Digital marketing:
Simply stated, digital marketing is what you do online to capture consumers’ attention, facilitate the flow of traffic to your business’ website, get people on board with your email list, purchase what you’re selling, or download your company’s application.
Digital marketing is the use of the Internet, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other channels to reach consumers. Some marketing experts consider digital marketing to be an entirely new endeavour that requires a new way of approaching customers and new ways of understanding how customers behave compared to traditional marketing.
5 D’s of digital marketing:
Digital devices – audiences experience brands as they interact with business websites and mobile apps typically through a combination of connected devices including smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, TVs and gaming devices.
Digital platforms – most interactions on these devices are through a browser or apps from the major platforms or services, that’s Facebook (and Instagram), Google (and YouTube), Twitter and LinkedIn.
Digital media – different paid, owned and earned communications channels for reaching and engaging audiences including advertising, email and messaging, search engines and social networks.
Digital data – the insight businesses collect about their audience profiles and their interactions with businesses, which now needs to be protected by law in most countries.
Digital technology – the marketing technology or martech stack that businesses use to create interactive experiences from websites and mobile apps to in-store kiosks and email campaigns.
What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?
Having a strong digital presence will help you in multiple ways:
- It will make it easier to create awareness and engagement both before and after the sale
- It will help you convert new buyers into rabid fans who buy more (and more often)
- It will kick-start word-of-mouth and social sharing—and all the benefits that come with them
- It will shorten the buyer’s journey by presenting the right offers at the right time
Types of marketing:
Website Marketing
A website is the centrepiece of all digital marketing activities. Alone, it is a very powerful channel, but it’s also the medium needed to execute a variety of online marketing campaigns. A website should represent a brand, product, and service in a clear and memorable way. It should be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to use.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising enables marketers to reach Internet users on a number of digital platforms through paid ads. Marketers can set up PPC campaigns on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook and show their ads to people searching for terms related to the products or services. PPC campaigns can segment users based on their demographic characteristics (such as by age or gender), or even target their particular interests or location. The most popular PPC platforms are Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
Content Marketing
The goal of content marketing is to reach potential customers through the use of content. Content is usually published on a website and then promoted through social media, email marketing, SEO, or even PPC campaigns. The tools of content marketing include blogs, eBooks, online courses, infographics, podcasts, and webinars.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing channels. Many people confuse email marketing with spam email messages, but that’s not what email marketing is all about. Email marketing is the medium to get in touch with your potential customers or the people interested in your brand. Many digital marketers use all other digital marketing channels to add leads to their email lists and then, through email marketing, they create customer acquisition funnels to turn those leads into customers.
Social Media Marketing
The primary goal of a social media marketing campaign is brand awareness and establishing social trust. As you go deeper into social media marketing, you can use it to get leads or even as a direct sales channel.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the oldest forms of marketing, and the Internet has brought new life to this old standby. With affiliate marketing, influencers promote other people’s products and get a commission every time a sale is made or a lead is introduced. Many well-known companies like Amazon have affiliate programs that pay out millions of dollars per month to websites that sell their products.
Video Marketing
YouTube has become the second most popular search engine and a lot of users are turning to YouTube before they make a buying decision, to learn something, read a review, or just to relax. There are several video marketing platforms, including Facebook Videos, Instagram, or even TikTok to use to run a video marketing campaign. Companies find the most success with video by integrating it with SEO, content marketing, and broader social media marketing campaigns.
SMS Messaging
Companies and non-profit organizations also use SMS or text messages to send information about their latest promotions or giving opportunities to willing customers. Political candidates running for office also use SMS message campaigns to spread positive information about their own platforms. As technology has advanced, many text-to-give campaigns also allow customers to directly pay or give via a simple text message.
Why Does Your Business Need A Digital Marketing Strategy?
Why Does Your Business Need a Digital Marketing Strategy Now that you have a grasp on the basics of digital marketing for dummies, how do you decide if these strategies are right for your business?
Well, this is an easy one, because digital marketing will help any business grow and succeed, no matter how small of an online presence they start with.
Digital marketing is less about hitting the ground running with a huge online follower-ship, and more about understanding your client base and who they really are. If you get into the consumers’ heads, you’re already on your way to great success with digital marketing.
In a society where even 9% of drivers are on their cell phones at all times (I’m not condoning this, just stating the facts), ignoring digital marketing strategies is just plain stupid. And although this is the guide to digital marketing for dummies, we hope you’re already smartening up about the possibilities that are out there for your business and its growth.
Not only are people glued to their devices, but online presence matters to consumers. In fact, statistics show us that 61% of people won’t return to a website after a less-than-satisfactory experience, and 40% of those people will turn to a competitor instead.
The facts show that a whole lot of people are online, and a whole lot of people care about what they’re seeing there. Studying digital marketing for dummies shows us that advertising strategies on the web are an absolute must for drumming up business.
Digital Marketing Challenges
Digital marketing poses special challenges for its purveyors. Digital channels are proliferating rapidly, and digital marketers have to keep up with how these channels work, how they’re used by receivers, and how to use these channels to effectively market their products or services. In addition, it’s becoming more difficult to capture receivers’ attention, because receivers are increasingly inundated with competing ads. Digital marketers also find it challenging to analyse the vast troves of data they capture and then exploit this information in new marketing efforts.
The challenge of capturing and using data effectively highlights that digital marketing requires an approach to marketing based on a deep understanding of consumer behaviour. For example, it may require a company to analyse new forms of consumer behaviour, such as using website heat maps to learn more about the customer journey.
Digital Marketing Mistakes
Learning about digital marketing for dummies isn’t just about what you should do, but also what you shouldn’t.
Avoid common mistakes made in digital marketing by learning from others’. Here are a couple of examples:
False Confidence
Sure, in a perfect world your content would get noticed and in turn create sales for your business purely based on its quality. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. If you don’t take advantage of the techniques listed above, your material won’t receive the exposure that it deserves.
Going Too Hard, Too Fast
Instead of taking the time to analyse exactly what’s right for their business, some people take every avenue right away. Without careful and proper planning, digital marketing strategies will not be effective. Make sure you take the time needed to foster each strategy you choose to use individually. Trying everything at once could result in working with the wrong people and getting a result that isn’t worth what you’re paying for it.
How to Create a Plan
The key is to take things slow.
Now that you’re ready to create a plan for your company’s digital marketing strategy, approach things slowly and carefully. Money matters and you don’t want to be dumping thousands into ineffective marketing schemes. And of course, the last thing you want to do is cross your fingers, jump off the deep end, and hope for the best.
Here are some tips:
- Make one goal at a time
- Take the time to get to know your client base
- Stay patient
- Be picky about who you choose to work with
This guide was brought to you by Adstuck
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