Digital marketing is any form of marketing that utilizes electronic devices, enabling marketing specialists to communicate promotional messages and gauge their effectiveness throughout the customer journey. In practice, digital marketing generally pertains to marketing campaigns that are displayed on computers, phones, tablets, or other similar devices.
Digital marketing encompasses various formats such as online video, display ads, search engine marketing, paid social ads, and social media posts. It is frequently contrasted with “traditional marketing,” which comprises magazine ads, billboards, and direct mail, although television is typically associated with traditional marketing as well.
Were you aware that over 75% of Americans use the internet every day? In addition, 43% use the internet multiple times daily and 26% are almost always online.
Among mobile internet users, these numbers are even higher. 89% of Americans access the internet daily, and 31% are connected almost all the time. As a marketer, it is crucial to utilize the digital realm for advertising purposes, establish a strong brand, deliver exceptional customer experiences that attract more potential customers, and enact a digital strategy.
By utilizing various digital channels including social media, pay-per-click, search engine optimization, and email marketing, a digital marketing strategy enables you to connect with both existing customers and individuals who are interested in your products or services. This in turn allows you to establish a brand presence, deliver an exceptional customer experience, attract potential customers, and achieve other desired outcomes.
What is digital marketing
Digital marketing, known as online marketing as well, involves promoting brands to engage potential customers through the internet and various digital communication methods. It encompasses not only email, social media, and web-based advertising, but also incorporates text and multimedia messages as a marketing platform.
Digital marketing is essentially defined as a type of marketing that encompasses digital communication in its campaigns.
Why is digital marketing important
Any form of marketing is beneficial for the success of your business, but digital marketing has gained significance due to the widespread availability of digital platforms. Notably, the number of global internet users reached 5 billion in April 2022 alone.
There are multiple ways to utilize digital marketing tactics to reach your target audience, ranging from social media to text messages. Moreover, digital marketing is a cost-effective technique for small businesses due to its low initial expenses.
B2B versus B2C digital marketing
Digital marketing strategies are effective for both B2B and B2C companies, although there are notable differences in best practices between the two. Now let’s delve into the application of digital marketing in B2B and B2C marketing strategies in more detail.
- B2B clients tend to have longer decision-making processes, and thus longer sales funnels. Relationship-building strategies work better for these clients, whereas B2C customers tend to respond better to short-term offers and messages.
- B2B transactions are usually based on logic and evidence, which is what skilled B2B digital marketers present. B2C content is more likely to be emotionally-based, focusing on making the customer feel good about a purchase.
- B2B decisions tend to need more than 1 person’s input. The marketing materials that best drive these decisions tend to be shareable and downloadable. B2C customers, on the other hand, favor one-on-one connections with a brand.
It is necessary to consider that there are exceptions to every rule. For instance, a B2C company dealing with expensive products like cars or computers may provide more informative and serious content. Therefore, regardless of whether you are B2B or B2C, your digital marketing strategy should always be tailored to your specific customer base.
To create effective online marketing campaigns, analyze your current audience and tailor your efforts accordingly. This will increase your chances of grabbing the attention of potential customers.
The benefits of digital marketing
Digital marketing has gained prominence primarily due to its ability to reach a vast audience. Nonetheless, it also provides several additional benefits that can enhance your marketing endeavors, and these are some of the advantages of digital marketing.
1. A broad geographic reach
By posting an advertisement online, it becomes visible to anyone regardless of their location (unless you have specified a geographical restriction). This allows you to effortlessly expand your business’s market presence and engage with a broader audience through various online platforms.
2. Cost efficiency
Digital marketing has the advantage of reaching a larger audience compared to traditional marketing and being more cost-effective. Traditional marketing options like newspaper ads and television spots can incur high overhead expenses. Furthermore, these traditional methods offer limited control over whether the intended target audience will even see the messages.
With digital marketing, it is possible to create a single content piece that continuously attracts visitors to your blog. Additionally, you can establish an email marketing campaign that regularly sends messages to specific customer lists. If necessary, it is also straightforward to modify the schedule or content of this campaign.
Adding everything together, digital marketing provides greater flexibility and customer interaction in comparison to traditional advertising methods.
3. The most measurable form of marketing
One of the most apparent advantages of utilizing Digital Marketing is that it can be tracked, considering the step-by-step thinking process.
To guarantee the effectiveness of a marketing strategy, it is necessary to assess its success continuously. Due to the numerical and algorithmic nature of the internet, monitoring the actual impact of a marketing strategy is convenient.
Measuring the effectiveness of a strategy with Digital Marketing is very simple, unlike traditional mediums which may make it a little difficult. Digital Marketing analytics eliminates the guessing games associated with traditional forms of marketing.
By utilizing these analytics, you have the ability to track the number of individuals viewing your posts or ads in real-time, as well as the number of users who have accessed your posts. Additionally, it provides insights into the individuals who have interacted with your post by responding, liking, or sharing it.
4. Allows you to choose any audience
When it comes to selecting your audience, Digital Marketing offers the advantage of being able to be as targeted or broad as desired. On social media platforms such as Instagram or Reddit, you can locate particular groups or forums to effectively advertise to a highly specialized audience.
Through digital marketing, you can reach a wide range of people by using internet ads or sponsored posts on Facebook and Instagram. Regardless of your target audience, you will be able to locate them.
In addition to directly marketing to your audience, another way to reach a specific market is by utilizing influencer marketing. This strategy enables you to connect with your target market through intermediaries and recognizable individuals.
In certain instances, sponsors are essential for influencers, and users frequently click on the links they share in order to assist them. Additionally, having a well-regarded individual in your targeted community can enhance trust in your brand.
5. Everyone is already there
When it comes to traditional forms of marketing, a common concern people have is whether anyone will actually see it due to the high cost of renting crowded spaces in the city. However, this is not a concern with Digital Marketing.
With the internet and social media being used by billions of people every day, the question has shifted from whether anyone will see it to when they will see it. Similarly, print ads and other conventional advertising methods also have a limited reach in terms of the number of people they can target.
No matter the size of the network, a traditional marketing strategy has a limit on the number of people it can reach. Conversely, Digital Marketing strategies have limitless exposure and can expand alongside the company’s growth.
6. Customers start their buying journey on the internet
Customers rely on the internet for all aspects of their purchasing decisions, including options and choices. An increasing number of customers begin their buying process by conducting research and gaining knowledge regarding the product or service. The internet serves as an ideal platform to obtain more information about a particular item.
Given the widespread use of the phrase “Google it,” the majority of individuals tend to automatically resort to internet searches when seeking information. According to a 2018 study conducted by Bazaarvoice, 82% of smartphone users turn to the internet for guidance before making purchases.
The objective of creating an effective Digital Marketing strategy is to become the solution that these individuals are seeking.
7. The message can be customized
Digital Marketing has the additional benefit of enabling the customization of messages for the target audience. In the past, reaching out to the public necessitated a generic message suitable for mass distribution in mediums like billboards, TV broadcasts, and flyers.
The effectiveness of the conversation with the public was limited when engaging with individuals from diverse genders, ages, and interests. However, now it is possible to tailor the message to specific groups based on their similarities, enabling a more personalized and targeted approach. This enhances the authenticity and relevance of the communication.
You can customize email marketing, online advertising, and niche marketing strategies to reach your desired audience.
8. Easy and convenient conversions
Digital marketing allows customers to promptly take action after seeing an advertisement or content. In contrast, traditional ads typically yield a phone call as the quickest response, which may occur shortly after someone views the ad. However, it is unlikely for individuals to find the time to contact a company while engaged in activities such as doing dishes, driving, or working on tasks at the office.
With digital marketing, individuals have the ability to click on a link or save a blog post, allowing them to swiftly progress through the sales funnel. While they may not make a purchase right away, they will remain connected with you, presenting an opportunity for further interaction.
