When you hear the words digital marketing it sounds very complicated and techy. This guide will explore if digital marketing is in fact as hard as it sounds.
Also known as “online marketing” , digital marketing is a process of promoting brands using the internet with the aim of reaching and connecting with potential customers who spend most of their time on the internet seeking information or entertainment.
Digital marketing is a broad service because there are so many online platforms available.Simply sharing a post on instagram is a form of digital marketing, this can include vlogging and blogging.
In addition to this, email marketing is another popular marketing strategy. Promotional content of a range of different platforms will form a solid marketing strategy.
Benefits Of Digital Marketing
All different types of businesses whether they are hue global companies or small local businesses can benefit from online marketing. Making your company known on the web will generate business and attract new customers.
Another way digital marketing can benefit your business is to create and then build a deeper relationship with your customers.
By keeping in regular contact with your customers this will increase the likelihood that they stay loyal to your business.
Types Of Digital Marketing
There are many different types of digital marketing, some of the most popular examples of marketing strategy are , social media marketing, affiliate marketing and influencer marketing.
In more recent times, the influencer culture has skyrocketed all over social media platforms. Some of the most popular platforms being instagram and tik tok.
Although there are copious amounts of digital marketing strategies you do not need to use all of these to be effective.
However, it would be useful to familiarize yourself with them so you can decide the best marketing strategy or your business.
Pay Per Click
Some marketing methods draw attention and customers to your business page without them having to spend any money, for example, blogging and vlogging.
However, pay per click comes with a price tag.
Pay per click is where advertisers oa a fee every time the link to their website or product is clicked. Pay per click can be used on social media platforms for example instagram labeled “ Ad” by social media influencers.
The most common way pay per click is used is on google ads. Pay per click can also be used on facebook, using paid facebook ads is a great way to reach a wider audience and especially those that do not already follow your business.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing usually uses influences on social media platforms to advertise their products for example wear their clothes. The influencer will receive commission for posting this on their page.
This works by the influencer posting a link and when a customer clicks on that link it benefits both the business and the influencer as the business receives a sale and the influencer receives commissions.
This is a popular method of digital marketing due to the increased use of social media.
This method benefits the business greatly because they are then reaching the influence followers which can be in the millions and could consist of people that have not yet heard of the business, bringing new customers.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is something we have most likely all experienced at some point. This is an extremely popular online marketing strategy used by businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products.
Native Advertising
Native advertising is a less obvious type of advertising. To do this you will need to mix it with other similar content so it is not obvious that it is an advertisement.
Native advertising was created due to the public’s negative attitude towards advertisements .
When the public sees an obvious advert ,for example on instagram, they are fully aware that the business has paid for it, this leads the potential client to make the conclusion the ad is biased and then consequently disregard it.
Although these are less obvious ads (see also: How Many Ads Should Be Implemented Per Ad Group?)it is still important that there is a label stating that it is an ad for example labeled “ sponsored” or “ promoted.”
The goal of a native advertisement is to be less intrusive towards the potential customers, however the aim is not to deceive them.
Mobile Marketing
Mobile marketing is a form of digital marketing that allows businesses to connect with their target audience via their smartphones or tablets.
This can be done in a number of ways or example through a text message, a notification on social media or MMS messages.
85% of Americans own a smartphone, this a huge number of potential customers that could be reached using this method and is a great one to take advantage of to expand your business.
Is Digital Marketing Hard To Learn?
Digital marketing is a profession which is currently in very high demand due to the increase in online branding, especially after the covid-19 pandemic where a lot more people used social media platforms and online shopping, and the internet as a whole.
To learn digital marketing there are two categories , softs skills and technical skills. Whether you will find digital marketing difficult to learn will depend on these skills and if you have any prior knowledge of the field.
In regards to the technical side of digital marketing, some people find it very difficult to learn multiple different disciplines.
For online you may need to learn and use many different ways of promoting your business online for example, email marketing and influencer marketing.
Although you are not expected to know how to perfectly use all of these digital marketing methods like an expert, you should be able to navigate and use a number of them and have an in-depth knowledge of at least one.
Is It Possible To Learn Digital Marketing On Your Own?
A lot of the resources needed to learn the skills of digital marketing are available online and can be self taught.
However, if you want to ensure there are no gaps in your digital marketing knowledge(see also: 15 Best Free Cyber Security Courses For Your Business) and want to get the absolute best results you can for your business you should consider enrolling yourself into a digital marketing degree or course.
A benefit of enrolling onto a course of degree (see also: Can You Start A Business Without A Degree?)is that you would be mentored by experienced professionals who have already been there and done it and can help you to do that too.
Final Thoughts
Overall, digital marketing is a very effective way to grow your business that uses a wide range of different practices and online channels.
Whether you decide to use affiliate links, influencer marketing or email marketing they will all likely bring traffic to your company’s website that you did not have before.
You do not have to use all the different online marketing methods but it is useful to be aware of them all in order to choose the best option to grow your business and sell your products.
