Insights / Marketing
Digital marketing. I'm sure many of us have come across this term on countless occasions.
Its broad coverage and usage across many different industries in various areas has been loosely used to define almost everything ‘digital’, to the point where the actual term loses its inherent meaning. Aside from that, the over-abundance of buzzwords such as ‘SEO’, ‘SEM’ and ‘content’ further causes confusion in the understanding of its true value and potential benefit to our lives. Hence, it's important to get a general grasp on the various aspects surrounding digital marketing as a whole.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the big question -
What is Digital Marketing?
To start things off, let's set a clear definition on what the term actually means. Digital marketing is any marketing activities executed through electronic devices and online channels, which includes:
- Websites
- Emails
- Social media
- Mobile phones
- Applications
- Blogs
- Videos and other similar avenues
In essence, it is marketing in the digital world. But unlike traditional marketing, it is not static in the sense where communications are only 'one-way' between a business and its customers. Instead, it creates an avenue for the two to interact with each other, allowing one to immediately gauge the response and effectiveness of their marketing efforts in real-time. It is constantly evolving and improving in its effectiveness, so if you’re running a business, it's time to hop on board (if you haven’t already)!
With that being said, there are many types of digital marketing. Listed below are some of the most common examples of digital marketing; some of which you may recognize!
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
The use of paid adverts on search engines to market your business.
Also known as (PPC) pay-per-click advertising, companies use this to reach their customers by driving traffic to their website generated from the clicks made by users when searching for a product or service. They can come in the form of small, text-based ads, display or even product listings.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The process of making your business's website appear in the top few search results based on a given keyword.
The common notion is that users usually click on the first few links returned by the search engine while ignoring the rest at the bottom and the results from other pages. This makes a website's 'search ranking' a crucial factor for businesses in reaching consumers, which can be improved by optimizing several aspects of your website.
Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Creating and sharing content such as posts, images, videos and adverts to achieve a business's marketing goals.
It is most commonly used to build brand awareness and social trust with consumers through engaging and relevant content. Other aspects also include customer relationship building, community engagement and lead generation.
Content Marketing
Creating infographics, articles, whitepapers and other various forms of content to be used as a marketing asset in reaching potential customers.
Similarly social media marketing, content marketing involves creating content that is valuable, relevant and engaging to a business's target audience. This can be done independently by employees of the business itself or through third party writers. One of its main objectives is to create ‘backlinks’ on various pages or websites so users will click on it and be directed to the site of the business, introducing them to its products and services.
Email Direct Marketing (EDM)
Sending promotional emails (or newsletters) about your products and services to potential prospects and customers.
Similarly to content marketing, EDM relies on the use of valuable and relevant content that is distributed to a business's target audience via email. It combines well-designed graphics with persuasive writing to create enticing offers that lead to website visits, lead generation and customer acquisition. It's also used to build brand awareness, trust and loyalty amongst both new and existing customers.
Affiliate Marketing
Partnering with other individuals and entities to promote your products and services.
This relies on leveraging the partnerships that are formed with established companies, publishers and blogs to market your business's offerings on their websites. In return, the affiliates will receive a commission whenever they generate leads or sales for the business through users who complete the required actions tracked via an affiliate link. Generally, businesses will look for those who operate in similar niches as that is where their audiences will most likely be found.
If all of this still sounds confusing or if you think your business needs some guidance in exploring digital marketing, don’t worry! Reach out to a digital marketing agency to get started or to ask any questions about pursuing digital marketing for your business. It’s time to take your business to the next level!
