India has about 500 million smartphone users. When combined with factors such as an expanding telecom sector and more inexpensive internet connectivity, the smartphone revolution has provided users with more sources of information and interaction. The possibility has also cleared the road for digital marketing, with firms embracing digital adoption to reach out to their target population. It has evolved as a successful brand engagement tool that employs technology to provide organisations with actionable data insights into consumer behaviour.

How can digital marketing help?

Marketing is the most effective approach for putting a company in front of its target audience or customers. It is important for small and medium-sized enterprises to outgrow their competitors. Digital marketing enables you to employ tried-and-true strategic tactics that attract not necessarily more traffic, but highly targeted traffic that produces results. It makes use of social media signals as well as testimonials from actual customers who have previously used a service advertised by a certain brand.

Who may benefit from digital marketing?

Small and medium-sized businesses require wise investments since they face hundreds of obstacles at every stage, with limited resources and even finance. As a result, one can promote their businesses with a proper combination of digital marketing techniques that can focus on every business tactic, making it more cost-efficient than traditional marketing. With digital marketing, small and medium-sized businesses now have the ultimate resources to perform marketing functions to increase sales and create a new audience base.

Some of the most effective strategies in digital marketing include:

An increase in affiliate marketing

Being discovered organically is becoming increasingly important for brands, so in addition to banners and mailers, brands are flocking to YouTube and Instagram content creators to weave their brand as part of the content in order to reach out to like-minded audiences. Incentive structures are also being developed, such as personalised coupon codes for creators, which serve to create trust while also increasing conversions.

More than 70% of Indians consume content in regional languages. Local language usage has been a crucial driver of a brand’s cultural relevance, visibility, and customer resonance in India. In a big and diversified market like India, appealing to the country’s non-English-speaking majority helps enhance ties with new consumers and aids in the deployment of language-first digital brand initiatives at scale.

Many firms are taking advantage of this by utilising specialised creatives and exclusive deals, particularly during festive seasons in certain locations.

WhatsApp and hyperlocal apps are on the upswing

While WhatsApp integration has almost become standard for companies to reach out to customers directly, there has also been a growth in the use of various  OTT, gaming, and short video applications for ad placement, since these see higher conversion in Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.

Since 2020, India has seen an increase in the number of digital lenders that offer BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) options. Many brands provide these as payment choices during checkout on their websites and often incentivise their use by offering cash back or additional discounts.

Focus on ease of purchase

The path from an ad banner to an add-to-cart is a simple 2-3 click process, yet most brands or advertisers struggle with the science behind generating those 2-3 clicks and completing the full funnel.

However, there are cases when advertisers insist on focusing on final conversions and ROI while ignoring the user’s buying cycle, journey, or process, resulting in revenue loss.

It is strongly recommended to focus equally on the process, UI/UX, tech infrastructure, attribution modelling, and simplicity of purchase for users to drive brand performance and then optimise campaigns.

For first-time digital advertisers, new age platforms such as Shopify for non-techies and Canva for design and marketing collateral are extremely useful.

Digital marketing is one of the most effective strategies to reach new customers and achieve business objectives. Furthermore, it provides a number of techniques, from video to email to social media, to help you achieve your specific objectives. Digital marketing is the way to go if you want to improve sales, revenue, awareness, or loyalty.

However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to digital marketing success. However, you can achieve success in digital marketing by embracing the various aspects of digital marketing discussed above.

The author is vice president, strategy, Auburn Digital Solutions

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