There has been some interesting research into what trends those in digital marketing need to keep an eye on in 2019. For example, there is still a lot of room to improve mobile marketing. This is because:
- 85% of mobile advertisers feel that they are giving their customers value for money, however
- Only 47% of users agree.
In South Africa, digital marketing is a significant differentiator in the marketplace. According to statistics online marketing is increasing at a rate of 35% with most major retailers using e-commerce in conjunction with their bricks-and-mortar stores to drive turnover and profit.
In fact, reports released at the end of 2018 state that online shopping is now worth R14 billion. This represents a 25% increase over 2017 figures. This means that with so many people browsing and shopping online, South Africa business needs to prioritise digital marketing so that they can reach the customers that they want.
Prioritising Digital Marketing
The first port of call is social media
South Africans spend a great deal of their days browsing social media. This is especially true of Facebook. It is predicted that users of social media will reach the 40 million mark soon. Thus, if you are digital marketer the best way to get your brand out there and to attract new customers is to reel them in using social media.
In terms of which social media platform(s) is/are best to target, the answer lies in:
- If you are a business-to-consumer (B2C) or a business-to-business (B2B) company, and’
- The make-up of your target audience.
Facebook for branding
If you are a B2B or a B2C company, Facebook is a great way of getting your message out there and branding your company. With 2.27 billion active users – as of the third quarter of 2018 – it provides potential advertisers with minute demographic details about who that they want to target.
Facebook also offers ads based on what outcome you want from your particular ad. For example you can take out a:
- Lead generation ad,
- A post-engagement ad, or
- A traffic ad.
For more information on how Facebook advertising can work for you, click here.