What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing utilizes the internet and digital technologies to engage customers throughout the buying journey. This includes practices like email, social media, advertising, and multimedia messaging via mobile and web. With over 60-65% of the global population online, the strategy often focuses on organic search terms, creating content aligned with top search terms. Various digital marketing channels are employed to effectively reach and connect with the expanding online audience.
When digital marketing started in the world
Digital marketing was coined in the 1990s and began with the first clickable online banner in 1994. Since then, it has rapidly evolved into an integral aspect of the marketing mix, employing various strategies to engage customers across the buying journey through the various channels on the internet.
How does it work?
Digital marketing promotes a company’s brand using the internet and other digital communication methods to engage with potential customers. It paved the way for customer interaction at every stage of the buying journey, e.g., search engines, social media, and other messaging systems.
Types of Digital Marketing
The following are some popular types of digital marketing channels used today:
Search engine optimization (SEO)
A technique that seeks to improve the ranking of online material on search engines such as Google or Bing. SEO marketing targets organic search terms, meaning marketers create content that naturally aligns with and ranks for top search terms related to their product.
Content marketing
Connects with target audiences through original content, such as blogs, videos, and social media posts. The goal is to provide value to the audience and establish a relationship with them.
Email marketing
It involves sending promotional messages to a group of people via email. It is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience and can be used to promote products, services, or events.
Social media marketing
Involves promoting products or services through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It is an effective way to reach a large audience and engage with customers
Search engine marketing (SEM)
A paid form of advertising involves placing ads on search engine results pages. It is a way to reach customers actively searching for products or services related to your business.
Video Marketing.  Â
It is a forward-facing marketing strategy that integrates engaging video into your marketing campaigns. It can be used for everything from building customer rapport to promoting your brand, services, or products.
Example of Video Marketing
The Reebok company created a video called “25,915 Days” that shows women running in different contexts while random numbers appear in the background. Only at the end do we understand that these numbers are the number of days those women supposedly have left. In the ending scene, we see a room full of newborn babies and a message saying that humans live, on average, 25,915 days, making a silent yet powerful statement about how we should “honor our bodies” to fully enjoy our lives.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is a digital marketing strategy where a company compensates third-party publishers to generate traffic or leads to the company’s products and services 1. In other words, it is a way for companies to outsource their marketing efforts to affiliates who promote their products or services in exchange for a commission.
Here’s an example of how it works:
You run a website that reviews different types of cameras. You could become an affiliate partner of a camera manufacturer like Canon. Then, whenever someone clicks on your affiliate link and purchases a Canon camera, you will earn a commission on the sale.
Text Messaging Marketing
Text Message Marketing is a digital marketing strategy that sends promotional messages to customers via text (SMS) 12345. It is a form of opt-in marketing that requires contacts to subscribe. Users subscribe to receive SMS and MMS messages on their mobile phones by texting a corresponding keyword to a short code 1. Here’s an example of how it works:
Let’s say you own a restaurant and want to promote a special offer to your customers. You could send a text message to your subscribers with the offer’s details and a link to your website where they can place an order.
Some examples of SMS/Whatsapp marketing campaigns that can help boost revenue:
Welcome offers, personalized messages, time-sensitive offers, order status, shipping updates, etc.
Future of Digital Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms the digital marketing industry by automating decision-making processes and reducing the time to ideate and implement marketing campaigns. Here are some examples of how AI can be used in digital marketing:
- Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots can engage with customers, answer their questions, and guide them through the buying process, improving the customer experience and increasing sales.
- Email marketing: AI-powered tools can analyze customer data and generate personalized emails with a higher chance of resonating with the recipients, leading to more opens, clicks, and conversions.
- Social media marketing: AI can track trends and analyze consumer feedback, assisting companies in producing more audience-resonant, relevant, and engaging content.
- Custom marketing campaigns: AI technology can scrutinize customer data, forecast consumer behavior, and develop personalized messaging that resonates with your customers, letting you fine-tune your marketing efforts, boost your ROI, and generate more sales.
- Personalized marketing messages: AI can analyze customer data and behavior to create custom messages that resonate with each customer, segmenting customers based on demographics, location, and interests to create targeted campaigns.
- Marketing automation: AI can automate the implementation of marketing campaigns, saving valuable time and resources and improving efficiency and effectiveness.
- Product recommendations: AI can analyze customer data to provide personalized product recommendations, improve the customer experience, and increase sales.
- Content creation: AI can create personalized content, such as product descriptions, blog posts, and social media posts, that resonates with your customers.
Voice Search and Smart Devices
Voice search and smart devices are transforming the digital marketing industry by providing new ways for companies to connect with customers. Here are some ways in which voice search and smart devices can be used in digital marketing:
- Voice search optimization: Voice search is becoming increasingly popular, and optimizing your website for voice search can help improve your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Voice commerce: Voice commerce uses voice commands to purchase products or services. Smart devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home allow users to purchase using voice commands, providing a new way for companies to sell their products.
- Personalized content: Smart devices can deliver personalized content to users based on their interests, preferences, and behavior. This can help improve user engagement and ultimately lead to more sales.
- Marketing automation: Smart devices can automate marketing campaigns, saving valuable time and resources and improving efficiency and effectiveness.
- Product recommendations: Smart devices can analyze customer data to provide personalized product recommendations, improving the customer experience and increasing sales.
- Content creation: AI-powered tools can be used to create personalized content, such as product descriptions, blog posts, and social media posts, that resonates with your customers.
By leveraging voice search and smart devices, companies can create more engaging and personalized customer experiences, increasing sales and customer loyalty.
The evolution of Digital Marketing from its 1990s origins to its current status as a vital marketing tool. This comprehensive overview covers various strategies, including SEO, content marketing, email, social media, video, and emerging trends like AI and voice search. Discover the transformative impact and future potential of these technologies in shaping the digital marketing landscape
