What is digital marketing? The complete guide
Digital marketing is defined as the use of digital channels to promote a product or service. It’s the opposite of offline marketing, for example. The goal of this approach is to connect with customers online—the place where they spend the most time seeking information or entertainment. With digital advertising revenue projected to surpass $700 billion by 2025, its impact and reach are impossible to ignore.
Digital marketing is a broad practice, simply because there are so many online channels available. Posting on social media is a form of digital marketing, as are email marketing and blogging. Together, the promotional content on these various platforms forms a cohesive online marketing strategy. Whether you are focusing on event marketing or creating an email subscriber list, digital marketing is an incredible important facet.
Benefits of digital marketing
Every company—from large international organizations to independent brick-and-mortar stores—can gain from advertising themselves online. Here are some of the ways digital marketing can benefit your business:
- Building brand awareness by making your presence known and putting your unique stamp on the web. Digital ads can increase brand awareness by up to 80%.
- Targeting specific audiences based on demographics, interests and behaviors to connect with the right people.
- Engaging prospective customers and generating valuable leads that drive growth.
- Measuring performance to understand what’s working, refine your strategy and maximize your results.
- Saving money with cost-effective strategies compared to traditional marketing methods.
- Reaching customers worldwide and growing your audience beyond geographical boundaries.
- Deepening customer relationships to build loyalty and encourage repeat business. 66% of marketers report that digital marketing tactics have increased their company’s credibility and trust.
- Guiding customers through the marketing funnel from their first interaction to completing a sale.
Types of digital marketing
Digital marketing isn’t a single practice but, instead, is the sum of several elements. Some of the most common examples of this marketing strategy include:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Content marketing
- Social media marketing
- Pay per click (PPC)
- Native advertising
- Affiliate marketing
- Influencer marketing
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Online PR
- Mobile marketing
- Conversion rate optimization (CRO)
