While traditional advertising methods have proven effective for many businesses, copywriting has become an important part of digital marketing. Why? Because people are listening to your words more than ever before. As a result, you can stand out among your competitors with clever content.
Traditional marketing focuses on delivering your message to as many people as possible, regardless of whether they are interested in your product or service. With the rise of the self-service era and the growth of social media, your marketing message may reach its intended audience more efficiently and effectively when delivered visually, through infographics, videos, or other content.
Pointed copywriting extends the reach of your marketing message even further by focusing on specific groups of potential customers who could benefit from your product or service.
Why do most businesses use copywriting?
Because it’s a lot more effective. In a 2006 survey conducted by HubSpot, more than 70% of businesses claimed that their copywriting efforts were either very or fairly effective. Additionally, nearly 90% of those companies believed that their content was at least somewhat successful. Finally, 63% of the organizations had increased sales as a direct result of their content marketing.
On the flip side, only 16% of businesses reported that their visual marketing strategies, such as infographics and ads, were effective. However, if the goal is to simply attract customers, then visual marketing can help.
In contrast to traditional advertising, which targets the average person or the general public, content marketing targets more specific groups of people based on interests, demographics, and psychographics.
What is psychographics?
Put simply, psychographics are the study of individuals’ subconscious minds, which enable advertisers to target their audience based on interests, behaviors, and preferences.
An advertiser may know that blue-collar workers spend more money on hobbies, cars, and travel than they do on clothing. Based on this insight, the advertiser may decide to target those individuals with content related to these topics. For instance, the advertiser may create content about fashion for women or men. They may also create content about cars or travel for male or female consumers.
In addition to tailoring content to a particular audience, you can also use digital marketing tools, such as Google Analytics, to identify and analyze the demographics, psychographics, and other data about your audience.
Key Takeaways
While there are many benefits to digital marketing, developing a strategy and employing tactics to target a more specific audience can be challenging.
With traditional advertising, you could theoretically reach everyone with your ad. However, with content marketing, your audience is more limited to those who have an interest in your subject matter.
As an advertiser, you have more control over the kind of content you produce. Additionally, you can target your audience based on numerous factors, including demographic, psychographic, and geographical.
How Is Digital Marketing Different?
One significant difference between traditional and digital marketing is that the latter focuses on gaining traffic through online and mobile channels, rather than relying on traditional print and radio ads.
Based on the types of content you create and the platforms you use to distribute that content, you can significantly expand your audience. For example, if you create content for the web, you can distribute that content through blogs, websites, and social media channels. In addition to this content, you can also engage with your audience through live chats and Q&As. As a result, you can exponentially increase your audience.
On the other hand, traditional marketing relies on paid advertising, which costs money. While this strategy can be effective if executed correctly, it can also be expensive. In some cases, it can be even more expensive than traditional advertising because you have to pay for the attention of a specific group of people. Plus, you have to rely on multiple, broad, and often unreliable advertising platforms.
The Importance Of Testing
As with any other form of marketing, trial and error is critical when it comes to digital marketing. You have to test different approaches, analyze traffic, and measure results to determine which strategies and tactics are effective and which should be used in the future.
If you are new to the world of digital marketing, it can be difficult to know which strategy or tactic to try first. Fortunately, a number of free tools are available to help you figure out which approach is best for your business.
Where Do I Start?
If you’re looking to dive into digital marketing, there are numerous places you can start, including HubSpot and Google. As a result, you can use their platforms to collect data, create strategic advertisements, and track results.
Additionally, Adobe has launched a free online marketing training platform, called Marketo, which can also be accessed through a mobile app. On this platform, you can learn the fundamentals of effective marketing and get started implementing digital marketing tactics into your business.
Whether you’re looking to learn the ropes or establish a baseline of knowledge, starting with a reputable company like HubSpot is a good idea.