Digital Communication Consultant Ercüment Büyükşener explained how digitalization has transformed marketing approaches, how brands can stand out in this new landscape, and the digital trends of the future. Highlighting that exports now begin with the construction of digital trust rather than physical contact, Büyükşener pointed out that Türkiye is far ahead in digital content production, social media use, and e-commerce.
Concepts like artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and personalized experiences are taking digital marketing to an entirely new level. As traditional methods give way to much more targeted, measurable, and optimized digital strategies, brands must assess all the opportunities provided by digitalization in order to compete in this new landscape. We discussed the evolution of digital marketing, how it guides brands today, and the opportunities it will offer in the future with Digital Communication Consultant Ercüment Büyükşener.
- In recent years, the world of marketing has undergone a significant transformation, supported by technology. With that in mind, what exactly is digital marketing, how does it work, and how does it differ from traditional marketing?
Digital marketing has gone beyond just product or service promotion. Today, it stands as a data-driven strategic communication management tool. With the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, and personalized experience design, digital marketing has transformed into an ecosystem capable of analyzing user behavior in real-time and optimizing itself based on this data. In traditional marketing, the primary goal was to reach a wide audience. In digital marketing, however, the goal is to reach the right person, at the right time, with the right content. Additionally, digital marketing is measurable, optimizable, and scalable. In today’s world, these three characteristics are the key to success.
“The core tools of digital marketing are now powered by artificial intelligence”
- What are the most commonly used arguments in digital marketing?
The core tools of digital marketing are now powered by artificial intelligence. Some of the most frequently used arguments include;
- AI-supported content creation (AI copywriting)
- Programmatic advertising
- Social media automation and community management
- SEO & SEM (AI-supported keyword analysis)
- Micro-segmentation with customer data platforms (CDP)
- Content marketing (video, podcast, interactive formats)
- Chatbots and AI-powered customer service
In addition to these, augmented reality (AR), voice search, and visual search are now shaping the new frontiers of digital marketing.
“Competition has shifted from the question of ‘Who spent more on advertising?’ to ‘Who built smarter and more efficient strategies?’”
How do digital marketing strategies contribute to a brand’s growth?
Strategy today goes beyond just planning—it’s the ability to interpret data accurately and use technology to create value. Digital marketing strategies help brands better understand their target audience, deliver personalized content tailored to their needs, and as a result, increase both brand loyalty and conversion rates. Competition has shifted from the question of “Who spent more on advertising?” to “Who built smarter and more efficient strategies?” For a brand to succeed in the digital space, it must approach data analytics, content creation, customer experience, and automation as an integrated whole.
Learning with the right planning and the right tools
- Where should a business that has never ventured into digital marketing begin in order to promote its product or service in the digital world, and what should its first steps be?
You don’t need large budgets to step into the digital world today, what you need is the ability to learn with the right planning and tools. Here are the first steps you can take:
- Build your digital storefront using an AI-powered web platform
- Establish a customer data structure and integrate a simple CRM with email/push notification systems
- Run test campaigns on social media and Google platforms with small budgets
- Use AI-supported content creation tools to produce blog and social media content
- Build a community and initiate sustainable digital relationship management
- The primary goal shouldn’t be just to be discoverable; it should be to offer a meaningful digital experience.
“The biggest risk is speed overtaking content and strategy”
- What are the most common risks in digital marketing? What risks arise especially for a brand that suddenly goes viral on social media, and how can companies manage such crises?
The biggest risk in the digital world is speed overtaking content and strategy. Today, brands can go viral on social media overnight; however, if they are caught unprepared, the impact can backfire.
The main risks include;
- Vulnerability to algorithm changes.
- Reputation damage from AI-generated fake content (deepfakes).
- Inadequate crisis communication.
- Poor management of personal data.
- Losing control of the customer experience to automation.
- Therefore, having a presence in the digital space isn’t just about posting content, it means building a proactive structure that is prepared for crisis scenarios.
Export is a very critical process for companies in trade. Which digital marketing processes would you recommend exporter companies to use?
The digital marketing processes recommended for exporters include multilingual and localized websites, international SEO and content marketing, B2B-oriented work on LinkedIn, international digital advertisements, artificial intelligence-supported customer service, digital fairs and virtual showrooms. Exports no longer start with physical contact, but with building digital trust.
How has digital marketing spending increased in recent years and how is this trend expected to continue in the future?
Digital marketing spending has increased by nearly 70 percent in global markets in the last 5 years. However, what is striking is that these budgets are now being used more efficiently. Thanks to artificial intelligence, ads are better targeted, content is produced faster and campaigns can be optimized instantly. The future will not be big budgets, but companies that can build smart systems. We are entering an era where every company creates its own digital and artificial intelligence. And the companies that develop this intelligence will shape the future of marketing.
“Digitalization has made international trade smarter and more targeted”
- The effects of digitalization on global trade are being felt more and more every day. In this respect, how has digital marketing transformed international markets?
Digitalization has not only accelerated international trade; it has made it smarter and more targeted. Even an SME can now establish a presence in global markets with the right strategy. Especially e-export, digital marketplaces and direct customer contact via social media enable sales without large logistical investments. Thanks to digital marketing, companies can explore new markets, implement local strategies with content specific to the target country and analyze cultural differences with data. Global trade is no longer just about “transportation”, it is about carrying digital experience.
- Which are the 5 most powerful countries in the digital marketing world? How is Türkiye’s performance in the global digital marketing world?
The 5 most powerful countries in digital marketing are:
- USA: Leading in artificial intelligence, ad tech and data analytics.
- China: Transformed marketing with social commerce and mobile payment systems
- India: Leading in developer power and digital marketing service exports.
- UK: Strong in creative agency strength and digital strategy.
- Brazil: Effective especially in young markets with mobile-first strategies.
Türkiye is far ahead in digital content production, social media usage and e-commerce. It also still has serious potential in artificial intelligence, big data and programmatic advertising. In order to become a producer country in digital marketing, we need to increase technology integration.
