Digital Marketing (also known as internet marketing) is marketing or advertising any product or service through digital channels in the form of:

PPC (Pay per Click) – Pay per click is a service offered by search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, Baidu, etc. in which you, as an individual or a business be able to post ads on the above mentioned platforms and appear on the first page if you bid on a keyword you are targeting and win the spot to advertise (ad slot). These ads can be in the form of text ads, display ads, shopping ads, or video ads and are very effective ways to get your website/landing page in front of your target market rather immediately. 

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – Technique used to rank websites in search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo. This term is also often used to rank videos in YouTube or rank higher in Instagram posts, or displaying products on Amazon. The ideal result is to have your content show up on the first page when users search for your brand, product, or general terms related to your brand, products and/or services.

Social Media – We all know what this is…Platforms to exchange information freely on the internet in a fun way would be a great way to put it. Social Media channels such as FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube are all popular channels in which millions of people exchange information every single day. It would be a no brainer to post ads or content to get it exposed to millions of people here.

Email Marketing – Email marketing occurs usually when people opt in or register for a website, and you as a business will have the chance to solicit these users with email. Usually it would incentivize people to sign up or subscribe to your website if there is an offer when they sign up. This can be in the form of newsletters, coupon codes, free e-books, pdf, etc. 

Why is Digital Marketing Important?

There are millions, if not, billions of people globally (businesses & consumers) using the internet today and this number is still growing. Businesses and brands are targeting audiences online to make and increase sales every day. Instead of having a physical presence (such as stores or offices), now goods and services can be delivered online. 

Nobody looks at the yellow pages anymore…they rely on search engines or review websites to look for the best Italian restaurants nearby, or they book flights online or on their mobile phones with Wifi connection, and even look for books or e-books on Amazon instead of going to local bookstores.

So why would a business/brand owner not make an effort to reach out to those people who can potentially become customers…at the most time and cost-effective way? The greatest thing about digital marketing is that you are able to collect data to improve or scale your business. 

There is no argument that finding the best way to reach your target audience and having the ability to sell online is the modern way of doing business.

What is the Difference between Traditional and Digital Marketing?

Traditional Marketing is a method to reach out and promote products or offerings to the audience offline, while Digital Marketing is done utilizing online channels.

Traditional Marketing Campaigns can include TV, billboards, cold calling, flyers, radio, newspaper, mailers, etc.

Digital Marketing Campaigns can include PPC, SEO, Social Media, Email, etc.

Traditional Marketing is considered an obsolete method by many but it can still be effective to some extent. However, when it comes to time and cost efficiency, collecting data, and scalability, Digital Marketing would have an upper hand typically.

Endless Opportunities with Digital Marketing

There are many avenues to take in a digital marketing approach, and therefore many opportunities to capitalize on. 

For instance, if you would like immediate traffic to your website, perhaps PPC would be a great option utilizing Google Ads, Display Ads, YouTube Ads, etc. 

If you would like to nurture organic traffic to drive to your website or content, then configuring or implementing SEO strategies, such as with content marketing would be a great option. 

Social Media such as FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter have huge audiences, giving you a chance to expose your content or product in front of millions of users who are nonchalantly browsing through their mobile phones. 

Email marketing can be an unpopular choice for some, but the impact it gives and the ROI (return on investment) made from email marketing campaigns can be tremendous.

What’s really great about digital marketing is that it gives you an equal playing field with the big companies out there. Even a small business can make millions using the power of digital marketing and advertising. 

Few Things to Note

Ad account set up, budgeting, and careful strategizing are the key factors to success as careless planning and implementation can result in costly and poor performances with low ROI overall.

But most importantly, no matter how great the marketing approach is, no campaigns will bring you a desirable result without a great product. Your main website or landing page needs to be amazing in terms of visuals and user friendliness. 

Continuing Education

There are so many more to cover for digital marketing, it is almost endless. However, I hope this was a good starting point for you. If you are looking to further educate yourself, make sure to check out Seth’s InDemand Digital Marketing Career Blueprint Course (affiliate link). This is something that helped me learn & understand digital marketing in a holistic level & eventually led me to a career path that I am proud of.