Share this article
Marketing is all about finding the right customers and connecting them to your brand. Successful marketing can lead to a higher number of leads and profits. Although marketing in general has been in practice for many decades now, digital marketing is a newer concept.
In today’s digital age, having an online presence is crucial for any business or brand to succeed. From small startups to large corporations, digital marketing has become essential for reaching and engaging with customers.
But what exactly is digital marketing and why is it so important?
This comprehensive guide delves into the fundamentals of digital marketing, including its definition, the importance of having a digital marketing strategy, the benefits it offers, and the various strategies and techniques used by professionals.
What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing refers to marketing products and services through digital channels to attract more potential customers. Popular digital marketing channels include mobile phones, social media, search engines, email, websites, videos, etc.
Digital marketing helps you reach a larger audience than you could through traditional marketing methods and target the customers who are most likely to use your product or service.
Now let us learn why digital marketing is important.
Importance of digital marketing
Over the years, digital marketing has evolved a lot creating more opportunities for businesses than ever before. As compared to traditional marketing methods like print ads and TV commercials, digital marketing has proven to be the most successful and preferred method of marketing in the present world.
As people spend more time on the internet, every business should ideally build an online presence to reach more potential customers.
There are approximately 5.07 billion internet users worldwide, equivalent to 63.5% of the world’s total population.
Benefits of digital marketing
Digital marketing enables businesses to connect with customers much more easily than any other media. It enables you to measure marketing success on a real-time basis and make changes whenever needed.
Nowadays most consumers are using digital devices to access social media accounts, do online shopping, watch videos, read news, etc.
The increased use of digital technology provides many avenues for marketers to reach out to their prospective customers more quickly without spending huge amounts of money.
So, what are the benefits of digital marketing? Let us learn more about it.
What are the benefits of digital marketing?Â
- Cost-effective than Traditional Marketing
- Allows to Target Specific Audience
- Multi-channel Marketing Opportunities
- Faster Global & Local Reach
- Helps to Engage with Target Customers
- Improves Brand Reputation & Credibility
The key benefits of digital marketing are:
1. Cost-effective marketing
Digital marketing is less expensive than traditional marketing methods like print ads and TV commercials. You can even free promote your products or services using various social media channels and emails.
It offers great flexibility in the marketing budget. So, this type of marketing is the most preferred one for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
2. Targeting specific audiences
With digital marketing tools, it is possible to target a specific audience and show ads based on their interests. These tools can be used to collect and analyse data such as customer demographics, online search patterns, market trends, etc.
For example, when a visitor clicks on your ad you can target this customer so that in the future related ads will be shown to the same person.
3. Multi-channel marketing
Another distinguishing factor of digital marketing is that it offers your business multiple channels for online marketing. From company websites and social media pages to paid ad campaigns and email marketing, marketing opportunities are plentiful in digital as compared to other types of marketing.
4. Global & local reach
Digital marketing allows you to promote your business across various continents within a short period. Search ads and social media campaigns work best to target people from various locations. It also helps businesses to reach local customers very easily through targeted ads.
5. Better Customer Engagement
Digital marketing facilitates continuous engagement with your target audience. Using multiple platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Email, Website, etc. it is now easier to connect with your customers than ever before.
It helps to establish a better understanding of what your customers are expecting and how they think. Businesses can also provide better and more timely customer service through chatbots and other applications.
6. Brand Reputation & Credibility
Brand reputation is a determining factor when it comes to purchasing a product or service in this digital age. People are always looking for reviews and relevant information when they are searching for a product.
Having a strong online presence and brand credibility will help you to attract more leads for your business. Optimised & informative website, updated social media pages, Google business listing, etc. will help to improve your brand credibility.
Top digital marketing strategies
A successful digital marketing plan should include a combination of various methods. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a freelancer, or a large company, it is important to know the fundamentals to get the best marketing results.
Depending on the type of business and the goals, you can choose from a variety of digital marketing methods that suit your needs. PPC (Pay-per-click) advertising, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social media marketing (SMM), Email marketing, and Content marketing, are some of the popular types of digital marketing used by businesses.
Let us now understand more about each of these digital marketing methods.
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC):- PPC refers to an online advertising method where the pay is based on the number of clicks received for an ad.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO):- SEO refers to a set of practices done to improve the search engine rankings of your website, blog, etc. Â
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM):- SEM is a paid search engine advertising technique that helps businesses to buy targeted ad space at the top of the search results page. SEM is different from SEO and both are usually used simultaneously.Â
- Social Media Marketing (SMM):- SMM refers to marketing your business through social media channels or social media influencers. The top channels used for social media marketing are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
- Email Marketing:- Email marketing is a very popular form of digital marketing where promotional emails and newsletters are sent to prospective customers.
- Content Marketing:– Content marketing is a highly relevant form of digital marketing that includes creating promotional or informative content in the form of articles, social media posts, videos, or audio. Some examples are blogs, infographics, podcasts, videos, etc.
- Affiliate Marketing:–Affiliate marketing is a form of digital marketing where a business partners with another business or affiliate marketer for promotions. Affiliate marketers are paid a commission based on the lead generated.
- Native Advertising:– Native advertising involves advertising on other websites in such a way that the ad content blends well with the page content. Sponsored posts on social media and paid search promotions are popular examples of native ads.    Â
How to create and implement a digital marketing strategy?
Whether you are a startup or a multinational organization, having an all–inclusive digital marketing plan will help you gain more profits. There are many aspects to consider while creating a digital marketing strategy for your business.
Conducting some market research and data analysis will help you devise a suitable marketing plan for your business. Every business is unique and so are the marketing requirements. Hence, you cannot rely on a single marketing method. It is ideal to choose a mix of multiple marketing methods to ensure success.
We have given a step-by-step process below to give you an idea of how to create a digital marketing strategy.
1. Research & initial analysis
A solid digital marketing strategy starts with a thorough study and analysis. Analyse your business performance and find out what worked and what didn’t work in the past. Also, get more data regarding your competitors and market trends.
2. Identify your marketing goals
For each business, the marketing goals will be different. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals are important for any business. Some examples of goals are lead generation, revenue growth, branding, etc.
3. Define your target audience
Using digital marketing, it is possible to precisely target your audience. Identify your target customers and create buyer personas for your product or service.
4. Choose marketing channels
Now the next step is to determine the best digital marketing channels and tools to reach your audience. Find out which one helps you meet your business goals.
5. Set KPIs & clear benchmarks
It is important to establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and clear benchmarks for success to help you measure progress. Each process should have a clear KPI and benchmark.
6. Analyse and adjust
Once you have created and implemented your digital marketing strategy, it is important to monitor progress and make changes as needed. This is one of the main advantages of digital marketing.
Digital marketing skills
Digital marketers require a variety of skills related to digital marketing and broad knowledge of different techniques and tools used in this field.
You should be familiar with popular digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, Google ads, Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush, etc. to measure performance and track the results of marketing activities.
Some of the top skills required for a digital marketing career are:Â
- Data analysis
- Content creation
- SEO & SEMÂ
- Design skillsÂ
- Email marketing
- Video Marketing
- Communication skills
How to become a digital marketer?
Becoming a digital marketer is a great career option for those who are interested in the digital world and are willing to learn about digital marketing strategies and tactics. Here are some steps to follow to become a digital marketer:
Gain knowledge:
Start by familiarizing yourself with the basics of digital marketing, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social media marketing, and email marketing. You can achieve this by reading blogs and books or taking online courses.
Develop skills:
Practice your skills by working on personal or community projects. You can create a website or a blog and use it to experiment with digital marketing techniques.
Get certified:
Consider getting certified in digital marketing, such as Google’s Adwords certification or HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing certification. This will demonstrate your knowledge and skills to potential employers.
Build a network:
Attend networking events and connect with professionals in the digital marketing industry. This will help you build relationships, learn from others, and stay up to date on the latest digital marketing trends and advancements.
Start working:
Consider starting your career as a digital marketing intern, or taking on freelance projects. This will provide you with valuable work experience and allow you to apply your skills in a real-world setting.
Keep learning:
Digital marketing is a constantly evolving field, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest strategies, tools, and techniques. Read industry blogs, attend conferences, and take courses to continue your education.
With dedication and hard work, anyone can become a successful digital marketer. So, start working towards your goals today!
To summarize, digital marketing is a vital component of modern business strategy and offers numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. Our Executive MBA in Digital Marketing and Social Media program provides a comprehensive education in the latest industry practices, equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in this dynamic field. We strongly recommend this program to anyone seeking to enhance their digital marketing abilities and build a successful career. Invest in your future and enroll today.
