The main difference between online and offline marketing is the role of data. Offline marketing strategies are usually based on broad data sets and campaigns are not highly targeted. There are limited ways to track the effectiveness of an offline campaign. Online marketing solutions on the other hand are more focused and can target niche audiences. As user behaviour can be tracked online, marketers can very quickly identify if a campaign is working as intended or if changes need to be made.
Offline marketing is usually ‘push’ in nature. It means you send your message out to everyone and hope that the people who are relevant customers for your product will receive it. It is often interruptive, for example an advertisement in the middle of a television program. On the other hand, online marketing is generally ‘pull’, when a user takes some action that indicates that they are the right audience for a product or service, only then is an ad placed in front of them. For example, when a user searches for a particular query like ‘buy red shoes’, then they are shown ads for red shoes that they can purchase.
What role does data play in online marketing?
Data is at the heart of all effective online marketing strategies. Data offers key insights into user behaviour, preferences and habits. Online marketers can use this information to craft marketing strategies that are most likely to deliver results.
Marketers can track if a user clicks or interacts with the ad. They have a lot more control over what type of videos their ads are shown on and what age group and location they target. Hence, instead of showing an ad to a lot of people hoping some of them will find it relevant, marketers can use data to target a much more relevant audience. You can even cap how much you are willing to spend. This makes it possible for even businesses with limited advertising budgets to participate in online advertising. Additionally, online marketing activities are typically more cost effective and affordable when compared to offline marketing.
Types of data to build an effective online marketing strategy
1) Demographic data
This type of data contains information about age, gender, income, marital status, level of education, and more. Demographic data is very useful to create audience buckets. Clearly defined audience personas for your product or service are necessary for creating effective marketing messages for each persona. For instance, a young person living in the city will have different requirements for the food they order as compared to a middle-aged person living in the countryside. Demographic data can give you clear information about who your audience is so you can build campaigns and marketing messages that resonate with them. It can help you better understand who is using your products or services and help you cater to them more effectively.
2) Customer contact information
A good online marketing strategy will ensure that you are collecting contact information from your customers as well as from users who visit your website but do not make a purchase. This will make it possible for you to build a list of people that have already indicated that they are willing to purchase from your business. Email marketing is an excellent strategy to remarket or upsell products to these users. Email and contact numbers are the most important pieces of data that you should collect from your website visitors. Consult with your online marketing company in Jamaica and ensure that your website has the right contact forms in place to capture this information.
3) Website analytics
When it comes to online marketing, your website is your business’s virtual store. Understanding where users are spending time on your website, where are they leaving the website from, and whether or not they are taking any desired action on the website, are valuable information that can help you fine-tune your business’s website conversion strategies. Google analytics is a free tool that can help you collect this data. Website analytics data includes information on website traffic, time spent on the website, bounce rate, etc. This information can be used to improve design and structure for higher conversions so your website can be built into a sustainable channel for business.
Contact Toucan for digital marketing services in Jamaica that effectively combines data with campaign design. The knowledge and skill to use data effectively has a tremendous impact on the ROMI generated via online marketing. Get in touch with our digital marketing team to learn how you can achieve higher return on marketing spend through effective data collection and analysis.
Location: Kingston Jamaica