Digital Marketing Overview

Digital Marketing Overview: Types of Challenges and Skills Requirements

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the use of digital channels for marketing products and services to consumers. This type of marketing uses websites, mobile devices, and search engines. The advent of the internet in 1990 made digital marketing a popular option.

Digital marketing is based on the same principles as traditional marketing. It can be used to reach consumers and understand their behavior. Many companies combine digital and traditional marketing techniques in their strategies.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Digital marketing is marketing to consumers via any number of digital channels.
• This type of marketing is often done on websites, mobile devices, or social media platforms.
• This type of marketing is not the same as internet marketing which is done exclusively on websites.
• Digital marketing encompasses many areas, such as attracting customers via email and content marketing, search engines, social media, etc.
• Digital marketers have to figure out how to stand out in a digitally saturated world.

Understanding Digital Marketing

Marketing is any activity a company uses in order to promote its products or services and increase its market share. Marketing requires sales skills, advertising knowledge, and the ability of goods to be delivered to end-users in order to succeed. This task is usually performed by specific marketers or professionals who are able to work both internally (for companies), and externally (with other marketing firms).

Traditional marketing strategies for corporations were radio, print, and television. These options are still available today, but the internet has changed the way companies reach consumers. Digital marketing was born. This type of marketing uses websites, search engines, and apps. It also includes customer feedback or a two-way interaction between customers and companies.

Companies had to adapt their marketing strategies due to new trends and technology. Email was a common marketing tool in the early days of digital marketing. Search engines like Netscape became the main focus of digital marketing. Businesses could tag and keyword stuff to be found. Companies can now track consumer trends through the development of social media sites such as Facebook.

Companies can now market their products and services using smartphones and other digital devices. According to studies, people prefer to use their smartphones to access the internet. It should not surprise that 70% of people make purchasing decisions on their phones before actually hitting the buy button.

Take Note

Advertisers are often referred to simply as sources. Members of targeted ads are called receivers. Sources often target very specific and well-defined receivers.

McDonald’s extended its late-night hours and targeted travelers with digital ads. This was because it knew that these people were a significant part of its late-night business. They were encouraged to download the Restaurant Finder App and targeted them with advertisements placed at gas stations, automated teller machines (ATMs), and other websites frequented by its customers.

Different types of digital marketing channels

Marketing was traditionally done via print (newspapers, magazines and radio) and broadcast ads (TV or radio). These channels still exist today. Digital marketing channels continue to evolve. Here are eight common channels companies can use to increase their marketing efforts. Companies may employ multiple channels to boost their marketing efforts.

Website Marketing

All digital marketing activities revolve around a website. Websites are a powerful medium, but they also serve as the platform for executing a range of online marketing campaigns. Websites should clearly and memorablely represent brands, products, or services. It should be mobile-friendly and fast.

Advertisement via Pay-Per-Click

Marketers can reach Internet users through paid ads using pay-per-click (PPC). Marketers can create PPC campaigns on Google and Bing. They can also use LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook to show their ads to people who are searching for the product or service.

PPC campaigns can be segmented based on demographic characteristics, such as age and gender, or targeted at specific interests or locations. Google Ads, and Facebook Ads are the most popular PPC platforms.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is about reaching potential customers by using content. A website usually publishes content. The content is then promoted via social media, email marketing and search engine optimization. Content marketing tools include ebooks, webinars, infographics, and podcasts.

Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most powerful digital marketing channels. Email marketing is often confused with spam emails. However, that is not the essence of email marketing. This type of marketing allows companies and individuals to reach potential customers or anyone who is interested in their brand.

Digital marketers often use all digital marketing channels to add leads and then create customer acquisition funnels through email marketing to convert those leads into customers.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing campaigns are designed to build brand awareness and social trust. You can also use social media marketing to generate leads and even direct sales. Two examples of social media marketing are promoted posts and tweets.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is an old form of marketing. The internet has given new life to this traditional method. Affiliate marketing allows influencers to promote the products of others and receive a commission for each sale or lead. Affiliate programs for well-known companies such as Amazon pay millions per month to sites that sell their products.

Video Marketing

YouTube is the most used search engine in the world. YouTube is a popular search engine that users use to find information, review and relax, as well as to make buying decisions.

You can use several video marketing platforms to launch a campaign, such as Instagram and Facebook Videos. Companies have the best success with video when it is integrated with content marketing and SEO.

SMS Messaging

Nonprofit organizations and companies also use text messages or SMS to inform customers about new promotions or offer opportunities. To spread positive information about their platforms, candidates for office use SMS messages to send out SMS messages. Many text-to-give campaigns allow customers to pay directly or send a simple message.

FAST FACT

Digital marketing is different from internet marketing. Internet marketing refers to advertising that is only on the internet. Digital marketing, however, can be done via mobile devices, on a subway platform or in a game.

Digital Marketing Challenges

The challenges that digital marketing presents to its providers are unique. Digital channels are rapidly expanding and digital marketers must keep up to date with their use, how they’re used, and how to market their products and services effectively.

Receivers are becoming increasingly bombarded with competing ads, making it more difficult to grab their attention. It is also difficult for digital marketers to analyze the vast amounts of data they collect and then use this information in new marketing campaigns.

Digital marketing must be based on an in-depth understanding of consumer behavior. It may be necessary for a company, for example, to analyze new forms consumer behavior such as website heatmaps, to gain more insight into the customer journey.

What is a Digital Marketing Agency?

A digital marketing agency deals only with marketing to consumers via digital channels. This includes creating and launching campaigns through social media, video, and pay-per-click advertising for corporate clients, as well as websites and videos.

What is SEO in Digital Marketing?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a way for companies to increase their traffic via search engines. The goal is to push their websites and names towards the top of search results pages. Search results can be either organically or manually. Companies that are able successfully to apply SEO to their digital marketing strategies will be more visible to consumers.

What is Internet Marketing?

Internet marketing refers to any type of marketing that is exclusively done online. It is only available on websites. This is different from digital marketing which includes marketing on social media sites and mobile apps. These campaigns can be done via smartphones and digital devices as well as other platforms.