The world of marketing has evolved over the last few years. Gone are the days of newspaper articles and billboards- say hello to the magical world of digital marketing.
Most businesses worldwide have fully embraced the power of digital marketing, while others don’t trust it and don’t think that it produces the results that digital marketers claim.
At Blaze, we sure hope that it works because if not, we’ll have a lot of unhappy clients…
Just kidding, of course; effective digital marketing delivers results. Otherwise, we would all be out of a job by now.
We understand why people are sceptical about digital marketing. Still, people were also wary about TV ads when they started, and now most of us quote a little Russian Meerkat on a day-to-day basis, so giving new methods a chance might actually pay off.
Keep reading to find out more about why digital marketing is completely legit – straight from the mouths of people who do it every day.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the practice of promoting brands and advertising to potential customers using online channels such as social media, email, search engines and dedicated websites.
In short- digital marketing is the practice of using the internet and other digital channels to market a business, product or service.
In the past, the idea of being able to market this way seemed incredibly advanced, but now technology allows us to talk to an AI Mother Teresa, so it doesn’t feel as far-fetched to be able to advertise a business through online channels anymore.
Though digital marketing has been around for some time now, and the world has almost completely shifted away from typical marketing methods, some still find it hard to believe that the internet just might be the key to marketing success.
If you want your business to succeed in 2025, you need to get to know digital marketing trends or at least work with a marketing agency that knows it for you.
Why Do People Question the Legitimacy of Digital Marketing?
If you are someone who has used digital marketing successfully for your business in the past, you may be confused as to why there are still people who question the legitimacy of digital marketing efforts.
The reasons people distrust digital marketing are actually quite simple and understandable – to a certain extent.
Some of the reasons why there is scepticism surrounding digital marketing include:
Misinformation
Look, in the world of marketing, you’re bound to run into some exaggeration. Back in the day, you’d expect it from Del Boys and car salesmen, and these days, you need to take the claims of digital marketers with a pinch of salt- unless it’s an established marketing agency such as Blaze, of course.
If you hear someone making exaggerated claims and guaranteeing unrealistic results, you should be wary of what they’re offering, as there are no guarantees in this industry, just accurate projections and predictions.
Black Hat Tactics
There’s a lot of money and notoriety to be gained in the world of digital marketing, so unfortunately, it is not too uncommon for people to cut corners by buying fake followers, running spammy email campaigns or even using manipulative SEO techniques.
In every industry, you’re bound to run into a bad egg or two, but that doesn’t mean that they represent the whole of digital marketing. Though these black hat tactics can damage the industry’s reputation, plenty of reputable marketing agencies use legitimate tactics to drive tangible results.
Still, feel distrust in the industry? Look at our case studies to see what can be achieved with industry experience and expert practices.
Privacy Concerns
To some people, targeted advertising can feel intrusive, but that couldn’t be far from the truth. Of course, when you use any website or platform, they collect data from you. Still, this data isn’t specific to your personal details- it usually just covers basic information such as age, location and search history.
We understand that this can feel as though your privacy is being infringed on, but the reality is that no matter what site you use, this data will be collected, and that’s just a part of using the internet that you have to accept at this point.
Ultimately, targeting specific demographics with the available data allows marketers to focus in and nurture leads, with a more efficient use of a company’s marketing budget.
Key Components of Digital Marketing
Now that we have talked a bit about digital marketing let’s take a deeper look at some of its key components. All of which, we offer at Blaze– just in case you’re wondering.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Search Engine Optimisation, also known as SEO in the biz, is a digital marketing strategy that focuses on improving a website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) by optimising its content and technical aspects to help it rank higher in organic search results.
The main goal of SEO is to attract more relevant traffic to your site and hopefully increase organic sales.
At Blaze Media, we use a number of techniques for optimising a page, such as writing quality content and blog posts like the content you are reading right now.
SEO-powered copywriting can take your business to the next level- only if you’re working with a copywriter who knows what they’re doing… and has really nice hair.
Are these jokes getting old yet? I think not.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
PPC can be quite confusing for anyone who doesn’t work in marketing; trust us, we have experienced the confusion first-hand. We have had plenty of meetings with clients where they have turned to us to ask, ‘What on Earth is PPC?’.
To explain it in the simplest way possible, PPC is a type of internet marketing involving advertisers paying a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. This means that you only pay for advertising if your ad is actually clicked.
Businesses bid on keywords related to their services or products and then when someone hops online and searches for their words, there is a good chance that their ad may appear at the top of the search results.
This is a great method for targeted advertising and produces quick results.
Social Media
Social media marketing is a specific subset of digital marketing that utilises social media platforms to connect with a target audience and promote a brand.
This can be done through posts, graphics, shares or even video content. Social media advertising is quickly growing in popularity, with most businesses expected to have a social media presence if they wish to succeed.
When starting any media campaign, you need to familiarise yourself with the latest trends to ensure that you do not get buried by the algorithm… or work with a marketing team that can do content creation for you.
Web Design
Web design is a crucial part of digital marketing for any business looking to trade or market online. In today’s digital landscape, having a website is absolutely essential if you want to outperform your competitors.
If you want to sell online, having an ecommerce website is something that you should prioritise. A good website will be packed with up-to-date images and products while also showcasing great copy and relevant contact information.
Effective web design is crucial if you wish to convert leads into paying customers. A website achieves this by shaping the user experience and guiding your customers towards making financial investments.
Does Digital Marketing Really Deliver?
Blaze Media’s existence is a good indication that digital marketing delivers. Digital marketing, if done correctly, is a brilliant way to raise brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales through online channels.
It is important to remember that digital marketing demands a well-planned strategy, a deep understanding and ongoing monitoring in order to optimise campaigns, so it’s always recommended that you work with a professional team if you want to see the best results.
How Long Does it Take to See Results From a Digital Marketing Campaign?
By no means are we promising that a good digital marketing strategy will help you achieve overnight success, but you may be surprised to learn just how effective a good digital marketing strategy can really be.
Depending on whether you choose to focus on one aspect of digital marketing or carry out a well-rounded campaign, you can expect it to take 3-6 months before you start to see really noticeable results.
This time scale can also depend on the type of industry that you are targeting, as highly competitive industries tend to require more time. If you choose to just focus on a PPC campaign, you may see results within a few days, while SEO campaigns may take a few months before you see a significant impact.
The Benefits of Digital Marketing
Now that you know more about digital marketing and how to achieve results through its use, let’s jump into some of its benefits for your business.
Global Audience Reach
In the past, marketing strategies were often limited by geographical location, but thanks to digital marketing, that is no longer the case. With digital marketing, you can reach customers worldwide without limitations.
This is fantastic for any business wanting to scale internationally or achieve worldwide recognition.
Cost Effectiveness
Though many of you may be surprised to learn this, digital marketing is considered to be far more cost-effective than traditional marketing. When people hear the word digital in relation to anything, the first presumption is that it will cost you an arm and a leg.
Because digital marketing allows for precise audience targeting, you can actually save money by not wasting your money by targeting people who are not interested in your product or service.
As we have established in this blog, even if you have a small budget, you can still use digital marketing to reach your desired customers. There are many options.
Measurable Results
Digital marketing enables you to track and analyse various online metrics, such as website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates, and social media engagement. By using dedicated analytics tools, you can put a number on the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and make data-driven adjustments to optimise your strategy.
If you think back to the older marketing methods, it was near impossible to measure the success of your advertising campaign other than through the number of sales you achieved, which is not everyone’s goal when advertising.
Targeted Marketing
One of the best aspects of digital marketing is the ability to precisely target your ideal customers based on data collected online. Before targeted marketing, it was always a bit of a gamble whether you were advertising your products to the right person.
How many butchers do you reckon handed flyers to vegetarians back in the day?
Targeted marketing means that you don’t waste your energy, time, and resources on people who are not interested in your business.
Take Your Business to The Next Level With Blaze Media
Through this blog, we should have really emphasised the importance of digital marketing and clarified that it is in fact legit.
If you’re a business owner and you don’t already have a digital marketing campaign in place, what are you waiting for?
Not sure where to start? Don’t worry; we have your back. Get in touch with our digital marketing agency today to find out how we can help you create and run a digital marketing campaign guaranteed to take your business to the next level.