Today, digital media is all around us. The use of smartphones, computers, tablets, TVs, gaming consoles and other digital devices is extremely popular. This of course is a godsend for marketers. In this article I will be discussing what digital marketing is, it’s importance and whether it can disrupt existing purchasing behaviour of online shoppers.

"Customers now can build and destroy brands with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram."

Digital marketing is essentially the act of promoting brands to connect with potential customers and/or consumers using the internet and other forms of digital communication, like social media, e-mail, SEO, etc.¹ According to Robert Chastney (2020), digital marketing is “essentially a term used to describe any marketing efforts that take place on the internet or on a digital device.²

There are several stats that suggest the level of importance of digital marketing. According to Shopify (2021) “the global ecommerce market is expected to total $4.89 trillion in 2021.” Shopify adds, “That figure is estimated to grow over the next few years, showing that borderless ecommerce is becoming a profitable option for online retailers.”³ This highlights the vast potential for any business’ promotional efforts. 85% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase online.⁴ Again, this clearly highlights another reason for you and your business to take advantage of digital marketing.

According to Digital Marketing Institute (2018), “By using digital marketing, you can reach an enormous audience in a way that is both cost-effective and measurable". ⁵ Digital marketing is effective because it allows you the freedom to save money and reach more potential customers for less money than traditional marketing methods like newspaper, radio, and TV advertising.⁶

With around 4.5 billion internet users worldwide, digital marketing gives businesses the opportunity to promote their products/services on platforms where their target audience spend a lot of time and money. Digital marketing also gives smaller companies an opportunity to compete with more established and larger rivals, through the use of data and insights to target customers.

The introduction of the internet has been a game-changer in every sense. Here we will discuss some of the ways that consumer behaviour has changed due to digital marketing.

Consumers Experiment More

As a collective, people tend to resist change. However, owing to digital marketing and the vast information that it extends to the masses; now people are welcoming new products and services. This experimental behaviour has paved the way for the success of several new products and services including Uber.

Consumers Are More Connected

Consumers are now more connected to businesses than ever before. Using smartphones, they can conduct research on products, ask sales questions, and purchase products in any location with an internet connection.

With the introduction of Digital and Social Media Marketing, consumer behaviour is now way more important. Customers now can build and destroy brands with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Consumers not only use these channels to interact with brands and submit customer service queries, but also, for research when making purchasing decisions. According to GlobalWebIndex, 54% of social media users have used social media to research products.⁷

“Word of Mouth” is still an important factor that can influence consumer behaviour. This is further reinforced by the likes and comments on social media. It’s important for businesses to listen to what is being said about them, their market, and competitors online. It’s extremely important for them to learn from what they “hear” and to engage with their audience when necessary.

Customers Have Higher Expectations

As a result of the influence of technology the expectations of consumers are now at an all-time high. Consumers expect more responsive, relevant, and targeted communication for businesses. There used to be a time when consumers were required to wait before contacting a customer service representative or to purchase a product. Times have changed, now, consumers now expect tailored experiences on demand.

If a consumer is forced to wait for a response from customer service or to buy a product, due to the high level of competition, consumers will turn to the competitor’s product or service that offers a better experience. The bar for satisfactory customer experience is so high and so is the level of competition, meaning consumers expect more from companies.

With around 4.5 billion internet users worldwide and increasing, digital marketing gives businesses the opportunity to promote their products/services on platforms where their target audience spend a lot of time and money.

The introduction of digital marketing has been disrupting the purchasing behaviours of consumers. Due to digital marketing and the vast information that it extends to the masses, people are now welcoming new products and services, like Uber, Delivaroo, AirBnB etc. With the introduction of Digital and Social Media Marketing, consumer behaviour is now way more important. Customers now can build and destroy brands with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

¹https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/digital-marketing/

²Ibid.

³https://www.shopify.co.uk/enterprise/global-ecommerce-statistics

⁴https://transaction.agency/ecommerce-statistics/85-percent-of-consumers-conduct-online-research-before-making-a-purchase-online/

⁵https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/why-digital-marketing-is-important-for-small-business#:~:text=Using%20digital%20marketing%2C%20you%20can,both%20cost%2Deffective%20and%20measurable.&text=You%20can%20save%20money%20and,help%20to%20create%20brand%20loyalty

⁶Ibid.

⁷https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics