MARKETING LEADERS, DO YOU HAVE A DIGITAL MINDSET?

Digital Mind Set

The digital mindset is about recognizing the power of technology to transform any industry – retail, healthcare, education, and food, for instance – and changing the way people interact with each other. Through the Internet, the world has become more connected as people are able to reach and engage with each other through a single click.

This opens amazing opportunities for business owners to engage with their customers in new and exciting ways.

Having a digital mindset as a business owner is therefore advantageous as you are able to see opportunities to make meaningful connections with your audience and respond to them quickly through technology.

What are characteristics of people with digital mindsets?

Some qualities that describe a person with a digital mindset are agility and adaptability. This is about more than coping with change; it’s having foresight – the ability to sense the next big thing and implementing it. It’s being able to keep up with various phenomena and staying relevant, as well as being open to new ways of working.

Flexibility vis-a-vis time is also a strong characteristic of a digital mindset. In today’s “new normal,” people have ditched the 9-to-5 office job and have embraced remote work or work-from-home arrangements. Working anytime, anywhere has become the norm and flexibility comes with being able to respond quickly.

Those with digital mindsets are also risk-takers, who are fueled by a desire to go above and beyond their defined roles. They’re open to explore and experiment, which prove to be advantageous when it comes to marketing their businesses online. They’re unafraid to try new approaches and even shift gears completely in their digital strategies.

Finally, with a highly connected global community, it has never been easier to collaborate. This ability creates value with insight from a diverse network of individuals. More than that, it promotes openness, respect, and inclusivity

The so-called “new normal,” therefore, isn’t just about restrictions or alert levels. It is about a mindset to adapt to change.

Should you hire a digital agency? If so, why?

Despite your company’s best efforts to adapt to the new digital realities, there are still some gaps in reaching the customer. When is it time to bring in more help? When should you hire a digital agency? What about a consultant? What are the roles they fill?

Here are some advantages of having an agency:

  • Increasing sales and traffic. Hiring a digital agency will increase online traffic and ultimately, sales. Agencies have the know-how to form campaigns that help drive brand awareness followed by new leads, which can later be converted into paying customers.
  • Attracting new customers. The age of TV, billboards, print ads and window displays has given way to the rise of several more screens and seamless technologies. A digital strategy should help attract new customers and strengthen your business’ relationship to your existing customer base.
  • Employing technical expertise. Digital agencies have the technical knowhow to expand your brand. Although some digital marketing efforts can be done on your own, having a team dedicated to creating and tweaking your digital marketing strategy according to the latest algorithm changes, platform updates or industry standards will benefit you in the long run.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a skill that digital agencies offer that helps increase the quality and quantity of online traffic by identifying keywords people are using in their Google searches, thereby optimizing your content to contain those keywords. Specialized techniques, lessons gleaned from years of experience and (Google) certification are something that you should keep in mind when you look for an agency.

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is another very technical strategy wherein you as an advertiser pay  each time one of your ads is clicked on. As an advertiser, you would not like your dollar to go to waste with ads that do not target your specific audiences, right? A skilled AND certified PPC expert may be more expensive than running a campaign on your own but return on ad spend is almost always guaranteed.

Web design is important as a marketing strategy. Having an aesthetically pleasing design – that translates well on different screen sizes – boosts user engagement. For a website to work, you not only need a good graphics designer, but also a web development expert who can translate the design into a functional and dynamic website.

  • Deciding between consultant and agency. Based on your needs, you may choose either a big or small agency, each one with its own advantages. Smaller teams offer more flexibility and affordability. They can also provide niche marketing. With larger agencies, you may get connected to established brands with whom the agency has pre-existing relationships; better rates; and teams of specialists that can address your brand’s issues.

Truelogic Inc.’s general manager Ibarra Villaseran shines light on this aspect: “It should always begin with an honest assessment of your team’s abilities, bandwidth, as well as available (internal) resources. Put this against your brand’s ambition and there you will see, clear as day, what can and can’t be done.

“Ultimately, an agency should be able to complement not only your capabilities but your team’s sensibilities as well. It will be a long march towards that coveted goal and having a reliable partner will be advantageous,” he concludes.

What’s the bottom line?

“Whether you have an agency or not, I do still encourage the organization to learn and embrace digital. It will have a significant impact on your business if it hasn’t already. Elevating internal digital discourse therefore will always be a good step forward,” Villaseran adds.

“[O]ne thing that does stand out for having an agency in the long term is that it helps continuity. We staff up, train, and constantly rake in the experience from a range of industries because it is our core business after all. And this stability [or] expertise is what we provide to our partners.”

Hiring a digital agency is efficient and provides value for money, given that you have a selection of organizations to choose from. To find the best partner, know what you need and do research on different firms. It might also be good to draw up a list of pros and cons.

Truelogic Inc.’s GM leaves us with these last words: “Remember that digital, though important, is just one of the pieces in the marketing mix. That being said, one of its major contributions to the campaign is that it is able to better move the brand conversation from a “one is to many” to a “one is to one”– making it timelier and more relevant. At the heart therefore of any campaign must be the customer journey.”

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