Digital marketing has become vital to an organization’s overall marketing strategy in the last decade. It allows companies to personalize messages to a specific audience, allowing them to promote directly to people likely to be interested in their product. With the growing popularity of the Internet and social media, companies can connect with potential across the globe 24/7. Digital marketing also provides a variety of techniques and tools that allow organizations to track and measure the efficacy of their marketing activities.
Companies can identify which methods are effective and make necessary changes to improve their performance by analyzing data and metrics. Digital marketing companies Brooklyn that embrace risk falling behind their competitors as more customers use online platforms to investigate and purchase products and services.
How do they know which marketing channels best promote their product or service? How can business owners benefit from digital marketing without digital marketing experts?
Digital marketing tactics have become an essential component of business when more customers are looking to shop online. Let’s look at eight types of digital marketing that can help business owners sell their products and services in this digital age.
What is Digital marketing?
Digital marketing is a marketing strategy that uses an electronic device connected to the Internet or not. Digital marketing combines many technologies and marketing methods with the ultimate goal of reaching the targeted audience. In the era of cutthroat competition, successful internet marketing creates new opportunities for businesses and helps them stand out from the crowd.
If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business (Bill Gates).
What are the 8 Types of Digital Marketing?
Many types of digital marketing can increase audience reach. Using numerous digital marketing platforms can help you create a well-rounded approach to produce the best results.
Below is the list of the eight most effective types of digital marketing to help you decide which strategies will work best for your business:
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
When you start creating content in your company, your audience must be able to find it.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) allows your content to appear at the top of search engine results pages. As a result, your website will be discovered by someone actively seeking what you have to offer.
To use SEO, you need to know the keywords that the audience you want to reach is searching for. Then, you must build your content around those inquiries. According to Search Engine Journal, sites listed on Google’s first-page account for 91.5% of all web traffic. The initial Google organic search generated 32.5% of the traffic. Organic search accounts for 51% of all website traffic. Organic traffic is defined as traffic obtained by high-quality content discovered through searches on Google or Bing, for example.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of SEO:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It's cost effective. | It takes time for SEO to work. |
| It increases the brand visibility. | SEO depends on tech and content. |
2. Content Marketing:
Content marketing uses storytelling and information sharing to increase brand awareness. The ultimate goal is for readers to act towards becoming consumers, such as asking for more information, signing up for an email list, or purchasing. “Content” includes blog articles, resources such as white papers and e-books, digital movies, podcasts, and more.
It should provide value to the user first and foremost, rather than marketing the brand or trying to generate a sale. Content marketing is about building a long-term, trustworthy relationship with your consumers that can lead to multiple sales over time rather than just one.
Content marketing works symbiosis with other types of digital marketing: it includes search engine optimization (SEO) into new website material, and the information created can be shared via social media postings and email marketing newsletters. Analyzing the analytics for your content marketing can reveal a lot about your customers:
- What types make them lose interest and navigate away?
- What kind of content entices people to remain longer and look around?
- What are they looking for when they land on your website?
People who enjoy writing and video and audio creation can consider pursuing a career in content marketing.
Numerous website-building systems and blogging platforms are available to help you get started with content marketing. Consider the following choices for free or low-cost alternatives:
- WordPress
- Medium
- CMS by Hubspot
- Wix
Some of these tools contain features that teach you how to incorporate SEO, social networking, email marketing, website design, and other strategies to get the whole digital marketing experience.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of content marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It fuels all the other types of digital Marketing. | High-quality and consistency are vital to be effective. Your content must meet customers' requirements while achieving and branding your business targets. |
| It's free of cost. | The competition is high; ranking organically for target keywords takes a long time. |
3. Influencer and Social Media Marketing:
According to Smart Insights, over 3.8 billion people will use social media in 2020, a 9% rise from 2019. Given the audience’s size and growth, it’s no surprise that social media marketing, in conjunction with influencers, has become one of the fastest-growing types of digital marketing. Social media platforms have become popular as more businesses and brands pay to advertise their products or services.
Product placement by persons, firms, or organizations with credibility or well-known on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram is called social media influencer marketing. While endorsements aren’t a new business approach, social media influencers aren’t your standard celebrities.
Companies have noticed that people respond to products when promoted by their peers or someone they admire. Celebrities with large online followings are frequently offered discounted or free things in exchange for sharing photographs with the product and utilizing specific hashtags to engage followers.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of social media marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It has high conversion rates. | Although posting on social media is straightforward, it requires strategic planning and time commitment to do it regularly and efficiently. |
| Instagram/Facebook ads allow you to target specific client categories and reach the correct people. | Social media is challenge. The algorithm is updated regularly. New content types are also released regularly. |
4. Affiliate Marketing:
With the growing popularity of affiliate marketing, online marketing — also known as influencer marketing — has been popular among many organizations in bridging the gap between customers and organizations. But precisely what is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing uses the growing popularity of industry experts and social media influencers. Your organization will partner with these third-party influencers to market your products or services in exchange for money.
Influencers will work together to engage their audiences through posts, blogs, or videos to bring in more business and produce new leads for your company.
Infographic with the text BLS predicts a 10% growth in the number of advertising, promotions, and marketing managers through 2031. Affiliate or influencer marketing has grown dramatically in recent years, as new media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and blogs have become mainstream sources of entertainment and news. As a sort of online marketing, affiliate marketing has risen in popularity. Influencer Marketing Hub states the affiliate marketing industry will be worth $12 billion by 2022.
Marketers’ job opportunities are expanding. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) predicts a 10% increase in advertising, promotions, and marketing managers between now and 2031. The BLS estimates that the median salary for these positions in 2021 will be $133,380.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of affiliate marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You gain access to the influencer's existing audience. So you don't have to put it off any longer. | It's more than just paying a lot to work with influencers. It would help to choose the ideal influencer depending on your audience and business and find authentic methods to collaborate with them. |
| Associating with a well-known figure assists you in gaining genuine followers and customers. | Because influencers are increasingly distrusted, you must be cautious and open when compensating them for promotions. |
5. Email Marketing:
When someone visits your website or business, offer them to join your email subscriber list. You can send emails about special events, new product releases or sales with their permission. According to Lyfe Marketing, every dollar spent on email marketing generates approximately $40 in revenue.
The key benefit of using this digital marketing channel is that it adds value to your audience. Offer them exclusives that they won’t find anywhere else, and you’ll be able to build a mutually beneficial relationship that will increase brand loyalty.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of email marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Staying constantly in contact with your email list allows you to establish relationships, and they are more likely to remember you when it comes time to buy. | It becomes challenging to find ways to give value so that clients do not unsubscribe. |
| Among the several types of digital marketing, this one is independent of changing algorithms. | Often, customers need to open emails. |
6. Paid Advertising:
There are some ways to pay for media on the Internet. You can advertise on social media, like we discussed in SMM, and search engines like Google and Bing.
Paid ads for search engines display above organic results on the SERP. They always have an “Ad” favicon to notify the user.
Payment models for this form of Digital Marketing may vary. The most common are:
- Pay-per-click, or PPC, is the most common media payment on the web and can be used in practically all digital advertising tactics. As the name implies, you buy clicks on your ad by buying in a keyword auction.
- CPM (Cost-per-Mile). It is more advantageous when working with a long-tail keyword. Typically, the PPC model is a technique to pay just for what is used.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of paid advertising:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It helps attain a top rank quickly. | Most people prefer to trust the natural search results and are sceptical of ads in the search results. |
| It is time efficient. | It can often be expensive to target popular keywords. |
7. Mobile Marketing:
This type of digital marketing focuses on reaching your target audience via their tablet or smartphone. Mobile marketing reaches individuals via social media, mobile applications, websites, email, and text messaging. Marketers can offer unique content to a specific geographic area or time, such as when a customer visits a store or attends an event.
According to Statista, global e-commerce revenues will surpass $5.7 trillion in 2022. Statista ran a poll in February 2021, and 46% of respondents stated that they spend five to six hours per day using their phones for personal use. Furthermore, 22% stated they spend 3 to 4 hours a day on their phone, according to Statista, and mobile users in the United States spent around 40 minutes a day on social media apps from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2021, with Facebook and Instagram having the largest audience.
E-commerce has grown immensely in recent years, becoming an integral component of the worldwide retail market. Statista states retail e-commerce sales will exceed $5.7 trillion globally in 2022.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of mobile marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The space is small as compared to computers. | It can be super-targeted with specific audience segments or geo-fencing. |
| Mobile ads have a low click rate. | Customers spend more time on mobile phones than their desktops/laptops. So, mobile marketing helps reach where they spend most of their time. |
8. Video Marketing:
Short and quick videos attract clients more than texts in today’s fast-paced world. Whether instructional or amusing, live or pre-recorded video material is a dependable digital marketing tool.
According to the blog Think With Google, Monthly, 2 billion people search for something on YouTube; it is a great opportunity to reach out to new customers, and video marketing approaches deliver results through the marketing funnel.
80% of customers learn about products and read search engines and YouTube reviews. It is done by 55% of customers before making a purchase.
Let’s discuss some pros and cons of video marketing:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| They are more memorable than images or text. | It becomes difficult to capture the attention of the viewers in seconds. Users swiftly move on to the next piece of material in their feed. |
| Videos can connect emotionally with the masses and effectively promote your message. | Creating high-quality video content takes time, money, and skill. |
What Types of Digital Marketing Are Best for Your Business?
Choosing the right digital marketing type for your company can be challenging, and some trial and error may be required. Your target audience is one of the most crucial aspects to consider. Who are you trying to contact, and where are they looking for information?
In-depth, informational content will offer value and attract a niche audience well-versed in the field. And if you’re looking to attract a young audience, social media is one of the most effective tools. Determine which types of digital marketing channels are most popular among your target demographic and begin marketing there.