What is Digital Marketing? Benefits, Types, and Best Digital Marketing Practices
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Did you know that there are 5.35 billion internet users worldwide? That’s more than 60% percent of the world’s population! With that number of people, it’s no wonder businesses are online nowadays. And, that’s why digital marketing has become paramount for every business.
But what’s digital marketing? Which methods and strategies does it encompass, and why is it so important?
We answer all these questions and more in this blog, so read on to find out about the importance and benefits of online marketing and why it’s a must for your business.
What is Digital Marketing?
Also known as Internet and online marketing, digital marketing is a method that promotes your business via digital channels such as social media, websites, emails, and text and multimedia messages.
Its goal is to generate brand awareness, by reaching out to as many potential customers as possible, and eventually turn them into buyers.
Why is digital marketing so important?
With 5.35 billion internet users and 2.71 billion online shoppers as of 2024, internet marketing has become crucial to every business. Thanks to its global coverage, it allows you to reach billions of people around the world, and it delivers impressive results.
What are the benefits of digital marketing?
Every business, small or big, young or established, can benefit from digital marketing. Here’s how it can help you build brand awareness and increase conversions.
- Reach a wider audience – With over 5 billion internet users and numerous marketing channels, you can easily reach your target audience regardless of their location.
- It’s budget-friendly – You can promote your products/services to potential customers at a lower cost than traditional marketing and still get a higher ROI.
- Greater flexibility – Digital marketing allows you to easily change and adapt your marketing strategy based on current results and customer data. For instance, if your blog doesn’t bring a lot of visitors, you can repurpose the content to social media posts, emails, or a YouTube or TikTok video.
- Measurable results – The software and platforms used in Internet marketing automatically track and collect all marketing data, such as the number of people who have engaged with your content in any way.
- Simplified conversions – Internet marketing shortens the buyer’s journey by allowing customers to act immediately after seeing your ad or content. If a user is interested in a product/service you offer, they can get it in one click.
- Better connection with the audience – Digital channels, such as social media platforms, allow for real-time communication with customers and direct engagement from their side which fosters your relationship with your audience. This helps turn them into loyal supporters and increases the odds of turning them into customers.
Digital marketing types
Creating a solid marketing strategy is the key to reaching your online marketing goals. To come up with one that aligns with your business needs, you need to understand the types of digital marketing.
According to Hubspot, there are 13 digital marketing examples, but we’ll look at the 6 main ones.
Social media marketing
Social media marketing is one of the most used digital marketing strategies due to the popularity of platforms. Also, because it’s the #1 source of brand information according to 78% of internet users.
This method allows you to attract and entertain the audience using multimedia content, such as graphics, videos (including reels), and classic posts.
SEO
SEO is the practice of optimizing your website to rank high on SERP with the ultimate goal of getting on the first page. By ranking high, your site drives more traffic and builds authority, credibility, and value.
SEO has become a go-to online marketing strategy for businesses due to having the highest ROI of all other digital marketing channels.
Content marketing
Content marketing is another popular digital marketing practice that offers the audience valuable written materials for free. The most common ones are:
- Blog posts
- E-books
- Infographics
- Whitepapers
It’s closely related to SEO as it uses the strategy to rank the content high and become visible to as many users as possible.
Email marketing
Email marketing is exactly what it sounds like – promoting your products/services by email. It often intertwines with content marketing as many businesses include valuable content in their emails instead of just bombarding subscribers with offers and promotions.
Contrary to popular belief, email marketing isn’t dead, but it’s rocking loud with $32 a minimum average ROI. And it’s considered the most effective lead generator.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a strategy that offers a commission to people promoting your business or a specific product/service. It uses a revenue-sharing model where the marketer earns a percentage of every sale made through their affiliate link.
PPC advertising
PPC Advertising is a paid marketing strategy that displays an ad with a link to your website. Namely, you pay a fee each time someone clicks on your link. The exact amount depends on the platform used, the estimated traffic per post, and the number of competitors.
NOTE: Just because you pay for a promotion, your ad is not guaranteed to be placed at the top of the page. Each platform uses an algorithm that prioritizes each ad based on its quality, landing page quality, keyword relevance, and bid amount.
The 3 fundamentals of digital marketing
To create a successful online marketing strategy, you must consider the fundamentals of digital marketing:
#1. Understanding your target audience
Who are they? What do they want? What are they interested in? What are their problems and how can your offer solve them?
The answers to these questions will help you create the buyer’s persona and tailor campaigns that cater to their wants and needs.
#2. Creating high-quality and valuable content
Content is the king and the heart of digital marketing. That’s why creating high-quality content that provides value to your audience is of utmost importance. It should be educational, helpful, entertaining, and shareable regardless of whether it’s a video, a social media post, or written content.
#3. Monitoring your campaigns
Tracking the results of your campaigns and measuring your ROI is the only way to an effective marketing plan. The results show if your strategy is effective or needs to be adjusted.
5 Tips for starting with digital marketing
New to digital marketing? Here are 5 tips to help you start!
1. Set your goals
You must define the outcome of your marketing endeavors. Your goal(s) will serve as the base for building and developing your strategy. The most common goals are:
- Increasing website traffic
- Building brand awareness
- Boosting engagement
- Generating more quality leads
- Increasing sales
- Getting more subscribers
2. Define your target audience
As mentioned above, knowing who’s your target audience and what they want is crucial for creating an effective marketing strategy. To define your audience, you must identify their common features (gender, age, education level, income, etc.), their problems, and/or desires.
3. Set your budget
Setting a budget for digital marketing is a smart move to prevent overspending. You can create a budget for each channel or a total budget for all parts of your marketing strategy.
This includes the people involved, such as writers, graphic designers, or a digital marketing agency as well as the expenses associated with purchasing reliable website hosting services, tools, and software (SEO, SMM, email marketing).
4. Choose the marketing methods
When selecting your online marketing method, consider your goals, the channels where your audience is mostly present, and your budget. You can focus on only 2 or combine multiple channels depending on your business and goals.
5. Monitor and analyze campaigns’ results
This step is essential for tracking the success of your internet marketing efforts. Analytics show you how well you’re performing based on your goals. Use that data to adjust or refine your strategy to maximize your campaigns’ success.
Final thoughts
Digital marketing is a must for every business that wants to become recognizable among its audience. With more than half of the worldwide population online, it’s essential to establish your online presence.
Creating a well-thought-through digital marketing strategy can help you reach your goals and take your business to new heights. Set your goal and budget, define your audience, choose the marketing methods, and you’re ready!
Unlock the full potential of your business—dive into the digital wave today!
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