Digital Marketing: The Human Side of Selling in a Digital World
Digital marketing is usually shown with charts and tools and all that stuff. But what is really important about marketing is not the websites or the computer programs. It is about people like you and me. Digital marketing is about knowing how people think and feel and what they are scared of and what they want. It is about knowing how people make choices when they are looking at their phones and computers all the time. Digital marketing is, about understanding people.
Technology has changed the way we do things. It does not change who we are. People still want to be heard they still want to be understood. They still want to be valued. Digital marketing is a new way for brands to talk to people and start a conversation with them. People want to feel like they matter to marketing and the brands that use it. Digital marketing is a way for brands to listen to people and have a conversation, with them.
What digital marketing really means today is about using the internet to get people to notice the marketing efforts of a company. Digital marketing is a part of how companies reach their customers. The digital marketing world is changing all the time.
Digital marketing is not about having a website for the digital marketing. It is about using lots of tools to get the digital marketing message out there.
The goal of marketing is to get people to buy something from the company that is doing the digital marketing. Digital marketing can be done in ways, including social media and email for the digital marketing.
Digital marketing is very important, for companies because it helps them reach their customers and get them to buy things. The digital marketing teams work hard to make sure the digital marketing efforts are working.
- The company uses marketing to get people to visit their website for the digital marketing.
- The company uses marketing to get people to buy things from them for the digital marketing.
The people who do marketing are always trying to figure out new ways to make the digital marketing better. They want to make sure the digital marketing is working and that people are paying attention to the marketing.
Digital marketing is what we do to tell people about products or services on the internet. We use things like search engines, social media and websites to do this.. That is not all there is to digital marketing. Digital marketing also uses email and mobile apps to reach people. So when we talk about marketing we are talking about all these different ways to promote products or services online. Digital marketing is really, about using all these channels to get the word out about digital marketing products or services.
So digital marketing is really about being where people are paying attention. Digital marketing is, about this. You have to be where the attention is and that is what digital marketing does. It helps you be present where people are actually looking. That is a big part of digital marketing.
People used to get news from newspapers, radio and television. Now people get news from their smartphones, social media, email and when they search for something. Digital marketing is not about trying to be the loudest. It is about being when the customer needs you and saying the right thing to the customer. Digital marketing is about showing up at the right time with the right message, for the customer.
When someone looks up ” phone under 20,000″ they are pretty much ready to make a purchase.
A student who is watching YouTube at midnight is probably looking for something to watch or wants to learn something new.
A business owner who is scrolling through LinkedIn is looking for ideas to help their business grow.
Digital marketing is about knowing what people are looking for and what they want to do and then giving them what they need. Digital marketing understands the context and the intent of people, like the student and the business owner. Then responds to them in a way that makes sense.
Digital marketing has become really important these days. It is no longer something that you can choose to do or not do. Digital marketing is essential for everyone now.
The reason digital marketing became essential is because it helps people find what they are looking for online. When you have a business you want people to know about it. Digital marketing is a way to tell people about your business.
Here are some reasons why digital marketing is essential:
- It helps your business get noticed by people who are looking for what you’re selling.
- It allows you to compete with businesses that are already doing digital marketing.
- It is a way to reach people, over the world not just in your area.
Digital marketing is not optional anymore. If you want your business to succeed you need to do marketing. Digital marketing is the way to get your business out there and make it known to people. Digital marketing is what everyone is doing now. If you are not doing it you will be left behind.
Traditional marketing is still around. It does not work as well as it used to. It sends messages to a lot of people hoping that someone will pay attention. Digital marketing is different it lets you be precise, with who you reach and what you say to the people you are trying to reach with marketing.
Here is why businesses shifted:
Measurable results
You can see how many people looked at an advertisement how many people clicked on the advertisement and how many people actually bought something from the advertisement. This makes things really clear for businesses when they have to make decisions, about the advertisement.
Cost flexibility
A small business can actually compete with the brands like we see every day by using smart targeting. This means they do not need budgets to get ahead. The small business can focus on targeting to reach the people who are really interested, in what they have to offer. This way the small business can go up against the brands and still do well even if they do not have a lot of money to spend on advertising.
Two-way communication
People who buy things from companies can say what they think, answer back share with others tell companies when they do something and tell them when they do something good. Companies do not just tell people things anymore they have a conversation with customers, like the customersre people they are talking to.
Real-time adaptability
You can stop a marketing campaign make it better or come up with a design, for it right away depending on how well it is doing. This is because the performance of the marketing campaign tells you what you need to do to make it work. You can look at the performance of the campaign. Then stop it improve it or redesign the marketing campaign.
Digital marketing did not take the place of marketing just because it was popular. Digital marketing took the place of marketing because it was a better way to do things.
The Foundation: Understanding the Audience
So you want to know the secret to a digital marketing plan. Every successful digital marketing strategy starts with one question:
We are talking to each other now. I mean you are talking to me. I am talking to you. So the person you are talking to is me.
Not “everyone.” Not “users.” Real people.
People of ages use Instagram. For example a 19-year-old college student uses Instagram. A 35-year-old working parent also uses Instagram.. A 55-year-old business owner uses Instagram too.
These people, the 19-year- college student, the 35-year-old working parent and the 55-year-old business owner like different things on Instagram. They like tones they like different visuals and they like different messages, on Instagram.
Human-focused marketing looks at the people. It is about the human-focused marketing that is focused on humans. Human-focused marketing thinks about what people want and need.
- How human-focused marketing can help people
- What people like about human-focused marketing
Human-focused marketing is really, about people. What they want from human-focused marketing.
Age, location, language
Problems, pain points, daily struggles
Aspirations, dreams, goals
Buying habits and trust triggers
When marketers do not take this step their campaigns do not work.. When they do take this step and respect it, even the simplest messages, from the marketers can do a really good job and people will actually pay attention to what the marketers are saying.
When you want people to find your website you need to think about Search Engine Optimization. Search Engine Optimization is important because it helps people find your website when they are looking for something. You want your website to show up when people search for things that are related to your website. This is where Search Engine Optimization comes in. Search Engine Optimization is like a helper that makes sure your website is seen by people who are searching for things that you have on your website. So Search Engine Optimization is really about being found when it matters, like when people’re searching for something and your website has the answer.
Search engine optimization is really not that complicated. The main idea of search engine optimization is easy to understand. Search engine optimization is, about helping people find what they are looking for on the internet.
People search for things because they need something. They are looking for something that will help them. People search for all sorts of things. It is all because they need something.
People need to find information get solutions to their problems compare things or just feel better about something. Search engine optimization is really about being visible to people by being useful to them. SEO is about helping people so they can see that you are useful, to them.
Good SEO content:
Answers real questions
Is easy to read
Feels written for humans, not machines
Builds trust before asking for anything
When you are trying to get a spot on search engines they like it when you are relevant, clear and consistent. You might be able to trick them for a while but search engines really like helpful content and that will last for years. Search engines want to see content because that is what people are looking for. Helpful content is what search engines are, about.
The best SEO strategy is not manipulation. It is service.
Content Marketing: Trust Before Transaction
Content marketing is not about putting something up every single day. The thing that really matters with content marketing is that it should add value to people. Content marketing is, about adding value to the people who are reading it.
So we have things, like blogs and videos and podcasts and reels and emails and guides. All of these things are part of content marketing. But what really matters is not what they look like it is the reason we make them. The reason is what is important not the format of blogs or videos or podcasts or reels or emails or guides.
Strong content does least one of these things. It makes people think about the content. The strong content is good because it does something to people.
- It makes them feel something about the content
- It teaches them something, about the strong content
- It helps people do something with the content
The strong content is important because it does one of these things to people who see the strong content.
Educates
Entertains
Inspires
Solves a problem
People do not remember brands that are always trying to sell them things. They remember brands that actually helped them learn something. Brands that teach people something are the ones that people remember because these brands are focused on helping people understand things than just selling to them.
People really like tutorials and explainers. They also like behind-the-scenes stories and honest opinions. Tutorials and explainers are great because they feel like they are made by a person. Behind-the-scenes stories and honest opinions feel human too. They feel real. That is why people like them much. Tutorials and explainers and, behind-the-scenes stories and honest opinions perform well.
When you have content people get to know you. The more they get to know you the more they feel comfortable, with you. This comfort is what we call trust.. When people trust you they are more likely to buy things from you which means you make sales.
Social Media Marketing: Conversations, Not Campaigns
Social media changed the way we do marketing because it completely changed who has the power. Now the people have a lot of power and companies have to listen to them. Social media really changed marketing by shifting the power from companies to the people who use media.
Nowadays brands are not, in charge of what people talk about. The people who are listening and watching they are the ones who control what is being said. The audiences have the power now not the brands. Brands no longer control the conversation the audiences do.
People follow accounts that:
- have things they like
- say things they think are funny
- post pictures they want to see
People follow accounts that talk about things they’re interested in.
People follow accounts that have information they need.
People follow accounts that’re, about people they like.
Feel relatable
Share useful or entertaining content
Show personality, not perfection
Respond like humans, not bots
Posting something every day does not mean anything if the things you post do not have any meaning.
One post that really makes you think can be, than ten posts that are basically the same.
Human social media marketing includes things like making posts and talking to people on the internet. Human social media marketing is when you use websites and apps to connect with people and tell them about things.
- Using Facebook to share updates about social media marketing
- Creating videos for YouTube to show people what human social media marketing is, about
- Writing tweets on Twitter to talk about social media marketing and how it works
Human social media marketing is a big part of how people interact with each other online. It is used to promote human social media marketing.
Storytelling instead of slogans
Real faces instead of stock images
Honest replies instead of scripted responses
Things, like algorithms are always changing, but being real and genuine that is something that will always be important authenticity is something that people will always want. It never goes out of style.
Paid Advertising: Speed with Strategy
People often do not understand paid ads. Paid ads are not a way to get around doing the work. Paid ads are actually a way to make your message louder more people can hear what the paid ads are saying about your product or service. Paid ads help get the word out about the paid ads themselves.
Ads work well when they are done properly. Ads can be very effective. People notice ads. They help to sell things. Ads are good for businesses because they get the word out about the company and what the company is selling.
- Ads can be on television
- Ads can be on the radio
- Ads can be, in magazines and newspapers
Ads are a way for companies to tell people about their products. Companies use ads to get people to buy their products. Ads are a part of any business.
The product solves a problem that people actually have. This is a deal because it means the product is not just something that is nice to have but it is something that people really need. The product solves a problem and that is what makes it so useful. People are looking for something that can solve this problem. The product does just that. It solves a problem.
The message is clear
The landing page does what the advertisement says it will do. It gives you what the ad promised. The landing page and the advertisement are a match. The advertisement tells you something and the landing page delivers the thing.
When you spend money on ads without a plan it gets really annoying. To do advertising the way you need to try different things be patient and learn from advertising. Advertising is not about spending money you have to be smart, about advertising and see what works for your advertising.
The best advertisements do not feel like advertisements. They feel like the answers that people are looking for. Effective advertisements are the ones that people think are helpful like the answers, to their questions. The effective advertisements are the ones that feel like they are providing people with the information they need like the answers they have been searching for.
Email Marketing: The Most Personal Channel
Email is old, but it is powerful.
An inbox is my personal space. When someone lets a brand come into their inbox they are already starting to trust that brand. This is because the inbox is where I get messages from people I know like friends and family so when a brand is in there it feels like they are a part of my life too. The brand is, inside my inbox, which’s a personal space and that means I am starting to trust the brand.
Good email marketing:
Respects attention
Speaks clearly
Offers value, not noise
Sounds like a person, not a brochure
When you send an email that really makes you think it does a lot better than a long email that is trying to sell you something. The thing is people actually read emails that seem like they were written for them not like they were sent to a whole bunch of people at the same time. Emails that feel personal, like emails that are really written to them are the ones that people will take the time to read.
Analytics: Listening to the Data Without Losing the Soul
When you look at data it is like the data is telling you something. Data tells stories. You have to really listen to the data to understand what the data is saying. The data will only make sense if you pay attention to the data and figure out what the data is trying to tell you.
Numbers tell us what people are doing. They do not tell us why people are doing it. This is where the judgment of a being comes in and it really matters when we are trying to understand people and the things that people do with numbers and data and so on. Human judgment is very important when we look at numbers and we try to figure out why people are doing things.
When it comes to making decisions analytics are really important. They should help us make choices but they should not be the only thing we think about. Our intuition is also very important.
For example a campaign that does not get a lot of clicks might actually be really good for building trust in a brand.
A post that goes viral might seem like a great thing but it might actually attract the wrong kind of people to our brand. Analytics are useful. They are not the only thing that matters a campaign, with lower clicks can still build stronger brand trust and a viral post might bring the wrong audience.
Good marketers need to balance the information they get from data with understanding people. They look at numbers and things they can measure to see how they are doing. They do not think that is the only thing that matters about marketing. Marketers use these numbers as a way to get feedback not as the truth, about what is working and what is not working with the marketing.
Digital Marketing Challenges in the Real World
Digital marketing is really tough. The digital marketing world is very crowded and noisy. Things are always changing in marketing, which makes it hard to keep up with digital marketing.
People usually face these problems:
Short attention spans
Algorithm unpredictability
Trust issues due to over-promotion
Content fatigue
The solution is not more content. It is better content.
Better thinking. Better empathy. Better listening.
The Future of Digital Marketing
The future is going to have Artificial Intelligence and automation and smarter tools.. Even when that happens the core of everything will still be the human. The human will be the center of it all and Artificial Intelligence and automation and smarter tools will just be there to help the human.
Technology is really good at making delivery more efficient. There are some things it just cannot do.
- It cannot replace the touch that people bring to delivery
Technology can make things faster and cheaper but it is not a substitute, for human interaction.
Technology and delivery go hand in hand. Technology cannot replace the people who are involved in the delivery process.
Emotional understanding
Creative judgment
Ethical responsibility
Genuine connection
Some brands are really good, at remembering what matters. These brands will be the ones that survive. On the hand brands that forget what is important will just be making a lot of noise but they will not have anything meaningful to say. Brands that forget will feel loud. They will be empty.
Final Thoughts
Digital marketing is really not about following what is popular now. It is about knowing how people behave when they are online in an environment. Digital marketing is, about understanding people in this environment.
The people who are really good at marketing do not focus all their time on tools. What they really want to know is why people do things. They are curious about the behavior of people. The good marketers ask people why they do things. They listen to what people have to say. They change what they do based on what people tell them. The good marketers adapt to people. The things people do. They are always trying to learn more, about the behavior of people.
At its best, digital marketing feels less like selling and more like helping someone make a better choice.