Top insights from South Africa's grown online marketing industry

Here are some things to note from the recent trends in the field of digital marketing of South Africa.

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Online marketing is a growing field

Owing to the late penetration of the internet, the country still has a sporadic data flow. The average number of internet users in the country is still lower than that of countries in America or Europe but it is rapidly growing. Over the past few years the number of people who use the internet has grown exponentially. As a result, online marketing is gaining immense popularity. A decade ago, South Africa was still taking baby steps but today it is carving itself a niche in the international online marketing world.

Mobile devices rule the market

Gone are the days when big old desktops were the only way someone could surf the internet. With the advent of handheld devices like smartphones and tablets, computers and laptops have taken a back seat. More than half of the European and American internet users are online from their mobiles and Africa is not behind either. Majority of the South African Netizens access the internet using their mobile devices. Therefore, online marketing campaigns are now created keeping this in mind. With responsive web designs, it is much easier to reach out to a wider range of people.

Target demographic is expanding

Unlike a decade ago, today internet is not a thing which is used only by the affluent and primarily younger crowd. Owing to affordable smartphones and data packs, it has reached out to a wider crowd, breaking the barriers of age, educational or social background, economic status etc. Hence online marketing has expanded its target demographic to create campaigns which focus on a larger group. It is not targeted at the younger crowd only and as a result, it has gained a more universal feel.

Great career options

With the growing online marketing field, there are many jobs being created. The industry, right now, is in dire need of fresh and effective talent and it is open to paying big bucks for good work. Digital marketing is one of the largest growing industries of South Africa which makes it a golden career opportunity. It is anticipated that efficient skills will be rewarded richly and hence it is only advisable to develop digital marketing skills to grab this amazing opportunity. Digital marketing as a career is growing rapidly to the point that it is now an acceptable full-time job. Clients, right now, are ready to pay higher than ever, for great results when it comes to high SEO, conversion rate, etc.

Use of pay-per-click marketing is at a rise

Even though there is a lot of confusion out there about the use of keywords for pay-per-click marketing, many people tend to waste a lot of money through a process of trial and error that doesn’t produce superior results. Considering that, the information on Google AdWords will help to set the record straight once and for all. Bidding for the wrong keywords could mean you never manage to attract relevant traffic to your website or blog.

Increase in clientele

A few years ago, the number of companies engaging in e-commerce and online marketing was indeed, a handful. The recent years have seen a steady growth in the number of companies which are adopting digital marketing as their chosen mode of advertisement. Companies have come to realize that online marketing is actually cheaper as well. In fact, many clients are picking online marketing over the traditional modes of marketing campaign, as the former has a greater chance of reaching out to a large number of people with minimal effort and expense. It has even helped some companies reach out to countries outside South Africa as well, leading them to global acclaim.

Digital marketing is one of the fastest growing industry in South Africa and with the right kind of effort and work, it is an untapped gold mine of opportunities, ready to be explored.