optimised website and online advertising strategy. Working with us, Dedes saw a 35% increase in mobile website traffic and 52% growth in conversion rates from mobile, with 45% of overall conversions coming from mobile and tablets. These days, Dedes are investing the majority of their marketing budget online and it’s not hard to see why!

93% of online experiences begin with a search engine: make sure you’re appearing where you should be.

This is a hard fact to escape: if your brand isn’t appearing on online search, you’re missing a pretty big opportunity.

On the Google Search Network (the most popular search engine in the word), more than 100 billion searches are made each month. And it pays to be visible – good thing that Google AdWords is both cost effective and relevant to almost every type of industry. You only pay for what people click on, so if you’re a targeting ninja, you’ll know exactly who your audience are and what they want – helping you get those conversions. Expand your campaign to include the Google Display Network and you have the potential to reach 90% of the global internet audience – even more reach and bang for your buck.

Digital experiences are increasingly fragmented – and your approach to digital advertising should cater for this.

In 2014, Deloitte reported that more than half of Australians over the age of 14 are ‘digital omnivores’, owning a tablet, laptop and smartphone. This multi device world should be reflected in your online marketing efforts: make sure your advertising is relevant to mobile users, that your digital assets are mobile-friendly, and that you’re thinking about audiences accessing your content on the go.

Join us at our newest course (Mobile Advertising and Measurement) to make sure you’re on the right track.

Work it: measure your online campaigns and make them work harder. 

One of the main advantages about online advertising is just how measurable it is – unlike a lot of traditional media like billboards or print advertising. With online advertising, you’re able to see how your campaigns are going, instantaneously, and immediately optimise them for better results.

The perks of digital marketing: it’s low cost. 

Even if you don’t have a large budget, there are plenty of ways that you can get your business’ message out there, for very low cost. Think: clever videos, photographs and social media marketing. Plus, there are opportunities such as Google My Business, for businesses who don’t have the time and resources to create a huge online presence.

What does this mean for you?

The need to invest in digital marketing has only increased over time, but it’s never too late to get started. A great digital strategy is going to be one that blends together content, technology, creativity and uses data to measure, analyse and optimise.

Did you skim this?

Don’t worry – sometimes we skim things too. Here’s a breakdown of the main points:

• Digital marketing trends are on the rise – for good reason. Don’t get left behind.
• Digital advertising works: have a look at how Dedes Waterfront Group made it work for them.
• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine: make sure you’re appearing where you should be.
• Digital experiences are increasingly fragmented – and your approach to digital advertising should cater for this.
• If you love data, there’s a truckload of advantages to putting more budget behind your online campaigns, including great targeting options and instantly measurable results.