DIGITAL MARKETING

 

What is digital marketing? 

Digital marketing is a form of marketing that leverages the internet and digital technologies, such as computers and mobile devices, to connect with customers. More than running a sponsored Instagram ad to drive sales, it's a set of practices that interacts with customers at every stage of the buying journey.

5 types of digital marketing (with examples)

Digital marketers connect with potential customers through different channels. The following digital marketing channels, used by small companies and big businesses alike, remain among the most popular and impactful used today. 

1. Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a technique that seeks to improve the ranking of online material on search engines such as Google or Bing. If you have ever searched for something on Google, you’ve likely noticed that even the simplest search can yield millions of results. Yet, you probably rarely go past the first few suggestions, let alone the next page. 

In such a highly crowded space, digital marketers use SEO marketing to ensure that potential customers actually find their products or services online. Generally, SEO marketing targets organic search terms, meaning marketers create content that naturally aligns with and ranks for top search terms related to their product. Search engine marketing (SEM) strategies typically incorporate both organic and paid media, such as buying ads on Google.

Some common ways to go about SEO include:

• Creating quality content that meets searcher intent 

• Using keywords to help search engines identify relevant material

• Using long-tail keywords (specific phrases that searchers use) to help content reach its target audience

• Ensuring that content loads quickly and is compatible with mobile devices 

• 2. Content marketing 

  Content marketing connects with target audiences through original content, such as blogs, articles, and newsletters. It is often used to raise brand awareness through material that appeals to a particular audience.

  Content marketing can take many forms across a range of digital media channels, including: 

  • Informative articles and blog posts 

  • Original videos

  • Podcasts 

  • Newsletters (like Substack, Medium, or LinkedIn)

  • 3. Email marketing 

    Marketers send out timely emails to large groups of people who have signed up for their contact list to inform potential customers of sales, discounts, and product launches. The impact of email marketing is clear: When used strategically, it can have an average return on investment (ROI) of 4,200 percent for every dollar invested [4].

    Some common examples of emailing marketing include: 

    • Timed emails that raise brand awareness during holiday seasons 

    • Blast emails that inform recipients about upcoming sales events 

    • Targeted emails that send personalized offers and messages to specific groups on an email list 

    • 4. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

      Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a digital marketing model that involves an advertiser paying a publisher each time their ads are clicked. Typically, the publisher is a website owner, search engine operator, or social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram.

      Typical examples of PPC advertising include: 

      • Banner ads that flank web content on the sides or top of the page 

      • Social media ads that appear in the feeds of targeted audiences 

      • Ads that appear when a specific keyword is searched on a search engine, such as Google

      5. Social media marketing 

      Social media marketing is a form of digital marketing that uses social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, to reach customers. It leverages the reach of social media channels with data-driven efforts to reach targeted consumers. 

      Whether through computers, mobile devices, or mobile apps, social media offers the opportunity to reach a wide—and targeted—audience of possible consumers. 

      Examples of social media marketing include:  

      • Videos posted onto social media as a part of a larger campaign, such as this 80s-themed music video produced by peanut company Planters for the holidays 

      • Pictures posted on Instagram that reflect a brand’s identity, such as Patagonia’s nature-filled Instagram account