3 of the Top Opportunities and Challenges for Digital Marketing in 2017

Although this article in Entrepreneur reads more like a long-form advertisement for digital marketing agency, Advantix Digital, whose CEO was interviewed for the piece, it reinforces the basics to digital marketing that we have been learning over the course of the semester. The three opportunities that the author lays out are (1) local search, (2) online reputation management, and (3) consistent, curated social media.

• ·        Local SEO/local listings seem to be the most obvious opportunity as I would assume that it would be of primary concern for companies to ensure that they are searchable on major map platforms; however, since this article is targeting entrepreneurs, it is fathomable that this may be an obvious, yet often overlooked tactic in terms of their SEO strategies. With the proliferation of map tools and apps that incorporate these tools, it may be wise and valuable to enlist the help of an agency to manage this part of SEO, as the author suggests.
• ·        The second opportunity, online reputation management, is an ongoing concern for companies, regardless of size and age. When I was at Johnson & Johnson, the head of external affairs, now the Chief Communications Officer, highlighted at an internal town hall the importance of “social listening” and the company’s investment in this activity. Moreover, for a conglomerate like J&J, which comprises over 250 operating companies, it is a multifaceted and complicated endeavor to manage the online reputations of hundreds of brands as well as the overall corporate brand.
• ·        Finally, social media is only growing in importance to a company’s engagement with its customers and audience. The ever-evolving social media landscape proves a challenge to entrepreneurs who have limited capacity and budget to proactively manage their social media profiles. The author recommends to create something that interests people, target the right audience and then sustain the momentum with an ongoing campaign to reach more people. This is much easier said than done; and, arguably, this is what any company with a social media presence is trying to achieve. That being said, however, the author also recommends keeping the approach simple, which I think is helpful advice.

The three aforementioned opportunities are not groundbreaking, yet they are foundational. Furthermore, I’m sure that they will prove helpful as we advise companies on the development of their digital marketing strategies.