Digital Marketing 101: A Beginner’s Guide For Small Business Owners

It is with no doubt that the digital age and online environment has had a major impact on the retail industry in recent years. While foot traffic into physical stores declines, online shopping and e-commerce sales have grown massively.

2016 has flown past ever so quickly and the majority of brands, have either planned their consumer marketing and advertising strategies for the year ahead or are in the process of producing them now. But does your consumer marketing strategy have the ability to react quickly in an ever-changing landscape should it be required?

After an intensive pitching process, we are delighted to welcome Mitsubishi Electric and Sika to RGC Digital Marketing in 2015. These companies have partnered with RGC to deliver the full suite of digital, advertising and marketing services and we can’t wait to connect consumers to their brands.

You have probably heard all the hype lately around the use of personalisation as a marketing strategy, with critics questioning the effectiveness of the approach.

Big data, predictive analytics and machine learning are common topics that have risen within the digital marketing space and are rapidly gaining traction from many industries due to the opportunities it provides.

Who would have thought that in 2020 we would have seen such significant changes to our lives, almost overnight? These changes have seen many businesses heavily impacted by lockdowns across the globe.

Digital marketing has fundamentally transformed the retail industry, providing an unprecedented opportunity to engage with consumers on a 1:1,  personalised level.

Did you know that 56% of retail jobs are expected to have a digital component by 2019? While merchants are currently operating in challenging environments, digital has fundamentally changed the industry and opened up new and exciting opportunities. 

In recent studies conducted by Sensis in 2015 on social media consumption by consumers, we see exactly how consumers react to brands delivery of content and it provides brands with opportunities to truly engage their consumers more effectively. So what steps should brands implement to ultimately sell more product?

For the past 6 years, the Web Marketing Association recognises the best in responsive mobile web and application development with the MobileWebAward (MWA) competition, and is the only industry-based advertising award to do so.

Long gone are the days where consumers pass through the doors of multiple dealerships to find their dream car.

Australian consumers are amongst some of the most active individuals on social media accounts today, accessing news, entertainment and interacting with others through various platforms.

While the online era has definitely impacted the way consumers interact with brands, it may be surprising to know consumers still visit physical stores and establishments.

Since it's humble beginnings 40 years ago, it is predicted that in just 2 year's time, over 246 billion emails will be sent and received every single day! 

Technology has long played an important role in providing exceptional customer experience for many brands, including the insurance industry.

Attracting customers in today's digital age is no easy feat. With a multitude of factors that contribute to a brand's online success, effective web design is one of the most important. 

Satisfying after-hours' cravings or maximising convenience in our busy lifestyles has become increasingly popular in recent time through the significant adoption of online ordering and delivery.

It's time to make the most of society's hyper-connectivity. If you sell products online, you should be using Instagram shopping.

Although labelled as a buzzword, the 'digital transformation' has made an immense impact in many areas of business, including the insurance industry.

Social media usage is on the rise for Australian consumers and businesses in 2015. This report demonstrates exactly how, why and when social media is being utilised. Is your brand positioned correctly to effectively connect consumers to your products and services?

With over 9 million monthly active users, Instagram has become one of the most popular photo sharing, social media applications amongst consumers and businesses alike.

In recent years, voice search has appeared to be nothing but a quiet whisper in the digital marketing space. However, this is about to be amplified with the prediction that by 2020, over 200 billion searches will be voice-activated.

It's no doubt that the online world today is a highly visual habitat.

Since launching in 2000 and attracting only 20 million searches a day, Google Ads (previously called Google AdWords) has grown immensely, now attracting over 3.5 billion daily searches and equating to roughly 40,000 search queries a second. 

As the Oculus Rift, HTV and other virtual reality (VR) headsets increasingly creep into our homes and the augmented reality (AR) app phenomenon, Pokémon Go, took over our smartphone screens in mid-2016, VR and AR technology has been hot on everyone's lips.

The automotive industry is no stranger to the fast lane, particularly when it comes to the highly competitive nature of the business.

In Australia, the education industry is a $121 billion market and according to IBIS World has expanded at a faster rate relative to population growth in the past five years. 

Every brand big or small require advertising and marketing strategies to promote their products and services in order to raise awareness and opportunities for sales. However, how well has your brand incorporated modern marketing leverage opportunities, to compete in this brave new world?

Did you know that by the end of the year, 28.2 trillion messages will have been sent and received through SMS and mobile messaging applications? 

A recent survey has discovered that Australian media buyers are amongst the most eager to invest in programmatic advertising.

Recognising the power of creativity is the slogan behind the highly regarded international W3 awards, and RGC Digital Marketing is delighted to Win a Silver Award within the Business and User Experience Categories for the “My Business Mate” iPhone Application development project, as our first internal brand innovation initiative. 

Globally, 40% of all online spend is directed towards digital retail giant Amazon.

As 2020 rolls on with a tremendous amount of uncertainty, both consumers and businesses are faced with the possibility of a COVID-19 second-wave of shuts downs across Australian cities.

As technology continually changes and adapts, so too do the opportunities available for marketers.

Did you know that consumers are exposed to over 5000 marketing messages every single day? Think about how many of these 5000 messages that you can recall. In a loud and overwhelming marketing environment, how can your brand stand out?

With the growing costs of upholding a bricks and mortar store and the current Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses are closing up shop, only to reopen online.

As both a consumer and a strategist for a leading digital marketing agency, I have been fortunate to look at this Covid-19 pandemic from two very different views.

Launching a web mobile application for Independent Locksmiths achieved tremendous advantages, as this app was purpose built around delivering them a solution to locate contractors from various networks around Australia. The web app helped them systemise their internal processes, hence promoting increases in efficiency and productivity for their brand.

It is inevitable that social media has been a game changer for marketing professionals.