An Interview with Our Director of Digital Media, Clayra Morales
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
According to a recent study, more than 75% of Americans go online on a daily basis. In fact, 26% of them are online “almost constantly.” On a global level, we have reached over 3.53 trillion dollars in retail E-commerce sales worldwide. Digital marketing is taking over and people are online more than ever before. Now, following the effects of a pandemic, we see online dependency increasing at an even faster pace and change the way we see the internet. We have suddenly become reliant on services that allow us to work, learn, and purchase from the comfort of our home. Pandemic aside, the evolving capabilities of the internet has allowed so many new opportunities. Customers are seeking out entertainment and looking to connect more than ever while brands are finding new ways to market themselves to their audience. So if you own a business, you will need to make sure to have a strong online presence. People will visit your store, but by not investing in digital marketing, you are limiting your growth. We interviewed our Director of Digital Media, Clayra Morales, about her thoughts on digital marketing and her role on our team. Here’s what she had to say to our questions.
What are some of your favorite marketing tools and platforms?
“The digital landscape is a wide and vast place but I definitely lean towards social media networks. They are very powerful tools to connect with your potential buyer. It all depends on the objective – but Instagram has been at the top for quite some time now. It definitely helps that it is a very visual platform, allowing brands to showcase their best selves with interesting content – some of it has even transcended to popular culture.
As for some marketing tools, I think the Facebook Ads Manager is my favorite. Facebook has managed to build a user-friendly platform, with several objectives. For research, I also love to use Google Trends, and for inspiration Pinterest is one of my go-to’s.”
Where do you see digital media heading?
“Video is king. That’s the summary of it! Digital media will definitely be way more about video strategies, TikTok, and how to humanize the brand even more. The consumer does not want to feel overwhelmed by advertising, they want to connect with the brand, have a voice, and be heard.”
How do you change a client or CEO’s mind if you feel they’re wrong?
“Data. As digital marketers we have the upper hand to be able to read real time data and customer feedback – learn how to analyze your numbers and use them to pitch new ideas. It’s way more difficult to sell a new approach when it’s only assumptions and experience, I would say you need all three to really change someone’s mind.”
What digital trends are you most excited about?
“AI is definitely something that really has my attention, more than anything learning how to understand the benefits and use them wisely to keep the brand human and accessible. Automation tools are also on the rise, and there are very interesting solutions for high volume companies that need to get to clients and follow up with them on a timely basis.”
You’ve only got a budget for one digital marketing tool. Which do you choose and why?
“Interesting question! I would say that depends on the objective for that specific client. All tools don’t work for every brand, especially in the digital environment.”
Which digital thought leaders do you follow?
“Gary Vaynerchuk and Sophia Amoruso. I like their rock star, down to earth approach to marketing – which translates to a very honest POV.”
Do you think that Digital Marketing will completely replace traditional marketing practices in near future?
“I think everything evolves. For example, with the Pandemic a lot of companies had to restructure their Marketing Plans to migrate everything to digital channels. Radio, TV, and Print Media saw a decrease in ad placements and Digital Media was definitely on the rise, since it was mainly the only place where people were connected. However – the formats did not disappear, Radio can be found in platforms like Spotify or Pandora, TV can be found in platforms like Netflix, and Print Media can be found in many online newspapers and magazines. As long as we’re all willing to adapt and disrupt – more than “replacing” we will see “transformations”.”
What made you want to work in Digital Marketing?
“Fun question, because when I decided to join Digital everyone looked at me as if I was crazy! Haha. It was not very common – to say the least.
When I was a student there was still a lot of traditional media being implemented and very little digital media in place. So it was normal that colleagues saw me as a bit “different”. What really called my attention to Digital Marketing was people, and how easy it was to get information from them to really cater to their needs. And look at 2020 now. I guess I was ahead!”
What tools do you use to stay organized?
“My planner! I like to absolutely write everything down. Then Trello to plan content and stay connected with the team, Google Drive to share documents with everyone, Google Calendar to keep up with my dates and Buffer for content scheduling.”
What is your approach to structuring a marketing budget?
“Usually we define an initial time to run a campaign or implement a content strategy. I recommend three to six months. We look at the behavior and analytics on a monthly basis, if something is not working, we have to restructure the budget accordingly. Data is your best indicator to whether something is working or not.”
There are many ways to interact with digital media and there are many types of digital marketing. We specialize in all types of marketing including SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, pay-per-click, affiliate and email marketing. Having a strong online presence can be one of your biggest assets. Unlike with traditional marketing, you will have cost efficient and quantifiable results with a level of personalization that only digital data can provide; and there are opportunities for easier personalization, convenience and connection building that will create growth for your business. Digital marketing should be one of the primary focuses of almost any business’s overall marketing strategy. Never before has there been a way to stay in such consistent contact with your customers, and there are so many ways you can personalize the customer experience and influence their buyer’s journey. The more you embrace these opportunities, the more you’ll be able to realize your company’s growth potential. An immediate purchase is never your goal, that’s old school thinking. What matters is building and nurturing that connection you have with your audience online so you can increase their loyalty and see the value in your brand.
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy needed for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have watched marketing evolve from traditional to digital. Whether you need a website refresh, more attractive email, or a quality online presence, we can do it all. We’re here to help you stay ahead of the competition and stand out from the crowd. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.statista.com/topics/871/online-shopping/
https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/digital-marketing/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-digital-marketing