DIGITAL MARKETING

Digital marketing, also called online marketing, is the promotion of brands to

connect with potential customers using the internet and other forms of digital
communication. This includes not only email, social media, and web-based
advertising, but also text and multimedia messages as a marketing channel.
Why is digital marketing important?

• Any type of marketing can help your business thrive. However,

digital marketing has become increasingly important because
of how accessible digital channels are. In fact, there were 5
billion internet users globally in April 2022 alone.
• From social media to text messages, there are many ways to
use digital marketing tactics in order to communicate with
your target audience. Additionally, digital marketing has
minimal upfront costs, making it a cost-effective marketing
technique for small businesses.
B2B versus B2C digital marketing

• Digital marketing strategies work for B2B (business to business) as well

as B2C (business to consumer) companies, but best practices
differ significantly between the 2. Here's a closer look at how digital
marketing is used in B2B and B2C marketing strategies.
• B2B clients tend to have longer decision-making processes, and thus
longer sales funnels. Relationship-building strategies work better for
these clients, whereas B2C customers tend to respond better to short-
term offers and messages.
• B2B transactions are usually based on logic and evidence, which is what
skilled B2B digital marketers present. B2C content is more likely to be
emotionally-based, focusing on making the customer feel good about a
purchase.
• B2B decisions tend to need more than 1 person's input. The marketing
materials that best drive these decisions tend to be shareable and
downloadable. B2C customers, on the other hand, favor one-on-one
connections with a brand.
Types of digital marketing

• Search engine optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is technically a marketing tool
rather than a form of marketing in itself. The Balance defines it as “the
art and science of making web pages attractive to search engines.”
The "art and science" part of SEO is what’s most important. SEO is a
science because it requires you to research and weigh different
contributing factors to achieve the highest possible ranking on a serch
engine results page (SERP).
• Today, the most important elements to consider when optimizing a
web page for search engines include:
• Quality of content
• Level of user engagement
• Mobile-friendliness
• Number and quality of inbound links
Content marketing

SEO is a major factor in content marketing, a strategy based on the

distribution of relevant and valuable content to a target audience.
As in any marketing strategy, the goal of content marketing is to
attract leads that ultimately convert into customers. But it does so
differently than traditional advertising. Instead of enticing
prospects with potential value from a product or service, it offers
value for free in the form of written material, such as:
• Blog posts
• E-books
• Newsletters
• Video or audio transcripts
• Whitepapers
• Infographics
ocial media marketing
• Social media marketing means driving traffic and brand
• marketing are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with LinkedIn
and YouTube not far behind. Ultimately, which social media
platforms you use for your business depends on your goals
and audience. For example, if you want to find new leads for
your FinTech startup, targeting your audience on LinkedIn is a
good idea since industry professionals are active on the
platform. On the other hand, running social media ads on
Instagram may be better for your brand if you run a B2C
focused on younger consumers.
Pay-per-click marketing

• Pay-per-click, or PPC, is a form of digital marketing in which you pay a

fee every time someone clicks on your digital ads. So, instead of
paying a set amount to constantly run targeted ads on online
marketing channels, you only pay for the ads individuals interact with.
How and when people see your ad is a bit more complicated.
• One of the most common types of PPC is search engine advertising,
and because Google is the most popular search engine, many
businesses use Google Ads for this purpose. When a spot is available
on a search engine results page, also known as a SERP, the engine fills
the spot with what is essentially an instant auction. An algorithm
prioritizes each available ad based on a number of factors, including:
• Ad quality
• Keyword relevance
• Landing page quality
• Bid amount
Affiliate marketing
• Affiliate marketing is a digital marketing tactic that lets
someone make money by promoting another person's
business. You could be either the promoter or the business
who works with the promoter, but the process is the same in
either case.
• It works using a revenue sharing model. If you're the affiliate,
you get a commission every time someone purchases the item
that you promote. If you're the merchant, you pay the affiliate
for every sale they help you make.
• Some affiliate marketers choose to review the products of just
1 company, perhaps on a blog or other third-party site. Others
have relationships with multiple merchants.
Native advertising

• Native advertising is digital marketing in disguise. Its goal is to

blend in with its surrounding content so that it’s less blatantly
obvious as advertising.
• Native advertising was created in reaction to the cynicism of
today's consumers toward ads. Knowing that the creator of an ad
pays to run it, many consumers will conclude that the ad is biased
and consequently ignore it.
• A native ad gets around this bias by offering information or
entertainment before it gets to anything promotional,
downplaying the "ad" aspect.
• It’s important to always label your native ads clearly. Use words
like “promoted” or “sponsored.” If those indicators are concealed,
readers might end up spending significant time engaging with the
content before they realize that it's advertising.
Influencer marketing

• Like affiliate marketing, influencer marketing relies on working

with an influencer–an individual with a large following, such as
a celebrity, industry expert, or content creator–in exchange for
exposure. In many cases, these influencers will endorse your
products or services to their followers on several social media
channels.
• Influencer marketing works well for B2B and B2C companies
who want to reach new audiences. However, it’s important to
partner with reputable influencers since they’re essentially
representing your brand. The wrong influencer can tarnish the
trust consumers have with your business.
Mobile marketing

• Mobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy that allows

you to engage with your target audience on their mobile
devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This can be via SMS
and MMS messages, social media notifications, mobile app
alerts, and more.
• It’s crucial to ensure that all content is optimized for mobile
devices. According to the Pew Research Center, 85% of
Americans own a smartphone, so your marketing efforts can
go a long way when you create content for computer and
mobile screens.
Email marketing
• The concept of email marketing is simple—you send a
promotional message and hope that your prospect clicks on it.
However, the execution is much more complex. First of all, you
have to make sure that your emails are wanted. This means
having an opt-in list that does the following:
• Individualizes the content, both in the body and in the subject
line
• States clearly what kind of emails the subscriber will get
• An email signature that offers a clear unsubscribe option
• Integrates both transactional and promotional emails