If you own a small business, then chances are, you’re at least somewhat familiar with the term digital marketing. But what does it mean? And how can you get started with it? In this article, we’ll discuss digital marketing, from its beginnings to the present day.
We’ll also talk about how you can incorporate digital marketing into your company, and give some examples of digital marketing companies that have done well since their inception.
The internet has changed the way we live, and it’s changing the way we conduct business as well. Online marketing, or digital marketing, is an essential skill that every company should have in order to successfully reach their target audience online.
The good news? Digital marketing can be easier to learn than you might think if you have the right resources at your disposal.
This article will give you an overview of the basics of digital marketing and help get you started on the right path to learning more about this powerful method of reaching your customers.
Defining digital marketing
Digital marketing is a marketing practice that uses digital channels to engage with customers, promote products and services, and increase sales. This can include email marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), display advertising and more. These days, many people are familiar with these terms because they’re so prevalent on the internet.
There are many different ways to get started in this industry. For example, you could take an online course on digital marketing like the one offered by Google called Digital Unlocked or you could consider attending an institute like Northeastern University where they offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in it.
The benefits of digital marketing
Digital marketing is not only the future of marketing, it's now. There are many benefits to digital marketing and with such a powerful tool at your fingertips, there's no reason to not utilize it. One benefit that may stand out from the rest is efficiency. Digital marketing offers direct access to customers through social media, online advertisements and text messaging just to name a few.
These platforms make it easy for marketers to communicate with customers in real time so there is little need for back-and-forth phone calls or emails like in traditional advertising methods. It also gives you insight into what customers want by reading what they write about you on social media or looking at their web history on Google Analytics.
The basics of getting started in digital marketing
Digital marketing encompasses a vast landscape of activities, but there are some basics that should be covered in any digital marketing campaign.
The first thing to remember is that digital marketing can be done in almost any industry or type of business, it just needs to fit with the company's goals.
The second important thing to remember when getting started in digital marketing is that it often requires taking risks and experimenting with strategies. It also requires that you monitor what you're doing and make adjustments based on how your audience reacts.
There are many facets to get started with digital marketing like online advertising and search engine optimization, so it's always best to work one on one with an expert who can guide you through this process.
The different types of digital marketing
Digital marketing is a broad term that includes many different types of marketing, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing (SMM), content marketing and email marketing. The most common form of digital marketing, however, is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
With PPC ads, you purchase ad space on popular websites like Google or Yahoo! Search in order to get your message in front of the right audience. With this type of marketing, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad or when someone performs an action such as filling out a lead form on your website after clicking on the link in the advertisement.
There are also other forms of digital marketing, such as email campaigns and blogs. It's important to note that digital marketing differs from traditional advertising because it can be used across so many different channels.
Traditional advertisers might buy TV time for their ads, for example; but with digital marketing, they could advertise on TV through YouTube or Vimeo; on Facebook via Sponsored Posts; or even through banners at the bottom of their own website.
The importance of digital marketing in today's world
The world has changed. Gone are the days of traditional marketing strategies and long-term company goals. Businesses today need to be agile and quick in order to succeed.
Digital marketing has become the easiest, most cost-effective way for companies to get their message out there and create a digital footprint for themselves in today's world.
Some businesses might not understand the importance of using digital marketing as part of their strategy. Below are some reasons why it should absolutely be considered
1) Digital marketing is more cost-effective than other options.
Traditional marketing often involves printing costs or paying celebrities to endorse your product, which can rack up quite the bill very quickly.
However, with digital marketing you can easily reach a huge audience at no additional expense. Plus, if you have a blog on your website that shares new posts regularly, then people will find you when they search online rather than have to actively seek you out which saves money on printing costs too!
2) Digital marketing reaches a wider audience. With platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram available to use, you can market to literally anyone in the entire world who has internet access (and we all know how fast those numbers are growing!).
3) Digital marketing allows for real time feedback. Because many digital platforms allow for user feedback and comments, this gives you an instant indication of whether or not your campaign was successful without having to wait months before looking at any numbers.
4) Digital marketing doesn't rely on print ads alone. Many businesses make the mistake of thinking that their only form of advertising should be through print ads. But with digital marketing, there are so many different ways to advertise: videos, blogs, websites, email campaigns etc., meaning you won't run out of ways to advertise once you've exhausted traditional means of advertising
5) Digital marketing lets you track success. Thanks to technology, tracking your success is easier than ever.
For example, did someone purchase something after viewing one of your YouTube commercials? No problem - just look at the data provided by Google Analytics and see what lead them to convert!
6) Digital marketing scales well. It's never been easier to grow a business thanks to social media.
With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can start building relationships with customers around the world and potentially sell your products across borders. That being said, it's also never been more important to keep up with changes in digital marketing trends.
Make sure you stay current on trends such as mobile marketing because staying ahead of the game is key to ensuring success!
