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Digital Marketing Challenges and Opportunities: Marco Gouveia's tips to make a difference
In this conversation, Marco Gouveia explains how well-planned digital strategies can transform businesses
Digital marketing is today one of the essential pillars for the growth and visibility of brands of all sizes and sectors. As platforms evolve and trends shift, there is a need to have increasingly innovative strategies to capture the attention of the public online.
In this interview, we talked to Marco Gouveia, Digital Marketing Consultant and Trainer who has helped companies navigate the complex digital landscape, transforming challenges into growth opportunities. With vast experience and a keen eye on the market, Marco shares his insights and offers practical advice that can make a difference for any brand looking to stand out in today's competitive digital environment.
Marco Gouveia is an enthusiast of Search e Marketing Digital (SEO), started as a Community Manager before specializing in SEM. His successes include a prominent blog and positions at Páginas Amarelas and Pestana Hotel Group. Founder of his consultancy company and training school – Digital Marketing School, Marco accumulates awards and experience as CEO, trainer and author, and recently launched the Complete Digital Marketing Guide in Portugal. He was also with us to share his insights no Mini Design Summit, in May this year.
1. To get started, can you explain to us in a simple way what digital marketing is today, and what is the most important topic today?
Of course! Digital Marketing is a set of digital strategies and tactics that people and companies use to achieve their marketing objectives. Basically, is the promotion of products and services over the internet. It is to ensure a solid presence of an online business, where people are already looking for solutions to what they need.
Nowadays, The most important thing in digital marketing is to create a strong and consistent presence, integrating social networks, Google and partner sites. In the background, is knowing how to show up at the right times and help the target audience solve their problems, to meet your needs. All this done with a strategy aligned with the vision, brand values and identity, otherwise it's just “publish for publishing” and will certainly not bring the desired results.
2. Many people still see digital marketing as just a COST and not as an investment. What would you say to these people??
I understand where this idea comes from, however, o marketing digital, when done well, brings concrete and measurable results.
AND, undoubtedly, an investment that brings returns. Those who invest in Digital correctly obtain more visibility, logo, attracts more potential customers, which ends up translating not only into notoriety for the brand, but also in sales and growth. It's a cycle that pays for itself when the job is done well.. In other words, every euro well invested in digital marketing is an opportunity to attract more customers, create lasting relationships and, at the end, grow the business.
Who still thinks it's just an expense?, probably, did not do it correctly and consistently. There is also the idea that it is enough to invest in ads for a month, for example, and miracles happen soon! This is not what happens in most cases. A medium-long term effort is needed to reap the rewards of investment in Digital. Things don't happen overnight.
3.There are those who think that having an active social network is enough. That is true?
It depends! There are those who only have one social network and have impressive results. However, in my opinion, Having an active social network is a great start, but it is far from enough for a brand to remain relevant in the long term.
Social networks are a drop in the middle of the ocean of digital marketing. As they say, I do not advise “putting all your eggs in one basket”. It is preferable to have an integrated strategy with multiple channels: an attractive, SEO-optimized website of your own, so that it maintains a good positioning in search engines in the long term, ads on Google and/or social media to boost results, a good presence on social media, which is one of the channels that allows greater proximity to the target audience, and also email marketing, very important for loyalty.
Social networks come and go, but those who do business have to ensure that their customers do not come and go. For example, when the goal is low, what happened more than once or when accounts are hacked, Those who “live” only on social media panic, because he sees the fearful possibility that all his work will go down the drain. Therefore, The best thing to do to protect ourselves from these situations is to have a solid database that does not depend solely on the contacts we have on social media.
4.How digital marketing helps a small business or local business?
Excellent question! For small businesses and local businesses, digital marketing is a true “game changer”. It's a very effective way to attract customers who are right next door, and grow the business without needing a huge budget. Furthermore, digital allows us to reach people who are physically further away and who, otherwise, They wouldn’t know your business., and even allows you to compete with the “big ones” without spending a fortune – because it's not just the budget that matters to get results in Digital. It is possible to invest less and still have better results when we have knowledge about how digital tools work.
Imagine a local store that sells artisanal products. Com o marketing digital, You can get your products to people who would never see the physical store. Using SEO, o Google My Business, Google ads or even social media campaigns, can appear to those near or far, but you are looking for what you offer. Isn't it fantastic?
5.Many entrepreneurs say they don't have time for digital marketing. How would I recommend starting??
The trick is to start small and prioritize, but never do without digital marketing. Nowadays, if a business is not online, you are missing great opportunities.
For example, You can start with Google My Business – fast, free and helps a lot with local businesses – and with social networks.
To optimize time, It is important to set a simple social media publishing calendar (for example, launch publications 3 times a week), with useful and/or funny content that answers customer questions or entertains them.
E, Of course, if there isn't even time, There is always the possibility of hiring external help. The important thing is to start with what you have. After, investment increases as results arrive.
6.Can you give an example of a company or industry that has benefited greatly from digital marketing??
The furniture sector in Portugal has been one of those that has benefited most from the adoption of digital marketing, especially with regard to export and global visibility. With increasing international competitiveness, Portuguese furniture companies have used digital strategies to highlight the quality and design of their work, positioning themselves as reference brands. Platforms such as social networks, SEO and online marketplaces have been essential for reaching new markets and attracting consumers from different parts of the world.
A relevant example is the Portuguese company Emma, which invested heavily in digital marketing to boost sales outside the country. Utilizing a combination of SEO, Google Ads and social media campaigns, the brand managed to expand its presence in the international market. Social networks, particularly Instagram and Pinterest, have been fundamental, as they allow the company to share high-quality images of their products and inspire potential customers with examples of interior decoration.
Furthermore, email marketing and automation strategies allowed Emma create more segmented communication, reaching customers based on their specific interests and purchasing stage. Creating content on blogs and digital catalogs with decorating tips and interior styles also contributed to improving SEO and attracting organic traffic to the website, resulting in a substantial increase in visits and conversions.
With the support of digital marketing, furniture companies in Portugal are reaching a global audience, improving brand recognition and increasing exports.
7.How does a business aggregator, how the Portugal Faz Bem digital platform brings value to increasing brand visibility, factories and stores, in this case?
Platforms like Portugal Faz Bem are true catalysts for brand visibility, especially those who might not have a huge budget for digital advertising. These platforms create a “showed” to the world and help brands be found by consumers who are looking for, for example, of high quality Portuguese products. Furthermore, being on such a platform increases credibility and can generate a perception of exclusivity, which is great for attracting a more targeted audience.
8.Finally, What advice would you give to someone who wants to start?, But I'm not sure if it's really worth it?
If you have a business and are not yet digital, you are missing a huge opportunity. My advice is to start slowly and adapt.. Try it, see what works best and adjust. The truth is that digital is not just a fashion, much less something just for the future… It is today's reality. It's the here and now. If your business is not yet online, then you are losing visibility, sales and the opportunity to retain customers. E, above all, you are losing money!
With the tools we have today, everyone can reach a larger audience and grow. Therefore, it's very worth it. AND (almost) mandatory!
Thank you very much Marco Gouveia for this excellent interview!