Digital marketing is a new form of marketing adopted by most modern businesses to attract customers to their products and services. In this type of marketing, modern digital tools like websites, blogs, software apps, social media platforms, and lots more are what you use to reach your target audience.

In the few years it’s been around, not only has digital marketing transformed the world of doing business, but it has also given voice to brands that would otherwise not have been heard. For example, businesses, many of which were limited by the high cost of traditional marketing techniques, can now reach a larger customer base. Not by spending thousands of dollars or organizing city to city publicity campaigns (which could take months), but by spending just a few bucks and dedicating a few hours of their time.

However, in case you’re still wondering whether or not you need to join the list of those businesses that are already using digital marketing, feel free to check out the many benefits of digital marketing we’ve highlighted below.

Easy way to reach and convince new audiences

As a startup, you’re a nobody in the eyes of the public. Nobody knows you, reckons with you, or wants to interact with your brand. If anything, you’re likely to get more skepticism about your products and services than you’re going to get any encouraging remark.

However, digital marketing can help you assuage many of the fears people have about your business. How? You may wonder!

Through the use of websites, social media, online forums, and other digital tools, your business can reach out to people, announcing its arrival and the likely solutions it aims to proffer. Although people might still get skeptical about the feasibilities of what you propose, you can still use digital marketing tools to show them hypothetical results in the form of videos, infographics, behind-the-scenes, and other social proofs.

Earn you a social proof

Leaning on the details from point #1 above, digital marketing can also help you generate the social proof you need to convince people about the authenticity of your business.

For a fact, we both know that nobody likes to be the first to patronize a new brand because of the fear of losing money or making a bad purchase. However, when they see proof (via your Instagram pages, store testimonials, site rankings, comments on review sites) that people are already patronizing and liking your products, they will be more willing to give you a try.

Can you get such social proof easily in traditional marketing? Don't think so! How will you show someone living in another street that someone in the next street has just purchased your product?

Cheaper marketing efforts

One of the biggest reasons why digital marketing is gradually usurping traditional marketing in the many industries of the world is because of its affordability. Unlike most traditional marketing efforts that are only limited to rich startups and the big boys, digital marketing is available for all. Even if you have just a few bucks, you can buy active Instagram followers and kickstart your social media marketing campaign.

It is that easy!

High ROI on marketing efforts

In terms of ROI, it is well-established that digital marketing offers more value than traditional marketing. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the stats on influencer marketing (a form of digital marketing) published by The Influencer Marketing Hub (partnered with Viral Nation and NeoReach). According to them, businesses are making $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Now tell me, which traditional marketing effort can guarantee such returns?

Easy way to track marketing efforts

For a startup in its initial phase, you cannot easily tell whether your marketing efforts – if traditional – are bringing results or not. If anything, you will only have to keep trying in the hopes that more and more people are getting to know about you.

With digital marketing, however, you can easily track how your money is working for you. That is, is your email marketing efforts working? If not, maybe it's time to switch to social media marketing. With the aid of the many digital marketing analytics tools, you can easily track, monitor, and analyze how your startup is faring on a marketing front.

Keep up with or beat competition

Take it or leave it, as a startup, many of your potential competitors are already adopting digital marketing. And the earlier you join them, the better.

While it may be difficult for startups in the times past to go toe to toe with the giants of the industry, digital marketing ensures that the playing field is level, meaning that even a new brand that is just starting up can override a cooperate giant with its marketing efforts.

Unlike traditional marketing, the success of digital marketing has nothing to do with the size of the business. It’s all about identifying and capitalizing on market opportunities.

Drive sales

At the end of the day, what your startup needs to thrive is sales. Luckily for you, digital marketing brings them in bags. It doesn’t matter what the size of your startup is, you can use digital marketing to get the word out about your business faster and to more people, leading to better recognition, customer loyalty, and ultimately sales.

With so many platforms to market on – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Quora, Online marketplaces, eCommerce stores, websites, software applications, and lots more – you can bring customers to your business from far and wide!