When digital marketing increases sales slowly and when it increases sales quickly

The impact of digital marketing on sales can be achieved quickly or slowly, depending on the situation. It would be extremely important at the planning stage to understand what is realistic to achieve, with what timeframe and with what resources.

It would also be important for a marketing company to understand the intermediate steps required to achieve sales results. For more information on achieving fast and slow results, continue reading the article.

If you need help assessing the situation of your business, ask us.

Fast results

Digital marketing rapid success means that the advertising or website redesign start generating orders or contacts, either immediately or within a few months, which lead to new customer relationships and sales.

When quick results are possible

Rapid sales results can be achieved by doing something new or doing something old better than before.

In practice, this could mean making changes to the website, redesigning the site, introducing new media or marketing formats, or improving old marketing.

The difference in results can be staggering even in the short term.

Identify the situation

But the critical part of getting quick results is identifying the current state of play in sales and digital marketing and understanding what needs to be done - whether to change the old or create the new. Then you can do the right choices and achieve fast results.

The industry must also have either latent or active demand that can be channelled through marketing into sales, and purchase paths must be short enough to generate results quickly.

Slow results

It is not possible for all companies to achieve quick results, for example due to the length of the industry's purchasing paths or challenging market conditions.

If it takes 6 months to 24 months for a customer's purchase path from need to contact, it is not realistic to start measuring the sales results of marketing in 1-3 months.

A challenging market situation can mean, for example, a competitive industry where there are many providers and it is difficult to differentiate yourself and not just being easy to find. Slow results may also be due to the fact that the company, product, technology, service or business model is new and unknown to the market.

Building awareness or branding is slow. The same goes for generating new need and demand. Changing mindsets, attitudes and habits is notoriously difficult or quick.

The importance of brand awareness and branding

Good brand awareness and a well-built brand have a significant impact on sales, as they "automatically" lead to participation in tenders. Good brand awareness and reputation also lower the threshold for contacting and buying from a company that is perceived as more trustworthy than a complete stranger.

The idea of "free" tenders from a well-placed competitor may seem unfair, but it has taken years of work and investment.

Brand and awareness vs. conversion-driven tactical marketing

I've heard a lot of confrontation between brand/loyalty marketing and conversion-driven, tactical marketing. This juxtaposition is completely absurd, because both are needed.

Recognition and a good brand are good for all businesses. Good digital presence, good discoverability, sufficient visibility and exposure, and a quality website ensure that good brand awareness and good branding are converted into sales with maximum effectiveness.

In industries with a quick buying decision and acute demand, good discoverability and a good website may be enough to run a profitable business. On the other hand, for a business with low brand awareness, it may make more sense to get the basics of findability and website right and then start investing in brand awareness.

The key is to recognise your own situation and find The right ways to do marketing.

The difference between measuring slow and fast results

When measuring slow results, marketing objectives should be staggered into steps that can be measured in a shorter timeframe and ensure that measures are moving towards the goal. The sales fruit is then measured in terms of longer-term results.

Quite often, slow results are the result of a number of measures and factors, so the impact of individual measures on sales can be difficult to pinpoint.

Measuring quick results and optimising advertising is much more straightforward and cause and effect can be easy to find - or not.

Repayment of marketing investment

The promotion of the brand and the company is achieved through a constant presence. The greater the investment, the faster the results can be achieved. In any case, the investment can be significant before it is reflected in sales. On the other hand, the impact is likely to be lasting.

Marketing that produces quick results is visible in sales, but can have a fleeting effect, i.e. it only works for the time it is being marketed. Over time, this method also builds awareness and delivers long-term benefits.

Do you recognise your own situation?

Could your company's marketing deliver significantly more fast results? Should you invest in awareness or is now the time to ensure the productivity of your website?

Tell us about your situation and your goals. We'll help you find out the right way to do digital marketing for your business!