Going digital means becoming visible online. It is the 101 for making a brand out of a business. But the catch here is to not just go online but ensure your customers can see your brand and be attracted to it.

But why talk about it now?

The pandemic has taught us great lessons. One of which is – to survive, we must adapt and evolve. When the customer demand has modified, businesses have to change their models too or risk getting obsolete.

Customers are shopping everything online from vegetables to furniture. Even services are booked online – from plumbers to salons. A striking digital presence can skyrocket your sales in this new normal.

When I say digital presence, what do I mean?

Here’s a list of 6 forms of digital media you can cover and become online royalty.

• Website
• Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Business Listing (Google my business, Yelp, Just Dial, Trust Pilot, etc.)
• Listing Business Location (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.)
• Participation in Online Forums (Quora, Reddit, StackExchange, etc)
• Online Advertising (Facebook-Instagram Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Email Marketing, etc.)

Well, I don’t suggest overdoing it. You can be on those social media channels where your target audience is and list your business where your customers are likely to look up. It is also important to hire a good website development agency if you want your brand vision to translate well.

So, why do you need digital strategy?

Yes, it is not a race about who reaches there first. The best branding and digital marketing companies focus on providing value and creating an experience while building digital presence of a business. So, a strategy is key to achieve your goals. Here are 5 ways to build a winning online presence and go digital like you’re here to stay!

1. Build Brand Authority
Brand authority refers to the trust earned by a brand among its customers. If customers consider it the go-to brand for a particular subject, then it’s a job well done.

For starters, I suggest getting your logo designed from the best graphic design company, display compelling content on your website and being active on social media channels.

Promoting your company’s values and expertise on various channels helps create authority. It increases conversions, referrals and customer loyalty too.

2. Increase Your Brand’s Digital Touchpoints
Focus on creating as many interactions with your customers as possible. Advertising is the main ingredient of this recipe. Your brand is communicating with the audience and these are parts of a good conversation.

Include the forms of online advertising that suit you best. For e.g. – Real estate projects are best advertised on Google search Ads, Facebook Ads and LinkedIn. If you are a cosmetic brand, you want to target Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Google Ads.

Choosing direct forms of marketing like emails with attractive subject lines has proven quite effective in generating leads and conversions.

Try roping in relevant influencers to talk about your brand as well as work on the blog on your website to provide more information and value to your audience.

A Digital Marketing Company should be able to give you a good head start on your digital journey and curate the right online experience for your customers.

3. Invest in Consumer Research
Have you identified your core customers? What are the types of customers you want to reach out to? What are their demographics, common interests or goals?

Understanding consumers’ emotional quotient and adapting the brand to connect with them is an essential marketing strategy.

There are companies dedicated to performing market research to aid you in this mammoth task. Investing in research helps you understand your niche better and has churned out value beyond expectations.

4. Be Active & Analyze
Digital presence is a commitment and requires daily effort. Being responsive to consumers and actively posting on social media is a part of digital journey. This can be quite time consuming and may take focus away from your business itself.

It is one of the main reasons why many prefer outsourcing their digital brand management to professional and best branding companies.

They also create periodic reports to analyze the social media insights, website traffic, engagement and ad performance. It helps improving and customizing your approach to what’s working for you.

5. Take Bold Actions, Stand Out!
When it comes to making an impression, I see 2 things that really matter – brand positioning and brand voice.

Your brand should occupy a distinctive place in the target’s mind. Your brand visuals, graphics and content should be designed around that. This is brand positioning.

I’d like to stress here that you don’t want your ads to appear on web pages that aren’t in line with your values. Same way you would be wasting resources if you do not target your ads well and display to an audience who isn’t yours.

Lastly, do not forget to have a voice. Make yourself heard. Speak on issues that matter and where your brand can make a difference.

For eg. Lingerie brands are talking about inclusivity and speaking up against body shaming. A voice in line with your values is certain to make a difference.