Digital marketing might seem like a new industry. However, its history actually goes back to 1990, when the term “digital marketing” was first coined. Over the years, the industry continued to evolve, with new trends, strategies, and techniques sprouting here, and there. True enough, every digital marketing agency had to put their best foot forward to keep up with the fast-paced industry.

The Unstoppable Evolution of Digital Marketing

In the last several years, more and more people have embraced the Internet. For the most part, we have social media to thank for this phenomenon. As Internet users increase, the more the digital marketing landscape develops.

Furthermore, users are no longer limited to using desktop and laptop computers. Smartphones and tablets have slowly but surely overpowered computers to become the primary digital devices for Web browsing. As a result, every digital marketing agency is now expected to customize digital marketing strategies for different types of audiences and for different platforms as well.

The Many Facets of Digital Marketing That a Digital Marketing Agency Should Master

For a digital marketing initiative to be successful, a digital marketing company needs to look at four main aspects: reach, engage, convert, and act.

Reach

This focuses on reaching target audiences. How will people find and know that a personality, organization, or business exists? This is where SEO (search engine optimization), outreach, online advertising, and other related digital marketing services come in.

Act

Once reaching efforts become successful, the audience starts to take notice. At this point, the online marketing agency must be able to act on it. Think of it this way: when a potential customer clicks on an ad, where do you want to take them? What do you want them to know and do? In this stage, website, content, and digital asset management becomes crucial.

Convert

In this phase, the digital marketing agency must be able to convert audiences into customers. Do you want them to buy products or subscribe to a service? This is where effective e-commerce and customer service strategies are greatly needed.

Engage

It’s not enough that you get customers to buy or subscribe to products and services. Through engagement, you can keep them interested and coming back for more. Social media marketing is the biggest kid in this block.

The Tools of the Trade

Since we’re talking about digital marketing, it’s a given that an online marketing agency must have the capability to utilize various online and electronic tools.

Reach – This is the stage where the digital marketing company lays down the foundation for its strategies and efforts. They should master search engine ranking and analytic tools, such as Google’s Search Console, Analytics, and AdWords Keyword Planner. Other useful tools include Moz, Yoast, and Kissmetrics, among others.

Act – Content management tools are the most utilized in this stage, as this is where presentation basically happens. Digital marketing agencies typically use blogging tools such as WordPress and HubSpot. They also use landing page creation and testing tools like LeadPages and Optimizely. For digital assets, you have Vimeo, YouTube, and WISTIA, to name a few. For visual media, Adobe tools including Photoshop, Premier, and InDesign are still widely used.

Convert – An online marketing agency must utilize effective e-commerce and customer service strategies and tools to ensure a successful conversion. Shopify, PrestaShop, and Magento are just a few e-commerce management tools to use. There are also live chat and customer review tools that help encourage conversion further. These include Olark, LiveChat, TRUSTPILOT, and Reevoo.

Engagement – Thanks to social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, engagement is now a bit easier. Other tools such as Hootsuite, Zendesk, MailChimp, and SurveyMonkey, among many others, also aid in better customer engagement.

A digital marketing agency can effectively ease through the fast-paced industry by mastering these tools and more—but how is that done, exactly?

The People Power: It’s All About the Right Talent and Skills

Sure, today’s technology is already (almost) impeccable and it’s continually improving. But what’s technology without the people utilizing it? To keep up with the fast-paced digital evolution, every digital marketing agency must be manned by highly skilled creative talents. These talents must also be ready to learn and train further.

A competitive online marketing company should have the following in the team:

  • Project managers
  • Web designers
  • Content moderators
  • SEO specialists
  • Social media specialists
  • Content writers
  • Photo and video editors
  • Customer service representatives
  • Online administrative assistants

Digital Marketing for Businesses: The Role of Outsourcing

Outsourcing digital marketing tasks can help businesses achieve their goals faster and at lower costs. Remote work agencies like HOPLA connects you with digital marketing talents from all over the world. Through distributed outsourcing, you will have access to a large pool of talents that have been thoroughly screened before hiring. You can also hire a remote worker based on your specific need. For instance, if you only need one more writer or a video editor, you won’t have to subscribe to the entire digital marketing services menu of a typical online marketing agency.

To learn more how HOPLA can serve not only as a home-based recruitment firm but as a digital marketing agency as well, get in touch with us today!