What is the best Type of digital marketing for my business?
In today’s digital landscape, choosing the right marketing strategy can make or break your business’s online success. At Greyturtle, we’ve spent over two decades helping businesses across the UK unlock their digital potential. With our deep expertise and affordable approach, we’re here to guide you through the digital marketing maze, covering:
- PPC
- SEO
- Social Media Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Digital PR
- Display Advertising / Banner Advertising
Understanding the different Digital Marketing Channels available to businesses
1. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC is perfect for businesses looking for immediate, targeted visibility. Whether you’re a B2B service provider or a B2C ecommerce business, PPC offers:
- Instant website traffic
- Precise audience targeting
- Measurable return on investment
- Flexible budgeting options
The different types of PPC Advertising are:
Search Advertising:
Text-based ads appearing in search engine results when users search specific keywords. Targets high-intent customers actively seeking products or services, offering immediate visibility and relevant leads or sales. We generally recommend running targeted, specific, Search Ads for a new lead generation business client whilst we are working on the slow process of building up their “free” leads via SEO.
- Advantages:
- High intent targeting
- Immediate visibility
- Precise keyword matching
- Measurable results
- Disadvantages:
- Competitive keywords can be expensive
- Requires continuous keyword optimisation which takes a lot of time & effort
- Limited to text-based ads
Shopping Advertising:
Visual product ads displaying images, prices, and merchant details directly in search results. Ideal for e-commerce businesses, allowing potential customers to see product information and compare prices before clicking through to a website to buy. We will always run Shopping Ads for an e-commerce client, alongside our standard SEO activities.
- Advantages:
- Visual product displays
- Direct e-commerce integration
- High conversion potential
- Product details visible upfront
- Disadvantages:
- Requires comprehensive product feed
- Performance depends on product images/information
- Can be costly for competitive markets
Display Advertising:
Graphical or video banner ads shown across other websites and apps within Google’s display advertising network. Focuses on broad audience reach, brand awareness, and visual storytelling through imagery and design. We find that Display advertising generally performs worse than Search and Shopping Ads so we don’t tend to use it, but we would always test and check this for a new client before making any assumptions.
- Advantages:
- Wide audience reach
- Brand awareness
- Visual storytelling
- Retargeting capabilities
- Disadvantages:
- Lower click-through rates
- Can be perceived as intrusive
- Less direct conversion potential
Demand Generation:
Multi-channel marketing approach designed to create awareness and interest in a product or service before the customer is ready to purchase. Uses educational content, thought leadership, and targeted campaigns to nurture potential buyers through the early stages of the buying journey. These ads are also graphical or video and display across other websites. We usually recommend testing Demand Generation ads when working with businesses with good budgets, who are either in a new sector who need to raise awareness, or who have reached the limits of their other advertising activities.
- Advantages:
- Builds long-term brand awareness
- Targets early-stage buyers
- Multi-channel approach
- Educational content focus
- Disadvantages:
- Slower ROI
- More complex measurement
- Requires sophisticated targeting
- Higher initial investment
PPC is best for the following types of businesses:
- Service businesses needing quick lead generation
- Location-based service businesses
- Ecommerce sites wanting to drive immediate sales
- B2B companies targeting specific professional demographics (industry, location etc)
2. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO is a core, long-term digital marketing strategy that builds sustainable online visibility and, when done properly by experts, delivers tailored, relevant leads. We recommend SEO to most of our clients within an already established market, i.e. customers are actively searching online for the product or service that the business offers.
Our approach includes:
- Technical website optimisation
- Content strategy development
- Local and national search ranking improvements
- Ongoing performance monitoring
SEO is ideal for the following types of businesses:
- Most SME businesses within an already established market where customers search online for the product or service, except those in extremely high marketing spend competitive markets e.g. fashion, FMCG
- Local service businesses
- B2C brands wanting organic growth
- B2B companies
Boost your online visibility and schedule an SEO strategy session
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is an absolutely crucial sales channel for certain types of businesses. The channels you choose to use depends on the types of audiences you want to reach, but you should always post where your target audience is, and not where you prefer to be.
Organic vs Paid Social Media Marketing
Organic social media means posting daily on your chosen social channels. Very direct sales messages do not work well here, instead posts should be engaging, funny, interesting and should be viewed as customer engagement and brand engagement. For FMCG and certain other industries you can weave a sales call into this type of message as long as its not too pushy. To get products selling on organic social media you will usually need to use influencers, who are seen as independent and leaders so are trusted by consumers when they make recommendations to buy products. Influencer marketing is expensive but can reap huge rewards in the right sectors.
Paid social media marketing can be used to drive sales as well as brand awareness, and can be extremely successful due to the targeting available in social media advertising platforms.
Social platforms offer unprecedented audience engagement. We tailor strategies for:
- Direct customer interaction
- Targeted advertising
Social Media Advertising Can Be Effective for the following types of businesses:
- B2C ecommerce businesses
- Service providers building trust
- B2B companies demonstrating expertise
4. Email Marketing
Advantages:
- Low-cost marketing channel
- Direct, personalised communication
- High ROI potential
- Measurable performance metrics
- Targeted segmentation capabilities
- Builds customer loyalty
- Automated campaign options
Disadvantages:
- High risk of being marked as spam
- Declining open rates
- Requires constant list management
- Complex compliance regulations
- Oversaturation in many industries
- Design and deliverability challenges
- Potential subscriber fatigue
At Greyturtle we build automated customer email lists for our clients and then use Email marketing to send promotions & offers out to past customers, ensuring we are GDPR compliant.
5. Digital PR
Digital PR amplifies your brand’s online reputation through:
- Strategic media placements
- Influencer partnerships
- Online reputation management
- Backlink generation
Powerful for:
- Businesses seeking credibility
- Brands wanting to expand reach
- Companies looking to differentiate themselves
6. Media Buying / Banner Advertising
Display advertising or banner advertising can also be managed through ad networks outside of Google, such as programmatic advertising platforms.. Typically these are graphical ads placed on third-party websites, targeting specific audiences based on demographics, interests, or browsing behaviour. These Ads are great for brand awareness but sometimes struggle to drive sales. This type of advertising is best for companies with large marketing budgets.
Choosing The Right Digital Marketing Mix for Your Business
No single channel works for every business. At Greyturtle, we develop custom strategies considering:
- Your business goals
- Target audience
- Budget
- Industry specifics
Boost Your Business
Why Choose Greyturtle as your Digital Marketing Agency?
- 20+ Years of Expertise
- Affordable, Transparent Pricing
- Manchester & Cheshire Based
- Tailored Strategies
- Proven Track Record
Your digital success starts here
Explore customized strategies that cover everything from SEO to engaging social media campaigns. Let us drive your success and help you surpass your targets.
