If there’s anything businesses and marketers learned from 2021 and 2020 is that digital marketing should be one of the pillar strategies you should implement to boost your business’ growth. If you don’t have an online presence, you’re losing out on potential customers and revenue. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to shut their doors and rethink the way they reach and engage with their customers.
In its simplest form, digital marketing uses online channels and digital tools to promote or market your product or service. Businesses need digital marketing as it allows you to reach a larger audience with less money and resources. This works wonders for small businesses or local stores looking to scale up.
If you’re new to the digital marketing space, or if you’re looking to brush up on your knowledge, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to digital marketing. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about digital marketing, from the basics to more advanced concepts.
In this Guide:
- What is digital marketing?
- Why is digital marketing important for businesses?
- Types of Digital Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
- Email Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- Native Advertising
- Online Public Relations (PR)
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
- Marketing Automation
- Inbound Marketing
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Display Advertising
- Instant Messaging Marketing
- Inbound Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: Which Is It?
- Does digital marketing work for all businesses?
- What types of digital content should I create?
- How to Do Digital Marketing
- What is Digital Branding
- Integrate Digital Marketing Into Your Strategy
- What’s Next?
Contents
- What is digital marketing?
- Why is digital marketing important for businesses?
- Types of Digital Marketing
- Inbound Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: Which Is It?
- Does digital marketing work for all businesses?
- What types of digital content should I create?
- How to Do Digital Marketing
- What is Digital Branding
- Integrate Digital Marketing Into Your Strategy
- What’s Next?
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing, or online marketing, makes use of digital technologies and the internet to promote or market a product or service. Like traditional marketing, digital marketing requires strategic planning using digital technologies and online channels to nurture and engage with customers.
The goal of digital marketing is to get people interested in your product or service. It starts with an optimized website that uses SEO to rank high in search engines, followed by a solid social media presence that helps build brand awareness and generate leads. Once people are interested in your product or service, digital marketing can help turn those leads into customers through email marketing, retargeting ads, and other conversion-focused strategies.
Why is digital marketing important for businesses?
Digital marketing is vital for businesses, especially for small businesses as it allows you to reach a larger audience with fewer resources. It’s also a great way to engage with your customers more personally and interactively.
The impact of digital marketing can be seen in the increased reach, engagement, and conversions for businesses that use it. If done right, you can expect great return on investment (ROI) from leads generated from your digital marketing efforts.
Here are some noteworthy statistics to prove how digital marketing is changing the marketing landscape.
- The average return on investment from email marketing stands at 4,200%. – Litmus report
- Individuals who use blogging as a marketing tool are 13 times more likely to get a positive ROI. – Hubspot
- Companies generate an average of $2 in earnings for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. – Mainstreet ROI
- 72% of marketers improve their engagement through content marketing. – SEO Tribunal
- For every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses get an ROI of $40. – Smart Insights
- Videos incorporated on landing pages boost the conversion rate by up to 86%. – EyeView Digital
- 64% of Internet users are more likely to purchase a product online after watching a video. – Hubspot
Types of Digital Marketing
Businesses can use several types of digital marketing to reach and engage with their customers. The most common types of digital marketing are:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – SEO or search engine optimization is improving your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO makes use of various techniques and strategies to improve your website’s ranking, including on-page optimization, link building, and keyword research.
- Content Marketing – Content marketing helps attract and keep customers by creating and distributing useful, relevant, and engaging content material. This type of marketing can take many forms, including blog posts, infographics, ebooks, etc.
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC) – PPC or pay-per-click advertising is online advertising where businesses can pay to have their ads displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs). PPC ads are shown in sponsored results and are based on keywords that businesses bid on.
- Email Marketing – Email marketing is a direct marketing technique where businesses send promotional or transactional messages to their customers via email. Email marketing can build relationships, drive sales, or promote special offers.
- Affiliate Marketing – Affiliate marketing is performance-based marketing where businesses reward affiliates for each customer they bring in. Affiliates can be individuals or other businesses, and businesses usually pay them a commission or percentage of the sale.
- Native Advertising – Native advertising is another type of online advertising that is designed to blend in with the surrounding content. Native ads are usually less intrusive than other types of ads and can be more effective in driving sales or leads.
- Online Public Relations (PR) – Managing your reputation and advertising your brand through internet platforms is known as public relations or PR. Online PR can take many forms, including social media, blogs, and press releases.
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) – Conversion rate optimization, also known as CRO, boosts the percentage of people who perform a specific action on your website such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
- Marketing Automation – Marketing automation uses software or technology to automate marketing tasks, such as email marketing, social media, and lead generation. Marketing automation can help businesses save time and money while still reaching their customers.
- Inbound Marketing – Inbound marketing focuses more on attracting customers through helpful and engaging content. Inbound marketing can take many forms, including blogs, infographics, ebooks, etc.
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Search engine marketing or SEM is a broader term of online advertising that focuses on increasing your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). SEM uses various techniques, including pay-per-click advertising, link building, and keyword research.
- Display Advertising – Display advertising is paid ads that use banner ads, text ads, and video ads to promote products or services. These are usually shown on websites and emails.
- Instant Messaging Marketing – Instant messaging marketing or IM marketing is a type of online marketing that uses instant messaging platforms to communicate with potential and current customers. IM can be used for customer service, lead generation, or sales.
Inbound Marketing vs. Digital Marketing: Which Is It?
While inbound marketing and digital marketing share the same goals (that is to improve your bottomline), there is still a significant difference between the two.
Inbound marketing is a type of digital marketing that focuses on attracting customers through helpful and engaging content. Inbound marketing can take many forms, including blogs, infographics, ebooks, and more.
Digital marketing, on the other hand, is a broader term that can include many different types of marketing activities that includes email marketing, social media marketing, and display advertising.
Inbound marketing is a type of digital marketing. However, not all digital marketing activities are considered inbound marketing.
So which one do you use for your business? We say both. Digital marketing strategies can help you solve short-term goals, like boosting your Facebook page’s reach or increasing traffic to your website. But for the long term, shifting your focus to inbound marketing will help you generate leads that convert to legitimate, qualified customers.
And that’s what we’re all after, right?
Does digital marketing work for all businesses?
The short answer is yes.
Digital marketing can work for any business regardless of the industry. However, some industries are better suited for digital marketing than others.
For example, businesses that sell physical goods online can benefit from SEO and display advertising, while service-based businesses may find more success with content marketing and email marketing.
The key is to find the right digital marketing strategy for your business and make sure you’re using the best techniques for your industry.
If you’re unsure where to start, Public’s digital marketing team can help you create a custom plan that will get your business on the right track.
B2B vs. B2C Digital Marketing
The difference between B2B and B2C digital marketing comes down to the business and the customer relationship.
In a B2B relationship, businesses sell to other businesses. In a B2C relationship, businesses sell to consumers. This distinction can impact the digital marketing strategies and techniques that are used.
For example, B2B businesses may find more success with content marketing, while B2C businesses may succeed with social media marketing.
Now that you know the basics of digital marketing, it’s time to get started.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all digital marketing strategy. The key to success is to try and test techniques that work for your business and your industry. This is where Public’s digital marketing team can help you. We can help you devise a custom plan to get your business on the right track.
What types of digital content should I create?
There is no standard set of content that works for all types of businesses. The type of content you should create for your website or social media profiles will depend on your business and your goals. However, there are a few types of digital content that are well-suited for all businesses.
Blog posts, infographics, ebooks, and white papers are all great examples of digital content that can help you attract and engage customers.
Blog Posts
Blog posts are a great way to attract new visitors to your website and generate leads. When writing a blog post, remember that you’re writing for your audience and not Google. You have to understand what they are interested in, what questions they have, and what pain points they are currently experiencing.
Your goal should be to create helpful and engaging content that will appeal to your target audience.
Infographics
Infographics are the best way to make complex information more digestible and engaging. They’re also highly shareable, which means they can help you attract new visitors to your website.
When creating an infographic, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. What information do they need? What would be most helpful for them?
Your goal should be to create an informative and visually appealing infographic.
Ebooks
Ebooks are a great way to generate leads and build relationships with potential customers. They’re also a great way to establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
When creating an ebook, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. What information do they need? What would be most helpful for them?
Your goal should be to create an ebook that is both informative and visually appealing.
White Papers
Whereas ebooks are generally downloadable extensive guides on a subject, white papers are more of an academic report that presents new research, like a case study. White papers are a great way to generate leads and build relationships with potential customers. They’re also a great way to establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
When creating a white paper, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. What information do they need? What would be most helpful for them?
Your goal should be to create a white paper that is both informative and visually appealing.
The key is to create content that is helpful and engaging. Remember, the goal of inbound marketing is to attract customers through helpful and engaging content. Smaller businesses find it effective to post one to four times a week, while larger companies can push out daily and multiple daily posts. However, if resources are limited, don’t feel the need to pump out content constantly.
How to Do Digital Marketing
There is no cookie-cutter digital marketing strategy as your customers have varying needs and requirements (pain points). Instead, you may want to try and test different techniques until you find the one that makes your audience engage and convert.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Define your goals. What do you want to achieve in your digital marketing campaign?
- Identify your target audience or preferred customer. Who are you trying to reach with your digital marketing campaign?
- Find relevant keywords. What keywords will help you reach your target audience?
- Research your competition. What are they doing with digital marketing?
- Choose your channels. Where will you reach your target audience?
- Create engaging content. What type of content will keep your target audience engaged?
- Set up tracking and measurement. How will you know if you’re achieving your goals?
- Get started and test what works. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Digital marketing can be a great way to attract new customers and grow your business. However, it’s important to keep your goals in mind and choose the right mix of channels and tactics for your business.
What is Digital Branding
Even before COVID, the digital market has become quite competitive. As a result, businesses have to put extra effort into ensuring their digital branding is on point. You need to stand out in a sea of sameness and be visible on all channels where customers are active.
Digital branding is much like traditional branding, which is how you want to portray your brand online. This includes everything from developing a name and logo to creating content and managing social media accounts.
Having a strong digital brand plays a vital role for your business as it helps your brand cut through the digital noise. Remember that customers are interacting with businesses online more than ever before, so it’s important to make sure your digital branding is solid.
Integrate Digital Marketing Into Your Strategy
Now that you understand the role that digital marketing plays in your business growth, it’s time to integrate it into your general marketing plan.
There are a few key questions you need to answer to do this:
- What type of digital marketing will you use? (SEO, social media, email marketing, etc.)
- Who will be responsible for creating and executing the digital marketing plan?
- What are your goals for digital marketing? (Generate leads, build relationships, establish authority, etc.)
- How will you measure your digital marketing success?
By answering these questions, you’ll be well on your way to developing a strong digital marketing strategy for your business.
What’s Next?
Now that you understand the basics of digital marketing, it’s time to start putting it into practice.
Check out our SEO, social media marketing, branding, and digital marketing articles if you’re unsure where to start. We give you the information you need to get started with digital marketing and help you develop and strategize a plan that works for your business.
Or, you can always get a hold of us here over at Public Advertising Agency! We’re here to help achieve digital success.
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