4 digital marketing strategies for success

The digital marketing scene in Malaysia is growing at a breakneck rate. With a population of about 30 million and over 67% internet penetration in the country, Malaysia has become one of the world’s leading digitally engaged markets.So how does a business succeed at digital marketing in Malaysia? Let’s look at four strategies you can use to get started and stamp your digital footprint online.1. Lead generationThe end goal is to generate new leads who will eventually become paying customers. An effective lead generation strategy will help to build trust and capture the subscriber’s interest, before he or she is ready to buy.This can be done through various ways, for example, strategic partnerships - but make sure these are complementary businesses. Find larger companies who have your potential customers and who can also benefit from acquiring your customers. When you have this, some ideas to generate leads would then be through a contest giveaway or an eDM exchange.2. Email marketingThis is one of the strongest marketing channels to make a profit and reach your business targets. Once you have generated leads, you need to warm them up with eDMs to your business. This also applies to customers in your mailing list as you always want to have repeat purchases made.You need to know how to run good offers in your eDMs. The goal is to make people want to get something on the spot, so you need to give a strong value proposition. This could be through segmented discount coupon campaigns for products or services they’re interested in or a general sale promotion to all.3. Social media marketingSocial media is huge with Malaysians. According to market research company TNS, over 62% are them access social media networks daily. As prospects rely on this channel to research our businesses, you would definitely want to build a strong presence here. Today, just updating your Facebook or Instagram pages do not suffice. You need to create more sharing opportunities, ones that make your audience want to engage with your content and share with their friends.Take note though to find out which channel connects most with your prospects (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and then get out there and engage well.4. Search engine marketingThere are two parts to this: the first being Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the other being Paid Search Engine Marketing (sometimes also called SEM).While I’m not a fan of SEO as building earned authority to rank on page 1 on search engines takes time (especially with ever frequent Google updates), it is an essential part of your online marketing strategy for the long haul. Built correctly, SEO will be one of the top traffic drivers for your business.If you have money to spend, paid SEM (paying for clicks) is a fast way to reach your target prospects. While paying for every click sounds expensive, if you design your campaign well enough, your prospects will only see your ads when they search for your business offerings so no casual browsers, only potential customers. Spend some time testing and optimising and you can be assured that paid SEM will be one of your most cost-effective and profitable channels.These are only four of many digital marketing strategies you can use to succeed online.I would highly recommend you starting with these before exploring others. The future of digital marketing is promising with the explosion of social media and the internet in Malaysia. We as digital marketers are at the forefront of this evolution and should move fast to drive business growth and connect with our customers where they are most found. Marketing your business might seem daunting but you can always find success if you stay in step or ahead with today’s consumer.The writer is Shaleniie Devi, head of marketing, Australia & Malaysia, Luxola.Devi is also a judge at A+M's Marketing Excellence Awards taking place on 29 October at InterContinental KL. The awards is now open for entries. For more details on entry guidelines and deadlines click here.Don't miss out on the chance to get the recognition your team deserves.   If you would like to learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Soren Beaulieu at sorenb@marketing-interactive.com or call +65 6423 0329 [Image on Shutterstock]