My Digital Marketing class has ended recently. I really admired the students’ enthusiasm in learning. They come from various background- some of them are top managers in their organization, some in middle management and some others are entreprenuers. They are from different location; most of them are from Johor Bahru and KL, but we also have students from Singapore, Indonesia and Middle East.
Apart from doing class discussion on case study and lectures, the students were required to do a digital marketing project in elevating digital presence of a company of their choice. In 3 months time! They need to apply what they have learnt in the class plus with their own research to come up with digital marketing strategy, develop/improve a website, create social media campaigns and optimize the campaigns with data.
I have my own reasons why I designed such assignment. I want them to learn through experience. I want them to practise digital marketing- to have a taste of what it’s like to become a practitioner. I want them to develop sense of ownership. And I want them to feel accomplished- that they have tried, failed, triumphed and something that they can reflect upon. It is a problem based learning in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem.
I promised to the students that I will continue to share my thoughts even after the class finished. So here’s the first part:
I’m going to start with the importance of having a digital presence. Why we need to have our presence online. But before I share with you the importance for a business/organization to have a digital presence, here’s the definition.
A “digital presence” simply refers to how your business appears online; it’s what people find when they search for your business or company on the internet. Digital presence includes content that you control, like your website and social media profiles, but also content that you don’t control, such as online reviews.
Think about everything you do on the internet on behalf of your business. This includes:
Your website; desktop and mobile versions
All social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Office or store locations (Google Maps, etc.)
Directory listings
Online reviews (GMB, etc.)
Digital ads (social ads, Google ads. etc)
Why you need strong digital presence? Based on my experience and also through reading, having a strong digital presence is important because of these reasons:
Creating Visibility
The stronger your digital presence is, the more visible your organization is to prospects. This means they’ll be able to find you more easily, whether they already know you or not.
A strong presence can also help with your brand recognition. With a consistent online presence, your brand can reach internet users with helpful content through techniques such as SEO and paid ads. This will make your business recognizable to your prospective customers so that, when they’re ready to buy, they come to you.
Building Constancy
Your digital presence can grow or become stale, but it will never go away. We talk about SEO as an investment, and that’s because good SEO work can last for years to come. The same thing goes for your website and other digital presence elements; it can leave a lasting impression for years to come.
Establishing Your Authority
B2B buyers often buy from companies that they think are the best in the industry. A digital presence allows you to showcase your industry knowledge and expertise without bragging. You can explain products, services, and solutions. You can build trust. When people need a service you provide, you want them to think that your business is the best there is.
Building Rapport / Relationships
Your clientele is composed of people, and people are relational (even B2B buyers!). This is a sales tactic as old as time: people will buy from the people or companies they trust. You can use your digital presence to show prospects that your business is helpful, trustworthy, and knowledgeable.
Creating a Positive First Impression
According to Forbes, most people form a first impression within the first seven seconds. Today, most people will search for a business online before ever speaking to an employee. Your online presence determines the kind of impression you will leave them with. You can cultivate a positive relationship with an attractive, user-friendly website design, by responding to all reviews and making negative reviews right, by contributing useful ideas to the social media conversation, and through many other techniques.
Understanding the importance of having a strong digital presence for your company will lead you to initiate and implement your digital marketing strategy. It is not easy, but it definitely going to be worth it!