A Quest into the Future of Digital Marketing Agencies in India

Why Digital Marketing will thrive in India?

India is the world’s second most populous country, with a population of 1,339,180,127 people. Every minute, a plethora of opportunities are produced for people. It’s vital to note that the future of digital marketing agency in India, as well as the scope of digital marketing in the future, is likely to brighten in the coming years. For most people, a cell phone has become a necessity.

Even if your mother wants to try a new recipe, she will most likely use YouTube to scribble down what she needs and how to execute it. When it comes to company, the digital marketing trend is undeniably on the rise.

Everyone wants to offer their goods and services on the internet in order to reach a wider audience. When compared to traditional marketing, these are some of the major advantages that make this marketing strategy more productive and cost-efficient.

According to a poll by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) in 2016, India will have more than 500 million internet users by June 2018. It turned out to be true! This created a fantastic business opportunity to sell products and services to a rising group of tech-savvy internet users.

best digital marketing services

Changes in Digital Marketing

Prior to this, the majority of marketing was done through door-to-door sales and word-of-mouth exposure. Marketers previously relied on physical work to advertise their goods. On the other hand, people increasingly demand to have everything at their fingertips.

And every company’s top objective is to address the needs of its customers. So, digital marketing agencies got popular a few years ago. Even the tiniest of products may now be found via the internet. The digital marketing trend has captivated both consumers and businesses.

In the past, how did digital marketing for small businesses in India work? Print media and banner ads accounted for the majority of the advertising. All of the real estate behemoths, on the other hand, now prefer to market their lovely properties to their customers on the internet. Their new success mantra is to make the content engaging.

Retrieving data. Wait a few seconds and try to cut or copy again.

Digital is the new game

Everyone in the country prefers social media marketing companies in India to all other forms of advertising. Digital marketing is also being used by startups to get their firms off the ground. Every business process is made easier using this platform. The corporation does not need to employ people to physically advertise the product in the market.

It offers a wide range of low-cost, high-quality, and cutting-edge marketing procedures and channels. Every type of goods and service is increasingly using digital marketing. They understand that this is a tried-and-true platform. From IT behemoths to hoteliers, everyone uses the digital platform.

digital marketing companies for startups

Government’s “Digital India” initiative

With the objective of turning India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, the Indian government launched the Digital India programme to overhaul the entire ecosystem of public services via the use of information technology.

Rural communities, as well as metropolitan metropolis, now have opportunities. A government application for jobs programs has also been developed. Everything these days is getting increasingly digital. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for a job in digital marketing for small businesses in India. Stop debating the pros and cons of each option and instead focus on the benefits they offer.

The government’s e-marketplace is also seeing a considerable growth in analytical graphics. All registrations have increased, albeit with minor volatility. There are variations everywhere. People in India are gradually becoming more tech – savvy, and it will take time for them to do so. All of this suggests that there is no need to avoid it if the government is also supporting! As part of the digital India initiative, the government has initiated a plethora of projects aimed at the country’s youth.

Conveying ROI more effectively

In just the second quarter of 2022, the US economy shrank by 9.5 percent. Millions of businesses have had their lives turned upside down as a result of the pandemic. Even for enterprises that prospered during the lockdowns, the effects of such economic instability are long-lasting.While the movement in consumer behavior toward online activities certainly gives a big opportunity for businesses, clients are likely to be wary about spending money on marketing. It will be critical how social media marketing company in India agencies communicate the potential ROI of their services.

It won’t just be about what you offer; it’ll also be about how you solve problems for your clients and produce actual outcomes. It’s one thing to declare you’re a HubSpot expert; clients want to know how that converts into a profit margin and how it will help their business. In a world where finances are being scrutinized, demonstrating the value of your services through precise insights will be critical.

Reaching global markets

As the phrase goes, “today, being digital is being global.” It is, in fact, the truth. Digital networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn allow users to access audiences all over the world. You may now connect with almost anyone using these social media sites because they have such a wide reach.

Many people in India conduct business solely with Americans in mind. As a result, everything is possible with social media. Many businesses in the United States prefer to work with Indian digital marketing agencies to organize their social media marketing. To put it another way, there’s a lot going on in the area of digital marketing agency for startups in India. Many people are discussing it, and many more are on the lookout for it.

Agility is a competitive advantage

The world had to adapt to work from home during the pandemic. The amazing thing was that many firms found it to be highly successful. Many of the world’s most recognizable corporations have pledged to make working from home the new normal.Despite the fact that most digital marketing agencies were well-prepared for this transformation, there were a few striking trends. The business suffered a hit in the early weeks and months of Covid, but one research found that 80 percent of agencies who experienced a 30 percent rise in income were outsourcing.

These firms understood that they could forego costly facilities and instead rely on the freelancing economy to give great work to clients on demand. This has become a seamless process thanks to technology, which allows agencies to complete highly specialized work without having to hire full-time personnel.This allows digital marketing organizations to be far more agile, saving money on fixed expenditures and scaling up quickly to meet client demands. Many organizations might not have made
this change if not for the outbreak.

It is cheaper and affordable

When compared to other marketing channels, digital marketing agencies in India is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote a product. Gone are the days when getting a newspaper advertisement printed cost thousands of dollars or lakhs of rupees. It’s so simple now, thanks to digital media. If you’re a real estate company, you may use social media to market your new project to thousands of individuals at once.

Creating a Facebook ad costs roughly ₹40 per day, which is practically nothing. The average cost per click ranges from ₹0.52 to ₹2.3 Spending lakhs of rupees on a single advertisement versus Rs. 40 every day can provide positive outcomes. Many companies, including new start-ups, are heavily spending in digital marketing. They’re searching for somebody who can create and implement digital marketing strategies that are tailored to their specific requirements.

Increase in digital classifieds market revenue

The amount of money earned by digital classifieds is also predicted to be five times higher than it was in 2015. The biggest revenue will be around $23 billion in fiscal year 2022.By 2022, all revenues from digital marketing will have doubled. To position oneself in the driver’s seat, all Indian businesses must be proficient in digital marketing in order to represent the country in the global marketplace. Not only businesses, but also individuals looking for work in this field will find tens of thousands of openings in practically every city.Digital marketing agencies for startups are a great way to boost the businesses from the very start.

In a nutshell

The possibilities are unlimited when it comes to digital marketing.Not only businesses, but also individuals looking for work in this field will find tens of thousands of openings in practically every city.Not only that, but today’s and tomorrow’s digital marketers will have to foresee changes and adopt them well ahead of time in order to capitalize on them.

So, whether you think you should or not, the moment has come for you to go digital!

Why Is It Important to Integrate Organic & Paid Social Media Marketing Into Your Strategy

Weighing your options between paid social media marketing and organic social strategy? Let us save you some legwork. Know this: You shall need a bit of both.

Let us clear out the basics here.

Source - planoly
Source – planoly

What is Organic Social Media?

Organic social media is the free content (including the posts, videos, memes, stories, etc.) which all the users, including the brands and businesses, share on their feeds.

Being a brand, when you make an organic post through a social media marketing agency in Kolkata, the following people will see it:

  1. a) A percentage of your followers (this is your organic reach)

  2. b) The followers of your followers (if they share it)

  3. c) People who follow any hashtag that you are using in your post.

It sounds pretty simple. However, the main reason why organic social media is the base of every digital marketing strategy is that it is the best way to nurture a connection with your target customer.

Source - hootsuite
Source – hootsuite

What is Paid Social Media?

In simple terms, paid social media is called advertising. This is when you as a brand pay money to platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others to share your content with a new audience.

You can get your content in front of your audience, either by boosting or creating unique advertisements.

You can use paid social media to:

  1. a) Raise brand awareness & get new followers

  2. b) Promote the newest deals, events, content. etc.

  3. c) Get more leads

  4. d) Increase conversions

Why Should You Mix & Match the Power of Organic & Paid Social Media Marketing?

A complete social media marketing approach should include both paid and organic social. The primary reason is, you cannot make an impact using only organic social.

If you want to reach a broader audience, then you have to invest in paid social opportunities through a digital marketing agency in Kolkata. For instance, if we take the platform of Facebook, the reach of organic posts is only 2%. Also, the number is steadily declining.

Source-BroadbandSearch
Source-BroadbandSearch

Now, we are not asking here to invest every last dollar into paid social. Organic social is also necessary for ongoing success. Yes, organic reach is indeed less, but the benefits are still effective.

Organic social will offer you a great opportunity to promote your company, services, and products for free. If you have a loyal set of audience, you can extend your network through social sharing.

However, while working on organic social, try not to bombard your audience with sales pitches in every post. Try to add value as much as possible.

Paid Social & Organic Social are More Effective When Used Together

Paid social and organic social are more effective when used together. Here is why:

  • With organic social, you get an active social presence. And it is important to have an active social presence when running paid ads. This helps in building trust with your audience.

  • Again, it will take time to build an active, engaged audience with organic social alone. Thus, you need paid social to grow your presence faster.

  • When you post organically with the help of a social media marketing firm in Kolkata, know that your content is only seen by your existing followers. Now, when you run paid ads, it will help you reach new users along with the knock-on effect of your organic reach.

  • Another important reason for using both paid and organic social is, paid social also helps in boosting high-performing organic posts. Thus, it helps to influence the algorithm and increases your reach.

Source - statista
Source – statista
  • Paid ads are a great way to know who all are engaging with your content and then identify the potential new customers. Thus, you can tailor the organic content towards those new prospects and audiences.

  • You can also use the paid ads and organic social posts for your audience in multiple ways with the help of a social media marketing company in Kolkata. For example, the paid ads can increase leads through your website and organic social posts will help you in building a brand story.
  • Finally, connecting the paid and organic efforts will ensure a complete and streamlined user experience for the present customers also while attracting new users with paid ads.

Why do You Need a Digital Marketing Agency in Kolkata to Help You?

When it comes to paid ads and organic social posts, you cannot deny that using both of them simultaneously will give you profit. However, there is a lot that goes on while managing both organic and paid social content for businesses.

You will NEED the help of a digital marketing company in Kolkata.

Right from the content creation to the proofreading, visual planning, thorough reporting, monitoring, editing, it needs a lot of time and experience to maintain a social media profile.

Along with the resources and time, it also needs multiple skill sets and disciplines. The social media team has to be organized. They must have good communication skills and an eye for design.

Also, they must be able to analyze and interpret data amongst many other things. They have to be updated with the latest trending topics, moments, shares, news, cultural shifts, digital trends, and social media advancements.

There is a lot to juggle with.

source - Zima Media
Source – Zima Media

The long list of skills is one of the main reasons why it takes time to run both paid and organic social ads. This is where a digital marketing company in Kolkata or a social media marketing company in Kolkata can help you.

Right from the full-service digital media management, to the social media consultation, a digital media marketing agency in Kolkata will take care of your social media needs.

You shall need a wide array of creative services, in some cases PR strategies, and website development as well. A digital marketing agency in Kolkata can help you in all these areas.

Remember that both paid and organic social media takes a lot of expertise, time, and plan to make it work effectively for your brand. Thus, if you want to get great results, you have to opt for both paid and organic social media activities.

Related Articles:

15 Social Media Trends for 2021- A Guide to Your Online Social Strategy

Why Is It Important to Integrate Organic & Paid Social Media Marketing Into Your Strategy

15 Social Media Trends for 2021- A Guide to Your Online Social Strategy

Beyond any doubt, 2020 was one hell of a year! If there is anything to take away from 2020 is, you ought to be prepared for anything. Both the expected and the unexpected! 2020 is a year that a lot of us would rather forget about it. Amidst all this, social media platforms have rapidly evolved. All this is to meet the demands and needs of the users during the pandemic.

You have to remember that social media platforms will always keep their audience/users as their priority. No one could have predicted the surge in social media usage like it happened in 2020. Did you know that the number of social media users increased to 346 million in just a span of 6 months? Yes, that’s what happened last year.

So how will 2021 be? Here are the social media trends in 2021. Also, in the following blog, you will find the social media predictions you need to be prepared for.

Some social media stats to help you prepare for 2021

SL. NO. Social media stats for a better online marketing strategy in 2021
1. 90% of consumers believe brand recommendations from friends.
2. Daily active stories on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp hit 500 million in 2019.
3. Internet video traffic is expected to jump 4X by the end of 2022.
4. Nine out of ten customers suggest that authenticity is the most important factor when choosing which brand to support.
5. 43% of the consumers research online through social media before buying them.
6. The number of mobile messaging app users will reach 3.12 billion by 2023.
7. 70% of consumers believe other consumers’ opinions on social media.
8. 56% of the consumers don’t respect brands that stay silent on major social issues
9. Videos with social stickers have 83% better engagement.
10. Facebook is the most important social media platform with 68% market domination.

What are the 2021 social media trends?

1. Facebook Dominance will Continue

Facebook is a winner in the pandemic! Brands continued to invest in ads and other campaigns even during the pandemic. This is proof that Facebook is one of the best social media platforms for advertising that combine granularity with scale.

It is protected by the bidding model. Thus, it means that as soon as one advertiser drops out, another one will take its spot. Businesses cannot afford to have their place taken by their competitors. This is why businesses return quickly to keep their ads running on Facebook.

According to Sebastian Redenz, “While Facebook was already ascending to dominance before the pandemic, the trend has accelerated this year, which is why I predict that the stock will trade at around the $400 marker in 2021.”

Source – Statista

Facebook Dominance will Continue
Facebook Dominance will Continue

2. More focus on live and long-form videos

With the pandemic, there was an increase in the need to share real-time live videos. Facebook reported that there was a 50% rise in the number of viewers watching live videos. With people returning to their “normal life”, there will be a huge increase in the number of people sharing real-world experience in real-time.

The use of video content is already popular through apps like Tik-Tok and similar other apps. Every day, the users are also becoming comfortable in sharing their thoughts on a video. The duration of content will get longer. This has been anticipated by video sharing platforms. Thus, apps like Tik-Tok are already testing three-minute videos. Other platforms will follow this and a longer form of content will be the norm.

Source – Wyzowl state of video marketing survey

More focus on live and long-form videos
More focus on live and long-form videos

3. Social Media will Become a True Sales Channel

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat videos, and more AR will encourage the customers to shop now. Brands are now establishing a relationship with their customers by sharing, relevant, fun, and also informative content. This will allow e-commerce from social to thrive.

Businesses have to expect to see social media evolve to become a sales channel. Yes, it is true that the growth of social e-commerce was slow. However, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms are using shoppable ads. Thus, marketers have to invest in social channels for getting more and more customers.

Companies are now waking up to the true opportunity that lies within consumers dwelling in higher volumes than normal on social channels, especially when ecommerce was the only option for driving sales. I’m hoping that we will see in 2021 the acceleration of the smoothening of social commerce. Content and commerce are only going to get closer in the year ahead.” – Sarah Penny, Influencer Intelligence.

Source – Hootsuite’s social trends 2021 survey

Social Media will Become a True Sales Channel
Social Media will Become a True Sales Channel

4. Remixing the User- Generated Content

User-generated content is not new. However, the way user-generated content is being created nowadays is new. Remixing is increasing these days. Using the already existing formats, templates, ideas, and then recreating them according to a user’s personality, is new.

In 2021, you can expect more opportunities for brands for remixing. Brands need to use this opportunity to engage with the new audiences and also create additional content for the brand. With more video content, the urge to remix content is on the rise.

Source

Remixing the User- Generated Content
Remixing the User- Generated Content

5. Social Messaging is on the Rise

The use of social messaging has become greater than social media. Thus, it is going to be fascinating to see what comes next in this space. WhatsApp will get advertising in 2021, just like Facebook. In 2020, we say people connecting with each other on a much more humane level.

In 2021, there will be a continuation of this desire for connecting authentically with a small network of like-minded individuals. More specifically, there will be a rise in voice and face-to-face platforms to facilitate this need.

6. Organic social media relationship funnel

Think about this, who do customers trust the most? With the increasing number of fake news and privacy issues, creating a trustworthy relationship is highly important for businesses. It will be harder for businesses.

Did you know that 75% of people don’t accept advertisements to be true? 63% of social media users feel that consumer ratings are #1. Also, 70% of the consumers believe other consumer’s opinions. To get through this, social media marketers have to invest in building relationships with customers, employees, and influencers.

This is to make sure that the brand messages are backed up with the real customer voices as well. It will also offer more value. Companies cannot look at social media as just a way for promotion. Instead, it is rather a grand arena to engage and collaborate with social media users.

The primary focus should be on clients and influencers. Work with them to incite word of mouth marketing for your brand on social media.

Source – Statista

Organic social media relationship funnel
Organic social media relationship funnel

7. People-first social media

Two-way communication is the way to boost organic posts. It is the best way and probably the only way that works. Why? Social media is all about algorithms. And how do algorithms work? There is no rocket science to it. An algorithm will take your content and present it to the relevant users along with the targeted paid ads. Thus, an online community that can engage with your content with likes, follows, and comments, will help you in amplifying your content.

Therefore, you have created a channel that your new customers will trust. Remember, social media algorithms will always favor people. The idea is to embrace the nano-influencers and above, who already have a liking for you. Include people who like your company. This is a very important part of digital marketing.

8. Use Social Issues in Your Social Content

Whenever there is a political or a social issue, it means increased social media conversation. According to the Social Media Reports from Merkle’s Q4 of 2020, 56% of the consumers have no respect for a company that stays silent on important issues. Thus, now is the time to leverage the social platform to inform and reassure your customers.

In this year, more people will be looking for meaningful content so that they can share them and educate others as well. People will also expect a much more humane approach from the brands. A lot of brands like Nike, Disney, and Ben & Jerry’s have already participated actively on issues like “Black Lives Matter” and also how to sustain business in this pandemic.

This is the time to use your reach and educate your users to spread positive messages. Also, this works as a way to increase more engagement with your audience. Here is an example of how Netflix responded to the issue of Black Lives Matter.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CA012Z3nM6n/?utm_source=ig_embed

9. Use Social Commerce to your advantage

87% of shoppers believe that social media has helped them in making a better shopping decision. More than half of the world’s population is on social media. According to the data from the US Department of Commerce, social media’s share in the total of US retail sales have rocketed up in 2020. The best part is, this trend is here to continue.

Social commerce is not a very new concept. However, with Facebook and Instagram shops, Pinterest catalogs along with the increasing shopping behavior in the pandemic, this is the year (2021) when social commerce will flourish. Your target audience is already spending a major chunk of their time on social media. So why not make the most of it?

As a brand, you would always want to convert customers as much as possible. Thus, you don’t have to waste time sending them back to your website. Allow them to buy directly from social media posts/ads. This is why digital marketers have to focus more on social media reach, engagement, and effectiveness.

Source – Statista

Use Social Commerce to your advantage
Use Social Commerce to your advantage

10. The Algorithm Shifts

This is an important aspect of social media trends in 2021. One of the big questions is, how Facebook will address concerns on the feed algorithm. Under the Biden-led US Government, it might take up more action and restrict misinformation and hate speech to avoid increased pressure and also penalties imposed by the government.

Facebook might do this. According to the New York Times report, after the US election, Facebook has added a new News Feed tweak where “authoritative news came up more prominently”. Thus, fringe content or websites will be downgraded.

This looks like Facebook is trying to create a “nicer” news feed. Some argue that this change needs to be permanent. Also, this can lead to a reduced engagement on Facebook but it might also increase the e-commerce activity. Facebook can appease both elements without losing out.

11. Using Instagram stickers for engagement

60% of the businesses these days use interactive elements like stickers in the Instagram stories. They have good reasons for that. It is a great way to boost your engagement. It also helps in generating conversation with the audience. This is not only useful for the photo content but also useful for the videos. According to analytics, videos that have stickers, have better engagement 83% of the time.

Along with the stickers, you can also include locations, mentions, hashtags to increase the reach of the stories. However, this is already known to most social media users. There is a whole range of stickers that have been introduced by Instagram. These include questions & polls, for interacting with your audience. Another new sticker is the “DM me tag”. It opens up a direct conversation with the account when it is clicked.

Source

Using Instagram stickers for engagement
Using Instagram stickers for engagement

12. Text-based posts

By text-based posts, we don’t mean long forms of content for posting on Instagram. What we want to say is, creating text-focused layouts where you engage with the audience, encourage them to comment, share, and like. For instance, you can check out this Australian skincare brand Go-To.

They have created an illustration of the Google search bar. The idea is to urge the audience to ask questions on the topic of “free radicals” in skincare. This is a clever way to not only generate more engagement but also ensures that they are offering their audience actual usable information to the audience.

Source

Text-based posts
Text-based posts

13. Gamified Content

People have more time on social media these days. Now, more than ever, brands have to use creative new ways to entertain their audience. For instance, there is a trend in social media. It is called Gamified Content on Instagram. Whether it is quizzes, bingo, or “choose your own adventure” type posts. These are fun ways to encourage interaction on your posts on social media. The following is an example of the post that we are talking about here.

Source

Gamified Content
Gamified Content

14. The Power of Facebook Groups

Last year, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will focus on the ‘groups’ in the near future. It is clear from the recent redesign where you can see from the ‘group’ section. As of 2020, more than half of the world is using Facebook. Therefore, more and more startups should use Facebook to set up their private digital ‘community’ for their brand.

Now, the problem is, the Facebook algorithm will make it difficult to get organic content seen. Did you know that only 5.5% of the audience sees your posts on Facebook? Thus, the groups offer a great antidote to this. The groups are a great way for the brands to get their content to more people who ‘actually’ want to see it.

Research shows that people are open to check out content from brands in groups as long as they are adding some value instead of just self-promoting. The more targeted and specific the purpose of the Facebook group is, the more likely it is to get the attention of your audience.

15. Direct Conversations

The focus right now is on making connections by showing genuine care for their problems. Consumers are looking for personal interactions with brands, now more than ever. This is why direct conversations are on the rise. Not only with the DM Me sticker of Instagram, but also the brands are using messaging tools like Telegram and Discord for communicating with their customers.

For instance, the fashion publishing company, Man Repeller, has taken up one step further. They have created their own text messaging service Thoughtline. This is a tool that sends subscribers tips, articles, and networking opportunities from the website through SMS. This is interesting to see that the new trend is allowing the brands to cut through the noise of social media and communicate with customers in a much more personal way.

These are the top 15 social media trends for 2021. In 2021 and the coming years, business brands have to find their place in public dialog on social. Words without actions are meaningless. Therefore, showing commitment will matter more than ever in the coming years. It will be the only way to retain customers and other key stakeholders. This will also help in gaining more customers as well.

Why is it Dangerous to Hire a Freelancer for Digital Marketing?

When you have to get digital marketing done for your website or brand, a lot of individuals get confused. Some people think that hiring a freelancer will be a better option. Others consider hiring a full-time digital marketing agency.

Now, from the topic of our blog, you have already understood that we are going to discuss why you should not hire a freelancer for digital marketing. Digital marketing plays a very important role if a business owner wants to take his business to the next level.

If you think that hiring a freelancer will help you with digital marketing, then you are mistaken. Yes, it is true that freelancers do have their advantages, but the same features will turn against you. How? First of all, let us explain why a lot of business owners tend to hire freelance digital marketers.

Why shouldn’t you hire a digital marketing freelancer?

The primary reason why most of the business owners opt for freelancers is their services come cheap. This seems to be a viable option for a lot of startups and small businesses with budget constraints. However, cheap services don’t come with the expected quality.

While hiring a freelancer, most of them will claim to increase traffic, engagement, and conversion within a lesser cost than an agency. But the desired output is not exactly as expected and that’s when the budget constraints become a legitimate factor. Because that is when you come to know that you have to spend more to get better results.

Now, this whole thing creates a bad experience for any business owner.

Another important reason why you should not hire a freelancer for digital marketing is a freelancer has a limited skill set. A single individual cannot be proficient in multiple aspects. As we all know, digital marketing incorporates a wide array of activities.

It includes SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, PPC, content writing, mobile marketing, and more creative services. It is not possible for a single individual to be experienced in all these segments. This is where the services of a freelancer are limited.

Thus, you will have to look for multiple freelancers for multiple segments of digital marketing. This brings us back to the square one where you have to spend more to get effective services from freelancers.

Again, you won’t have a satisfactory experience.

What is the alternative to hiring freelance digital marketing experts and why?

Obviously the alternative to hiring freelancers is to opt for a professional digital marketing agency. Now, you might think that it will be going over-budget. But you have to understand that when you hire a freelancer for at a lesser pay scale, you are already surrendering your brand lower-quality services.

Proper marketing strategy – a freelancer can’t help you with it

One thing that should be very clear that digital marketing requires a proper marketing strategy to increase traffic, engagement, and conversion. It takes time and constant effort. You might get a lot of freelancers who will get the job done for once. But a brand or a business doesn’t survive by only getting a job done. It is important for a brand or business to expand.

This is where you have to opt for a digital marketing agency since a freelancer can do as much as getting the job done. They can offer you a one-time service. They cannot help you in business acquisition, expansion, and growth. But an agency can!

Legally binding agreement – not a freelancer’s cup of tea

You need a go-to platform that offers consolidated services covering all aspects of digital marketing. This is again where you cannot trust a freelancer. Because if you hire a freelancer, there is no legal binding! There is no agreement that binds him to deliver a service for you, apart from a few email conversations or messenger chats maybe.

On the contrary, when you choose a digital marketing agency, there is a legal contract involved for a certain period. It includes non-disclosure agreements and legal payment terms that bind them to deliver a certain service for you.

Quality assurance – no assurance from a freelancer’s end

Poor services from a brand will demolish a brand name and its recognition, especially if it is a newbie. Since a single freelancer cannot handle the complete digital marketing genre, you cannot really blame a freelancer if your brand name gets affected. You will be putting your brand name at risk by hiring a freelancer for digital marketing.

Consistent support – you cannot even hope to get it from a freelancer

Another reason why you should always consider hiring a digital marketing agency is the availability and consistent support. When you hire a freelancer, you are paying for a one-time service. They will not take responsibility for anything that happens to your website/brand later on.

A freelancer is not bound to be available and deliver consistent support. There is no assurance that a freelancer will be acquitted with your business goals and objectives. They are not a part of your business and unfamiliar with corporate culture and goals. They work on their own time. Are you ready to take that risk for your brand?

On the other hand, when you hire an agency you get an agreement for a certain period. You get a team of experts that offer consistent support every day to ensure you stay on top of your digital marketing game. During that ‘agreed’ period, anything that happens to your website or brand, it becomes their responsibility.

Monitoring web-analytics and reporting – A freelancer will not bother

Thus, you will have a good night’s sleep because you know that you have a backup support team that is consistently monitoring the digital marketing campaigns, web analytics to ensure your brand recognition increases. In fact, a good digital marketing agency communicates with their clients in a transparent way to understand their goals and expectations. Thus, you might end up building a long term relationship.

Missing deadlines – A specialty for a freelancer

For the same reasons, missed deadlines are a major issue while hiring freelancers. The reason is very simple, a freelancer, being a single individual, always works on multiple projects at the same time. Trying to balance between two or three projects at the same time is not easy, especially if one is working solo.

This is what leads to missed deadlines. It is bound to happen. Result? Not getting the expected output within the desired time frame. The best alternative again is a digital marketing agency. An agency too, works on multiple projects. But, they have different teams working on different projects. This is why time management doesn’t become an issue. Thus, a chance of missing a deadline by an agency is almost nil.

Here are the reasons why it is dangerous to hire a freelancer for digital marketing. The safer and much better option is to choose a digital marketing agency. Share your opinions and let us know what you think about it.

Social Media In India: Over 400 Million Users by 2023

Social media has become a synonymous concept in India. With over 2/3rd Indians spending their online time browsing through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok & others, it is evident that social media has a steady grab in the country’s market.

Social Media States
Social Media In India

India currently has over 1.36 billion people, making it the second-most populous country in the world. Among those billions around 70% of them are active social media users.

Why did social media become so popular in India?

The social media penetration started around the early 2000s with Orkut. Then Facebook came along and became the ‘it’ sensation of the country. People originally used Facebook to stay connected with their friends & relatives.

Although social media has become much more than just a “social” platform.

By 2012, the number of social media users in urban India had reached 62 million. Now, the credit here goes to smartphones, surely.

A sudden availability of smartphones and mobile Internet has led to a spurt in the use of social media. Everything became so easy and with cheap internet packages, affordable as well. A few years later with Reliance Jio, the game changed forever.

All the business ventures in India rely on social media to understand their consumer base, for brand awareness and interaction. Indians through social media build virtual communities, social groups, to communicate, share, upload & chat.

Social media & Business

So as we were discussing, social media has gradually changed over the years. From being a platform to connect with people & sharing life updates, it has now become a steady podium to run business.

Consider Facebook for instance, with billions of users, it makes for a great mobile marketing unit. Thus, companies and software vendors need to provide smartphone applications to cater to the mobile world, and thus attract a large customer base.

Millions of Facebook users who access it from mobile generates 30% of Facebook’s ad revenue as well.

A study shows that a whopping 93% of marketers use social media for their business. That means there are lots of people involving and managing the social media strategy.

Also, considering the number of children that are active on Facebook, this has been a potential demographic which is waiting to be tapped by social media marketers. Discount offers and prizes can be targeted at this young demographic, using social media.

Every small or large business enterprises have their presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube channels and other related social media platforms. As far as the budget is concerned, most of the organizations set a budget below INR 10 million on their social media spending that makes 1-5% of their total marketing budget.

According to a survey by Ambassador, a famous SaaS referral marketing platform, 71% of those who have had a better social media experience with a brand will definitely refer it to others.

The Advent of Youtube

Youtube came into the scene around 2006, but it took some time for Indians to get used to it.

Youtube Stars has created a rage. These influencers have forced silver screen celebrities to be more available to their fans creating more engagement.

In the United States, YouTube’s viewers have exceeded the number of television viewers. In India, business moguls like T-series, Sony TV, have their Youtube channels with millions & millions of views. According to SEMrush, Youtube has over 1.2 billion monthly visitors from India.

Source: SEMrush

Social media & celebrities

Twitter has to be the fastest-growing social platform especially for the demographic of 55–64 years. From 2012, the demographic has grown by over 79%. So, clearly social media isn’t just for youngsters of this age.

With Indian politicians, movie celebrities, comedians, authors everyone joining Twitter, the engagement in social media platforms overall has increased a lot.

Through different activities, politics and politicians in India have brought social media into the limelight. Today, if you want to know what is going on in the world, you just need to login to your Twitter account & you get all the updates available from every corner there.

And many personas are using this medium very well. Ajay Devgan hosted his Google+ Hangout in which the common man was free to ask live questions from him.

Shah Rukh Khan with his frequently sessioned “AskSRK” gained some extra fan engagement!

Even politicians aren’t behind. A very good example would be Shashi Tharoor, who is very active on Twitter and his tweets are quoted in mainstream media.

The Future

In 2021, it is estimated that there will be around 448 million social network users in India, a significant increase from 2019 where it figures at 351 million.

Social Media Users by 2023
Social Media Users by 2023

With new mediums like Tiktok, Helo & other regional language-based social media platforms, companies are targeting Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

Social media marketing is a platform that provides high ROI with very less investment. This is why many small and medium scale organizations rely on social media for their marketing methods.

Also, with the rise of digital media in working sectors like LinkedIn, educational courses like learning apps, people will have to use their digital knowledge in India in some ways.

How are you implement social media in your business? Have you tried social media marketing yet? Or digital marketing for that matter?

For any help just Contact us at Skyram Technologies. We will guide you through a perfectly planned strategy where you can use this force of social media into your benefit!

And for more blogs on marketing, read here!

Rise of Micro-Influencers in the World of Digital Marketing

Rise of Micro-Influencers in the World of Digital Marketing

Influencer marketing has become a favorite marketing tool for brands over the past few years.

With Youtube & Instagram, brands use micro-influencers for promoting their products. Micro-influencers have a loyal fan following & they have their own niche audience.

According to a study by Experticity, 82% of consumers have a higher chance of listening to their favorite influencer rather than the brand itself.

These influencers earn big bucks. Somya Gupta, an Instagram celebrity with over 500,000 followers at the age of 21, earns more than 1 million. Her story is a journey from ordinary to stardom. She teamed up with over 50 brands including Calvin Klein, Loreal, Lakme, Garnier, Maybelline and One Plus.

Now, Who Are These Micro-Influencers?

These are everyday people on social media platforms with huge number of followers. They can be from a specific genre like Steven Onoja from the fashion world or Amit Agarwal, a technological influencers.

These people tend to have followers anywhere between 5,000 to 50,000 & these are dedicated fan base who trust them a lot.

With celebrities, people often find it difficult to trust them as they often endorse products strictly based on commercial needs. However, with micro-influencers, they have a connection with their audience.

Youtubers

Why are micro-influencers so popular?

More Engaging-

One of the primary reasons why brands go to micro-influencers for product promotion is that they have a higher audience engagement rate.

Micro-influencers are more like virtual friends, like most Facebook or Instagram friends that millennials have, who stay in touch, talk with them & value their opinion. They are more real people who understand them.

Cost-Effective

For instance, if Farah Magi, a fashion micro-influencer from Bangalore, is promoting a brand, they tend to charge per-campaign or tweet. This automatically reduces the cost of promotion for the brands. They offer greater value, in terms of a more direct connection with their followers, at lesser costs.

Improve Authencity

Another reason why brands have started working with micro-influencers is that they are more authentic & real people. People will relate to these influencers as they are an everyday part of their audience’s life. Consumers find it easier to connect with these people as they can easily be a part of each other’s lifestyle. Brands also benefit from this trend by boosting their own level of authenticity.

Brands Working With Micro-Influencers

Google

They wanted to promote their new Pixelbook last year. Teaming up with The Sorry Girls to create a promotional campaign much authentic than their usual advertisement campaigns.

Coca-Cola

They teamed up with Travel and foodie micro-influencer Miette Dierckx & she became their brand ambassador. Miette’s happy posts creates a much more organic & fresh content appealing to her niche audience.

Spotify

They have been partnering with a number of micro-influencers for the past couple of years. Their campaign on “Weekly Algorithm” where they partnered with micro-influencers & real people to post hilarious tweets, testimonials on their social media page. Recently, they have started to partner with local bands and artists to help promote their music.

H&M

One of the major fashion brands, they partnered up with fashion blogger Julie Sariñana and model Ela Velden for their 2017 Fall Catalogue. Sariñana loved the line so much that she even promoted it from her own personal account.

Brand Promotion is changing its game to keep up with the change in audience engagement dynamics. Although, if done right, influencer marketing can totally earn you an edge in this competitive market, it can get tricky at times.

Want some creative marketing strategies for your brand? Let us help you!? Contact our team at Skyram Technologies to create the right kind of digital campaign for you. Connect with us here!

Understanding Your audience is More Important than Studying the Trends

Reaching out to the audience is your biggest concern as a marketing professional. You want your efforts to be liked, shared, and commented by your target audience. Your ideas might get conveyed to millions in no time. Catching their attention seems easy when you find some trendy topics to share.

Once your brand gets associated with any popular topic, you may gain some response, but remember that it’s only the short-term outcomes that you’re witnessing. The same topic may be covered in several other tweets and turn your effort ineffective. Very soon, your campaign might show up under “old news” as the viewers shift their focus on other things. Instead of focusing on the whereabouts of your viewers, you must count on their needs. Social media can help pave the way for a bright future!

Making the Most of Social Media Platforms

It’s often tough to discover the passion of your audience and identify with it. You can’t be sure that your audience will get converted to your consumer in the end. The belief that Minecraft will help in imparting problem-solving skills and logical reasoning skills in your children draws you towards the game. The demographic and individual differences aren’t significant when a common belief ignites passion in your audience.

You can develop a robust marketing strategy by making the most of Social media platforms:

  1. Check out the viewer psychology on social

    Several logical and emotional interests attract the members of your audience simultaneously. You must learn how to segregate them and utilize them in identifying your customer needs. The key to your success is the process of audience segmentation. Depending on specific psychological factors, you may classify your audience and gain a richer understanding of their ultimate needs.

    Studying the social media interactions of your audience can be very effective in testing their nerves instead of developing some persona based on demographic data, age, and sex. You may catch a clue on the hidden passions of your audience without counting them as your followers but as highly interactive species that can relate to each other very well.

  2. Avoid forced sales

    Consumers are pretty much aware that a brand needs to sell its products or services. The end objective is to reach out to a wider audience via social media without disclosing the fact. Beating around to bush or pursuing your targets very hard might cause them to move into your competitor. Instead of focusing on what the users want to say, you must begin communicating the story of your brand. You must try to convey your passions and relate to those that are shared by your viewers. Try to project your brand as a true reflection of your efforts by remaining upfront about your objectives.

  3. Cope with risks

    However, you may not taste success by using steps like these. The plan that seems very useful on paper might compel you to restructure your strategy. Assuming risks may seem to be an uphill task for your online marketing team at times. You may count on sports drinks like Gatorade for that matter. It shot to fame in no time by conveying a unique promotional message for a drink containing added sugar, which isn’t meant for normal users. It proved how a unique and targeted marketing message can fetch a niche audience for your brand.

Likewise, social media can help you to experiment with various marketing tactics that connect with your audience more effectively. You may check out the response of your target audience by posting your ideas over Facebook or Twitter. This way, you’ll stand more chances of connecting with your audience and gaining much out of brand loyalty in the long run. Your brand will soon be associated with the trendiest of topics once you turn empathetic towards your audience.

Visit our “Contact us” page and share your views with our online marketing experts to keep your business ahead of the competition. You may even place your “request for services ” and we’ll reach out to you in no time.

Social Media Analytics Help Boost the Marketing Campaigns by Adding ROI and Attribution

Social Media has remained the same old thing superficially. You’ll find it tough to imagine how the new age kids cope with messages coming from Tom or improve their MySpace pages with hearts created with HTML coding. Monitoring the ROI and market impact has always posed a challenge for social media platforms. These days, you have tools for analyzing social media marketing campaigns. The analytics platforms are capable of delivering a compelling attribution for marketing and ROI. You must use all opportunities and the right metrics for solving the attribution jinx.

The utility of Social Media Stats through the Different Stages

Initial Stage

Social media metrics follow a three-fold structure like the three funnel stages in general marketing campaigns.

The early stage of metrics include new identities, existing leads, reach, cost of acquiring leads, engagement, and the volume of followers. These factors depict stats that can help you in figuring out the indicators leading to conversion.

Mid-Stage

Mid-stage metrics should be the next point of consideration. Content shared over social platforms play a crucial role in driving the audience towards a target platform. Such metrics involve leads that qualify for sales, opportunities, leads that qualify for marketing, and the pipeline.

Finale-stage

This is the stage that relates social media campaigns with the return on investment. The revenue that’s collected, value for the lifetime, and the opportunities created are the key metrics in this stage. However, it’s often tough to keep track of these metrics. You may collect this data with the help of marketing automation and a few relevant platforms.

Social marketing falls under an easily distinguishable marketing category. Multi-touch attribution has a lot to contribute to social media. You won’t get a hint on how your social media efforts have an impact on the ROI when you follow the last-touch and conventional attribution. The mid-journey position of social is a boon in disguise. It gives out a clear indication of how your marketing campaigns can leave a positive impact on the creation of value-added content, the sentiment of your target audience, increasing brand awareness, and generation of leads. Customers find a direct means of communicating their needs with your brand through social.

Stay Realistic even when you notice the potential

The nature of social media technology is genuinely versatile and robust. Your investments are bound to generate positive outcomes when you combine the right approaches, platforms, and metrics.

When it comes to engaging your audience, social media plays another vital role. It’s a prized platform, but you have to deal with the saturation and reach out to the end user.

The Social tool needs to be handled properly

By conveying information to your colleagues, you can urge your workforce to make the most of the social weapon. You’ll notice more accuracy with the attribution and achieve more success once you start utilizing social more efficiently. With time the remaining marketing tactics will fall into place.

Reach out to Skyram and put your business ahead of all competition. We strive to serve our clients as the best digital marketing service in Kolkata, India and adapt the latest technologies and trends with time. Share your views with us and gain an edge over other major players. We want your brand to drop the anchor and achieve positive reviews and testimonials immediately.

Effective Digital Marketing Strategies for Real Estate in 2019

With the upcoming year; fresh strategies and innovative ideas keep pouring from different sources. Are you thinking which digital marketing trend will be welcomed in the genre of real estate?

You have arrived at the right place as we will discuss the latest strategies with the potential to shout out your real estate business amongst the crowd.

Real Estate is one of the most competitive sectors and taking a look ahead when the latest trends are knocking the door is not a bad idea. Any effort you give to stay ahead in the crowd will be rewarded as the market is dynamic in nature that demands different tactics.

A responsive web landing page is as important as any other component of a real estate business and ensures your business receives the deserved attention. Those days, when the real estate agents needed to attract more people for selling and buying property through pamphlets and hoardings, are long gone.

With the era of digitization and boom in the online platforms, the day is not far when 90% of the Generation Y age groups will own the properties. Hence, it’s time you brace your knowledge and establish a virtual office even before stepping into the Google local listing.

After sorting the basics, it’s time to delve into the strategies that will help you cater to the demands of 2019. Let us check the top 5 predictions:

  1. Go for Videos– Nothing can beat the perks of the video advertisements and it’s time to surprise your clients with interesting contents in the Year. Regardless of advertisements on television or the internet, it is impossible to ignore the intense impact of video advertisements. Also, the sharing option helps in spreading the attributes of the property for sale, multiplying the chances of sealing the deal.
  2. Embrace Social Media for Promoting Authenticity- People prefer to stop by the platforms that are not only reliable but also authentic. Rather than making the company as a brand, make your face the brand. With a face, people will know whom to put their trust on. Moreover, they will be able to witness the previous testimonials, enhancing trust. Also, you must befriend paid search marketing to make the most from the strategy.
  3. Don’t Allow Digital to Dominate the Personalized Touch- Though marketing automation and advanced technology give you an ample opportunity to establish a prominent identity, don’t hesitate to build a relationship, the basics of any business. Don’t leave a single scope unexplored that enhances the personal touch. Rather, reach out to the people as much as you can that also adds to the conversion rate optimization.
  4. Be Creative- Cut across the mundane aspects of marketing strategy that are not only boring but also pulls you back in time. Along with the fresh technology, conjoin creative ideas that result in engaging more audience, overlapping your competitors.
  5. Consider the Mode of Communication of the Customers- The technology is evolving, contributing to a highly improbable upcoming year. However, it is important to note how the customers are interacting with each other, which will aid in connecting with them seamlessly.
  6. Solidify your Brand- Make sure your brand name and logo are enough for the people to understand what they are dealing with. Take assistance from Google Display Ads and Facebook Dynamic Ads to make your presence prominent in the crowd.

Gear UP your Real Estate Business for 2019

Now that your basics are sorted and motive is set, it’s crucial to understanding the procedure to achieve it.

Understand the loopholes of your competitors and fill in those breaches with your brand. This opportunity will help you shine against the odds. Are you thinking the comprehensive procedure to be tough? Give us an opportunity to design the marketing strategy of your real estate business in line with the latest trends while keeping the endeavors of the competitors into account.

Get connected with us or request for services so we can design a bespoke solution within the deadline. Contact us for discussing the objectives of your project, resulting in achieving a cost-effective quote.

Missing Engagement! Reach OR Impressions, what’s important? Learn from the basic.

Does your organization work to enhance brand awareness? Are you putting in your maximum endeavor to influence the people across the social media platforms so the brands get the deserved attention? If so, it’s time you delve into the deeper niches of the digital marketing strategies and understand the differences between the reach and impressions.

The marketers come across both the terms in different situations but fail to understand the importance due to the lack of knowledge. Therefore, it is important to understand the strategies that will not only fetch a magnificent outcome but also minutely measure the metrics to identify the scopes for improvement.

It is observed that numerous social media terms are either misinterpreted or thought to carry a similar meaning. However, the reality is different from the perception. Even if you club reach and impressions into a single category, these are different and carry a specific meaning. Through this space, we will understand the same.

What is The Difference between Reach and Impressions?

Both the social media strategies, reach and impressions, carry a separate meaning and target diversified genres. Reach is the total number of audience who are able to see the content shared by you. If 10 people have seen your content or ad, your reach is 10.

Impressions deal with the total number of times your content is displayed, regardless of whether it is accessed or not. If your ad pops on the screen of 100 users, the impression for that particular ad is 100. Though both the terms work on similar strategies, these are different when engagement is concerned.

Facebook Reach vs. Impressions

In Facebook, reach is segregated into three categories, which are as follows:

  1. Organic: – This refers to the total number of users who got the opportunity to check your content in the news feed for free.
  2. Paid: – This refers to the unique number of users who saw the paid contents, like Facebook Advertisement.
  3. Viral: – This refers to the unique number of users who saw the page or post due to the activities of a friend, which include commenting, sharing, or liking.

The Facebook impression is also divided into three parts, which are as follows:

  1. Organic: – This refers to the number of times the content was displayed in the news feed or page for free.
  2. Paid: – This refers to the number of times the paid contents, like Facebook Advertisement was displayed.
  3. Viral: – This is the number of times the content was showcased in a story published by a friend. The stories include commenting, sharing, or liking.

Facebook Ad Reach vs. Impressions

Though reach and impressions have the similar categorical breakdown, these don’t belong to a single segment. For an example, if 5 Facebook users saw a single Facebook ad twice each, the impressions for this ad will be 10. On the other hand, reach will be 5, which refers to unique users.

In the case of the Facebook ads, there are two types of impressions to track, viewed and served. Served impressions lead to an inaccurate calculation. However, viewed impressions play a crucial to understand the actual impression of the Facebook advertisement.

Twitter Reach vs. Impressions

The native app of Twitter ignores the reach but keep a minute track of the impressions in the endeavor to improve the strategies of social media marketing. According to this social media platform, any user who sees a Tweet is counted as impression. The impression is created in Twitter if a user checks the Tweet in the search results, feed, or a portion of the conversation.

If you have an account in Twitter and your last Tweet received 1,000 views, your tweet will receive 1000 impressions. If you respond to that tweet with another tweet, the followers are able to see the new tweet along with the original tweet. This will lead to an additional 2000 impressions, which will make 3000 impressions from the tweet.

Reach vs. impressions on Other Networks

Snapchat deals with the reach and impressions in a different manner. To be precise, it defines the former as reach while the latter as story views.

Instagram deals with reach and impressions in the similar manner Facebook does. Reach means the comprehensive numbers of unique accounts that have either seen the story or post. On the contrary, the total number of instances when the users saw the story or post is defined by the impressions.

As per the set of rules pre-defined in Google Analytics, the relevant metrics are users and page views. The users count the total number of people who have visited the site at least once in a particular time period. On the other hand, the page views calculate the comprehensive number of pages seen by the total users.

Google AdWords has two types of reach, which are unique reach and cookie-based reach. The unique reach estimates the duplicate views and omits those belonging to the same user while the cookie-based reach uses the cookies to identify the unique users, which is an ancient procedure.

Why Track Both Impressions and Reach?

You must be wondering, why you must track both the reach and impressions in the digital marketing. The answer to this is to identify the actual performance of the contents and ads. In fact, it helps identify the effectiveness of the advertisement or the campaign.

In order to figure out the average number of impressions per user, total impressions is divided by the total reach. The result will not only help learn the effectiveness of the campaign but also the number of times it appears on the user’s page along with the chances of getting them annoyed.

Therefore, along with the effectiveness of an ad, it is crucial to understand the potential fatigue it may cause which is important for social media management.

What to Track beside Reach and Impressions?

The ultimate performance of the ads or campaigns is defined by the reach and impressions. However, it fails to reveal whether or not the people have clicked on the content or got engaged with the same. In order to measure the social media Return on Investment, you must not forget to focus on the business conversions.

Some of the important keys to measuring the success of a campaign are sign-ups, successful generation of the leads, site traffic, revenue, and conversions. You can also calculate the average revenue earned per user to understand the amount of money involved in the advertisement vs. the return achieved. This will also assist in understanding the points of improvement.

Digital marketing is always a collective process; sometimes it’s very hard to find the right direction, but once you get, then no time to look back! Here at Skyram, we deliver strategic systems based transformations for successful business change. Feel-free to connect with us to experience the Next-Big change your organization.