The internet has transformed marketing. Discover how digital marketing can help kick-start your career.
Digital marketing also known as online marketing, is a type of advertising that utilizes the internet and digital technologies to engage with customers. Instead of traditional media like print, radio, or television, digital marketing employs computers, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other digital channels to connect with consumers where they spend most of their time.
Discover everything you need to know about digital marketing, its methodologies, and how to launch your career in this field.
What is digital marketing?
Understanding Digital Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide
Digital marketing is a powerful method that leverages the internet and digital technologies to engage with customers. While it may seem like merely running sponsored ads on Instagram, it’s more than that. It’s a collection of strategies designed to interact with customers at every stage of their purchasing journey.
This marketing strategy includes social media, email, advertising, and multimedia messaging distributed through mobile and web platforms. With over 60% of the global population online, companies are significantly increasing their digital marketing budgets, while traditional marketing budgets are being reduced.
Data is critical in digital marketing. Using marketing analytics, marketers can gather useful information by tracking a customer’s journey in real-time, and by customizing content according to their preferred digital channels, they can target specific audiences. Starbucks, for example, has used data from their rewards mobile apps to identify seasonal trends and create customized promotions.
5 types of digital marketing (with examples)
Digital marketers engage potential customers via various channels. The digital marketing channels listed below are widely used by both small companies and large businesses, making them among the most popular and impactful today.
1. Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM)
The Importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in Digital Marketing
In today’s digital age, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become an indispensable technique for ranking online content higher on search engines such as Google or Bing. While a simple search can generate millions of results, users tend to limit their searches to just the first few suggestions or the next page. Therefore, the primary goal of SEO marketing is to increase the discoverability of products or services in a crowded digital space.
To achieve this, marketers use SEO marketing to create content that aligns with the most popular organic search terms related to their product. Unlike Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which combines organic and paid media, SEO marketing focuses primarily on organic search terms.
Here are some common strategies for SEO:
- Creating quality content that matches the intent of the searcher
- Using relevant keywords to help search engines identify relevant material
- Incorporating long-tail keywords, which are specific phrases used by searchers, to reach the desired audience
- Ensuring that all content loads quickly and is compatible with mobile devices.
Data drives SEO marketing
Responsibilities in SEO Marketing: Measuring Performance and Utilizing Business Intelligence Tools As an SEO marketer, it is important to keep track of metrics such as the bounce rate and clickthrough rate. These numbers help gauge the effectiveness of a blog, product page, or social media post. Familiarity with analytical tools like SEMRush and Google Analytics is a must. In addition, mastering business intelligence tools such as Tableau and Looker can help you to analyze and generate data for your organization.
2. Content marketing
Unlocking Your Audience with Content Marketing
Content marketing is a powerful strategy that connects with target audiences through original content, such as blogs, articles, and newsletters. By appealing to specific audiences, it raises brand awareness. Content marketing takes many forms across various digital media platforms, including:
- Informative articles and blog posts
- Original videos
- Podcasts
- Newsletters (like Substack, Medium, or LinkedIn)
3. Email marketing
Maximizing Marketing Potential through Strategic Email Campaigns
Email marketing is a popular way for marketers to communicate sales, discounts, and product launches to potential customers who have signed up for their contact list. With an average ROI of 4,200 percent for every dollar invested, the impact of email marketing is clear [4]. Below are some common examples of email marketing strategies:
- Timed emails: These raise brand awareness during holiday seasons, when customers are more likely to make purchases.
- Blast emails: These inform recipients about upcoming sales events, generating excitement and anticipation.
- Targeted emails: These send personalized offers and messages to specific groups on an email list, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
4. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
Understanding Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a popular digital marketing model where an advertiser pays a publisher for each click on their ads. This can include website owners, search engine operators, or social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. There are various forms of PPC advertising, such as banner ads that flank web content, social media ads that appear in targeted audience feeds, and ads that appear when a specific keyword is searched on a search engine like Google.
5. Social media marketing
Social media marketing is a digital marketing method that utilizes social networks like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok to connect with customers. This marketing approach combines social media’s extensive reach with data-driven techniques to target specific audiences.
Social media marketing can be implemented through a variety of devices, including computers, mobile devices, and mobile apps. This platform offers the ability to reach a broad and precise audience of potential consumers.
Social media marketing can take many forms. Here are two examples:
- Incorporating videos as part of a bigger campaign, like Planters’ 80s-themed music video for the holidays.
- Using Instagram to showcase a brand’s identity through images, like Patagonia’s nature-focused Instagram account.
Digital marketing salary and job outlook
Exploring the Growth and Impact of Digital Marketing The field of digital marketing is rapidly expanding and gaining influence as more brands leverage the internet and social media to reach vast audiences. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, advertising, promotions, and marketing manager roles are expected to grow by 6% from 2022 to 2032. As of October 2023, Glassdoor reports the average annual salary for digital marketing managers in the United States to be $93,192.
How to become a digital marketer
Essential Skills and Qualifications for a Digital Marketing Career
Digital marketers have to be well-versed in marketing, business, communications, and digital technologies. Creativity, strategy, and analysis are all necessary. While a bachelor’s degree in business or communications is preferred by many employers, it is not always mandatory if you possess the right skills. Having completed an internship while in school is beneficial.
Here are some crucial skills required for a successful digital marketing career:
- Excellent Communication abilities
- Ability to Collaborate with designers, strategists, and product developers
- Creative thinking
- Proficiency in Data analysis and familiarity with marketing analytics
- Social media marketing
- Content creation
- SEM/SEO and CRM tools