Digital Marketing Questions and Answers

These are the top digital marketing questions asked at our marketing consultation and the answers we usually provide.

Click any of the links below to jump to the desired question/answer.

What does digital marketing include?
How can I start a digital marketing agency in Nigeria?
How do you market on the Internet?
Why did you choose digital marketing?
Is digital marketing stressful?
Why is digital marketing a good career?
Why do you love social media marketing?

1. What Does Digital Marketing Include?

Digital marketing includes:

Social Media Marketing
Content Marketing
Target Audience
Email Marketing
Search Engine Marketing

Social Media Marketing

Using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to market your product or service is social media marketing. Social media marketing enables you to analyse your customers, their desires and goals in life and to create content that will intrigue them and address all these. Social media marketing is a must for businesses these days because many adults use at least one of the social media websites regularly.

Content Marketing

It is the creating, publishing and distributing of articles, graphics, infographics, audio or video for a target audience online intended to stimulate their interest in your product or service. Content marketing is a passive way of promoting your product or service.

Target Audience

These are a particular group of consumers who are the intended audience of your content or other marketing messages. The more you understand your target audience, the better your marketing message will address their pain points.

Email Marketing

The sending of commercial messages to existing or potential customers, preferably with their consent. Email marketing helps you interact with your target audience while promoting your product or service. It is an effective means of digital marketing.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

The active promotion of websites using paid ad campaigns to increase their visibility in search engine results. Search engine marketing (SEM) is an effective and affordable way for small businesses to reach new customers and grow.

2. How Can I Start a Digital Marketing Agency in Nigeria?

So you want to start a digital marketing agency in Nigeria?

These days, the vast majority of consumers are connecting with businesses through digital marketing channels. Using digital marketing strategies increases revenue growth and improves return on investment.

In recent years, many individuals and businesses are channelling more resources to digital advertising. Therefore, there is a need for professional digital marketing agencies. The number of digital marketing agencies in Nigeria has grown in recent years.

Top agencies like Mauco Enterprises exist. We handle digital marketing and social media marketing/management. We manage social media accounts for businesses on social networks like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Whether you’re into real estate, consumer products, or nonprofit organisation, our social media management services will help position your business for success.

But before you set up your digital marketing agency in Nigeria, here are some things you need to consider.

First, let me make one thing clear. If your interest in digital marketing is mainly to become an ‘influencer’, wear bling, wine and dine with celebs, please, close this browser right now! This post is not for you.

But if you’re genuinely interested in starting a digital marketing agency in Nigeria for the long haul, and you’re ready to stick the good, bad and ugly, then read on.

These are the things you need to consider. It is such a broad topic that there is no way we can discuss it thoroughly in one article. So I will try to simplify it as much as possible. If you need further clarification on anything you read here, schedule a meeting. I’ll be glad to help you out.

Let’s get started.

Set clear goals
Find your niche.
Register your business
Get yourself online
Partnerships
Be a digital nomad

Set Clear Goals

If you read my blog, you can testify that I always emphasise setting SMART goals. At the very least, identify milestones or metrics by which you intend to measure your success.

Avoid distractions. In Nigeria, many things tend to distract you. Do your best to stay focused on your goals.

Find Your Niche.

When I started Mauco Enterprises almost twenty years ago, one of the first mistakes I made was that I just jumped right in without identifying a niche.

Digital marketing is broad. It comprises web design/development, social media, online advertising, email marketing, content marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and so much more.

You need to know where your strength and passion lie. Do your research into all the above. If possible, try to intern in a reputable agency to get a firsthand experience and find your niche. Then hone your skills as much as you can.

If you want to become a brand influencer, start by branding yourself. Study your craft thoroughly to become an authority in your field. Apply what you study. Challenge yourself to be innovative.

A quote credited to the famous German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven that inspires me and best summarises the importance of finding your niche is:

Don’t only practise your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.

Get the point? That’s why I said before that if your interest in digital marketing is only superficial; then this article is not for you.

A real digital marketer must be passionate about the profession. Focus on creating value for clients.

Find a good mentor in the industry and follow their footsteps carefully to understand everything about your niche.

Register Your Business

Do not cut corners. It would be best if you did things right by registering your business with the authorities. It will help you take your business seriously, and it will help your clients take you/your business serious too. Get a decent logo and brand identity to boot. The more professional you present your business, the better your chances of getting clients.

Get Yourself Online

You cannot start a proper digital marketing agency in Nigeria with only a YouTube channel, an Instagram page, or Twitter profile. You need to register your domain and get a decent website too while you’re at it.

Building your online presence only on your social media channels, is a big mistake. God forbid you to run afoul of the terms and policies of the social media platform. You can lose your account in a flash. The constantly changing algorithms on these social media platforms could also send your page or profile into oblivion.

At the very least, get your personalised email address, i.e. yourname@yourdomain.com and don’t use your Gmail or Yahoo email for corporate stuff.

Partnerships

Success is not a one-person show. Digital marketing is so broad that you cannot possibly handle it all alone. In time, you need to find the right partner to complement your services and vice versa. Don’t just pick any agency partner. Be strategic. Form strategic alliances with a partner whose DNA, their core value, or culture is the right fit. Choosing the wrong agency partner may be detrimental to the future of your business.

Having a strategic partner will allow you to say “yes” to more projects. Since you now have extra hands, you will also get your work done within the expected timelines. If you wish, you can outsource your work to your partners and get rid of the heavy load of client relationships.

At Mauco Enterprises we have strategic alliances with awesome companies within and outside Nigeria.

Be a Digital Nomad

You will offer digital services that don’t need an office space to start. Learn to be a digital nomad and work from anywhere. With your laptop and Internet connection, you’re good to go. If you wish, you can rent a co-working space if it is available in your area. A co-working space has its pros and cons. For one, be ready to entertain distractions from others who may not share your same work ethics.

3. How Do You Market on the Internet?

Marketing yourself on the Internet is not only about having a beautiful looking website and some keyword-rich content. Optimising your website to be search engine friendly is essential.

No business can succeed on the Internet without its website being visible on search engines. It is why search engine optimisation (SEO) remains critical to your doing business on the Internet.

But SEO alone cannot provide what it takes to do successful business on the Internet. Why? Well, these days ranking on search engines has become a very complicated task.

For search engines like Google to remain in business, they need to provide the best results to whatever queries users ask. Therefore, Google will only rank the best of the best content in its search engine result pages.

Google’s algorithms have also become wise to all the unethical ‘black hat’ SEO practices used by some digital marketers to rank in the search engines.

Any attempt to implement any black hat tactics these days will only get you penalised, and your site/content may disappear from the Internet. Therefore you need to be aware and practice proper SEO techniques.

So to succeed in Internet marketing, you need to adopt a holistic approach. It means that you need to engage in the full range of techniques needed to convert your site visitors into paying customers. These include:

– consistent advertising in relevant online/offline publications
– getting listed in appropriate online/offline trade directories.
– building and maintaining a strong presence on social media.
– using PPC and retargeting to drive targeted traffic to your site.

If you have the means, you can also consider sponsorships, sales promos and offering discounts.

No One-size-fits-all

There are no “one-size fits all” when it comes to Internet marketing. It would help if you did research. Innovating your product or service is vital. Always strive to stay a step or more ahead of your competitors.

An essential goal of Internet marketing is to get your product or service seen by your potential target audience. Do your research to know when, where and how to advertise to get the best bang for your buck.

Your focus must be on converting your website visitors into paying customers. Experimenting with everything mentioned above will help you get your unique formula for your business.

If you are considering a career as a digital marketer, here are some things you need to consider. Click To Tweet

4. Why Did You Choose Digital Marketing?

Growing up, I decided that whatever I did had to be ‘practical’ for my life and circumstances hence the tagline ‘practical for life’ under my logo.

Right from the time, my dad brought home our first PC by in the mid-80’s I developed an interest in all things computers. My parents enrolled me for a few courses, and I excelled.

I started Mauco Enterprises coaching people on using the computer and desktop publishing from my home office. After a few years, a friend suggested that I offer web designing since it had become the “in-thing” back in the early 2000s. I took a course on it and excelled.

When I got my first dial-up Internet connection, it opened my eyes to a whole new world of endless possibilities. I had the desire to help business owners grow their business online.

Marketing is an indispensable part of any business which you cannot ignore. Although traditional marketing still has its role, these days, most companies are investing more in digital marketing. Digital marketing is the new age marketing method based on the Internet.

Digital marketing provides business owners with the means to create awareness or promote brands through the Internet. It gives business owners a global platform to reach a more extensive customer base. Digital marketing includes:

Business networking sites, e.g. LinkedIn and Xing.
Social media sites, e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Search engine marketing (SEM)
Email marketing
Content creation
Content marketing

All these led to my choosing digital marketing as a career.

5. Is Digital Marketing Stressful?

No career is stressful if you love it and the lifestyle that comes with it. So, digital marketing is not stressful. There are some similar concepts and philosophies between digital and traditional marketing. But digital marketing has more to do with Internet marketing than traditional marketing.

If you’re of the creative kind, then digital marketing is fun and rewarding. There are loads of tools you can use to automate most of the repetitive tasks in digital marketing. Some of these tools are powered by artificial intelligence (AI). So they can handle any job you find tedious, leaving you with more time to do other fun stuff. Some tools are free; others are not. And some cost a small fortune and have a steep learning curve.

Some marketing automation tools are fantastic, but they are no substitute for you – at least not yet. You need to provide regular oversight and use your common sense. Remember the famous saying with computers, “garbage in, garbage out”? So scrutinise the data you’re supplying these tools. If you input rubbish data, they will provide you with rubbish results!

Love studying data, studying consumer behaviour. A background in sociology and psychology will also come in handy.

Not that digital marketing is all rosy. It has its challenges. Some of which include understanding your target audience and working on a tight budget or schedule. You may also have to work with challenging customers who expect you to deliver epic campaigns on a shoestring budget.

Make no mistake. Digital marketing is a very competitive industry. You’re always trying to convince people to buy your product or service. Understand your target demographics to know how to market to them. As a digital marketer, your focus needs to be on creating value for your consumers.

As mentioned above, one thing that makes digital marketing challenging is that it is always changing. Keep abreast of all the latest strategies and tactics. Continue reading and learning to stay relevant. Strategies and tactics that worked in your last campaign may no longer be appropriate today. To remain relevant you must be proactive and innovative.

Since digital marketing does not sleep, you must find a balance. Otherwise, it will consume all your time and energy. And this will be counterproductive.

Take regular breaks from your laptop or other digital devices. Go for a walk. Take a snack. Go outdoors for some fresh air. Chat with a friend or neighbour. Sleep and rest. Take up a hobby. You may even need to go on a digital detox to unwind. Do all you can to stay healthy and keep your mind creative.

6. Why Is Digital Marketing a Good Career?

If you are considering a career as a digital marketer, here are some benefits

Excellent Job Opportunities

Many companies need experienced digital marketers to help them grow. A career in digital marketing offers you a variety of unique job roles like Social Media Marketing(SMM), Social Media Optimization(SMO), Search Engine Optimization(SEO), Search Engine Marketing(SEM), Content Specialist, Email Marketing and Copy Writer.

Continuous Learning Process

Digital marketing is dynamic. It offers a constant learning process. For you to stay relevant in this career, you cannot afford to rely on the same old knowledge, tools and strategies. Keep innovating.

Demand to Be Creative

As a digital marketer, you must find creative ways to reach your customers. Develop original contents and ideas to market your business to stand out in the crowd. Don’t be afraid to try out new strategies and tactics once you have the approval of your client or management.

Remote Working

As mentioned above, digital marketing gives you the privilege of remote working as a digital nomad. You are free to work from anywhere provided you have an Internet-connected phone, tablet or laptop.

Work on Social Media and Other Digital Platforms

With digital marketing, you will work with spreadsheets, word processors, graphic design tools and other specialist tools. You also have the privilege of working on social media and other platforms.

Great Pay

As an independent digital marketer, your fee depends on the clients you serve, your experience, and the city you work. If you work for an agency, you need to be at the top of your game because most of your colleagues will also have a similar skill set.

Regardless of whether you’ve got a small local shop or a multinational company, social media is an essential part of your business marketing technique.

Social media helps you connect with existing and potential clients. It helps to increase awareness about your brand and boost your leads and sales. With billions of people across the globe using one social media platform or another, social media is not a fad.

You need not know everything that’s trending or every buzzword, meme or hashtag to engage in social media. You don’t need to have several thousands of followers to participate in social media marketing.

But before you jump into social media as a tool for your marketing, you need to define what you want to get out of social media. Develop your social media marketing strategy and tactics based on your goals.

Do you need new clients to discover your brand? Are you looking to drive foot traffic to your small local shop? By having clear-cut goals in mind, you can figure out which social media channels are the best fit for your business.

Here are a few reasons to love social media marketing:

Build Awareness

As mentioned above, social media boosts your visibility among potential clients. If people don’t know about your product or service, they cannot patronise you. Like word-of-mouth, social media helps you build awareness for your business.

Communicate Authority

First impressions count. Showing that your business is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and approachable is key to social media. Besides showcasing your product or service, show your expertise as a thought leader in your niche or industry.

Show Authenticity

Although people say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” nobody appreciates a copycat. Clients aren’t interested in organisations that publish dry, corporate-style social media marketing posts. But if your industry favours the corporate-style image on social media, then go ahead. But let your brand’s unique personality shine through everything you share on social media.

Encourage Engagement

Experiment with different content to encourage engagement. You could post memes, live video streaming, Q&A sessions, photos, polls, quizzes, competitions, and sweepstakes. Remember to track your analytics to see which type of content yields more engagement with your audience.

Provide Support

These days, instead of calling a client care phone line, many people turn to WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter. Some days ago, I experienced service disruption with my Internet service provider (ISP). Their use of social media to provide support and try to calm the nerves of their subscribers was impressive.

Learn to use your social media channels to track your clients’ remarks, questions, and complaints. Listen to criticism and respond ASAP to questions and concerns.

Grow Affordably

Social media provides an affordable way to grow your business. Don’t waste your money on creating big-budget ads and stay away from sales-centric ads. Create content that educates and entertains. It will help to increase your leads and your chances of converting them into paying customers.

Social media is a dynamic two-way conversation. It offers freedom of expression, instant interaction, and you have control of creativity with little or no cost. These are some of the reasons to love social media in marketing your business. With social media, every day is different, so the learning never stops.

Conclusion

These are the top questions that feature at marketing consultations with Mauco Enterprises. If you have any other questions or need instant marketing advice, schedule a meeting. We’ll be glad to help.

I hope you’ve found this post of value. If so, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my newsletter for more marketing advice.

Digital Marketing Questions and Answers