Using digital marketing strategically can widen your audience and increase conversions in person and online. As digital marketing capabilities grow, more and more companies are ready to jump on board and capitalize on growth opportunities.
This article is a bit like an introductory course. Digital marketing 101, if you will. Read on to develop foundational knowledge of digital marketing.
Who knows how far it can take you and your business?
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is vast. But to put it simply, it is all marketing efforts performed online or through an electronic device. It includes anything from search engines to apps.
Digital marketing became known as digital marketing in the 1990s. Since then it has grown just as quickly as the internet.
Digital Marketing 101: Types and Examples of Digital Marketing
What makes up digital marketing? There are a variety of areas, and many digital marketers will specialize in a specific area to hone their skills to an expert level.
Types of Digital Marketing:
- Paid Advertising (PPC)
- Content Marketing
- Affiliate Marketing
- Marketing Automation
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
This list isn’t all-inclusive, but it does highlight the most well-known areas of digital marketing to date.
Understanding What Digital Marketing Is Not
The marketing industry is expansive, and growing every day. For the outsider, the portfolio of services marketers perform can be intimidating. But to understand what digital marketing is, it helps to start by knowing what it is not.
Digital marketing takes place online or through electronic devices. This means that print ads in magazines or newspapers, radio spots, and TV commercials are not part of digital marketing.
Unfortunately, digital marketing isn’t something you can through up and leave alone to do its job. Digital marketers spend time analyzing results and making minor tweaks and changes to improve conversion rates.
To perform digital marketing well and produce results that are nothing to laugh at, marketers need to know the persona and culture they are attempting to engage with. Just because digital marketing is on the internet, doesn’t mean it should be targeted to every internet user.
Should You Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy?
Yes. Without a digital marketing strategy, you are aimlessly wandering from one idea to the next. One could work great and the next could be terrible, but you’d never know without creating and implementing a strategy.
Digital Marketing Strategies Allow You to:
- Optimize for best results
- Stay ahead of trends
- Properly allocate budget
- Make informed adjustments
- Limit wasted money on useless ads
Strategies are the blueprint to digital marketing success. Don’t get started without one.
Where Can You Learn More About Digital Marketing?
Digitally of course! The internet offers an array of marketing educational materials which only continues to grow. Giants like Moz, HubSpot Academy and Google Academy of Ads can teach you about digital marketing fundamentals.
As you collect knowledge and move through modules you can earn certificates and badges. These signify your knowledge and can be displayed on your site or LinkedIn profile.
If you’re looking to start your own digital campaign for a business, there’s nothing quite like professional guidance, straight from the source. Check out agencies like fanaticallydigital.com who can give you advice and lead your campaign to success.
Make Digital Marketing Work for You
That’s it for your digital marketing 101 mini-course. Hopefully, you’ve garnered enough knowledge of digital marketing basics to make your first steps towards digital marketing success. Remember, it’s a great big internet out there with millions of marketing opportunities.
Keep up-to-date with more digital marketing trends by viewing our other articles.
