If you have always wondered how to tackle the basics of “Digital Marketing”, this should help you get started…

First things first – Do you have a good sense of your target customer? What does he or she look like? What kind of phone do they use? What would their education levels and sophistication with Technology be? Where would they likely spend most of their time? So on, and so forth…

Marketing is, essentially, about addressing customer needs in a relevant manner. And, digital marketing is no exception. You need to go where the customer is, and offer your product or service to them in a manner that they can identify with. Don’t make the mistake of assuming your customers look like you and behave like you do. The key is to understand their needs and wants, and try to offer the solution that best matches those needs.

Digital may not be the answer you’re looking for. If your target group shows poor adoption of online media, you may only get limited results from spends on digital avenues. For instance, if your customers get most of their information from a newspaper, advertise there (or post an insert if you’re on a budget).

Once you’ve established that Online is the right vehicle for you, here’s how you can go about it.

The digital modes of communication available at your disposal include:

1. Email
2. Mobile
3. Social
4. Web

Each of these modes may exhibit dimensions of Own, Rented and Bought.

For example, Own Email means email ids of your own customers and prospects (filling your lead forms), whereas Rented Email refers to email campaigns you can run on other databases (if you have the permission to reach them). Similarly, Own Social means your very own Facebook fans or Twitter followers, whereas Bought Social includes paid advertising on Facebook.

Don’t try to be everywhere at once. Instead, choose one or two modes that you think you can manage well, and run carefully-thought experiments on them. Think of the metrics you want to focus on, so you can capture relevant data from day one. Before you begin spending, you should have some sense of what success (or failure) will look like for your promotion or lead generation exercise. Rinse and repeat for every new mode of promotion.

If all this is too overwhelming, or you simply don’t have the resources for it, hire a professional who understands this space and the objectives your business is trying to achieve.

A word of caution: It helps to have a sense of how your suppliers’ business model works. e.g. If your agency or platform of choice makes money based on the throughput of emails on your behalf, it may put a premium on increased email deliveries, and less on privacy, customer engagement, efficiencies, etc.

Remember, the mode you choose to promote your product or service on, should depend on your understanding of the target customer behavior. As always, go where your customers are. And speak with them in a language they follow…

Real engagement is built brick-by-brick with each honest interaction – not through a spray-and-pray campaign.