Digital Marketing
The term “Digital Marketing” is likely familiar to many people—not just marketers but also content creators such as bloggers, vloggers, and even social media users. In an era where technology plays a vital role in everyone’s lives, Digital Marketing has become increasingly significant.
No matter what we do, where we are, when it is, or who we are with, if we look around, we will undoubtedly encounter channels that are products of technology—whether it’s a computer or a smartphone.
Surely, when it comes to discussing Digital Marketing methods, many people could easily and quickly list strategies for reaching customers in the 4.0 era. However, before diving into the processes of Digital Marketing, understanding what Digital Marketing truly means and its purpose can help us create better plans. It also allows us to adapt those plans to fundamental marketing principles, like the 4P Marketing Mix, to enhance business opportunities.
Therefore, we’ll guide you through what Digital Marketing is, what it means, and how significant it is in building a brand. Additionally, we’ll share some tips, insights, and key keywords related to Digital Marketing.
What is Digital Marketing?
While traditional Marketing focuses on reaching customers through various channels, Digital Marketing specifically targets audiences in the digital space, connecting with them through electronic devices and digital platforms.
Digital Marketing can reach customers through various channels, including search engines like Google or Yahoo, websites across the internet, email, social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or even giant digital billboards that change every minute at busy intersections.
Digital Marketing is an example of the evolution of an era, transitioning from Traditional Marketing, where advertisements were commonly seen in newspapers delivered each morning, on billboards alongside roads during traffic jams, or through mailed advertisements promoting products and brands to customers’ addresses.
As the era of Disruptive Media takes a significant role in our daily lives, traditional marketing may no longer be the ultimate solution for truly reaching customers. Learning and adapting to the online world has become a crucial advantage for businesses to effectively connect with their audience.
Why Digital Marketing?
In an era where technology brings people from all walks of life together in a virtual world, the digital space has become a powerful platform for marketers to advertise products, offer services, or promote brands effectively through these channels.
Leveraging digital channels is an effective way to reach people, as they often use online platforms to search for what they need. This allows us to attract and engage them effectively.
Through Digital Marketing strategies, we can drive visitors to our websites or online channels. Moreover, Digital Marketing is a crucial field to engage in because it allows for precise targeting, enabling us to find and connect with our customers or target audience continuously and effectively.
The Difference Between Digital Marketing and Online Marketing
As we step into an era where ‘technology’ has become a crucial factor in human life, everything around us has transformed into digital devices. The morning newspapers we once read have turned into flat smartphone screens notifying us of the latest news. The novels we used to pick up have become E-books, and even the billboards along sidewalks or at intersections during traffic jams have morphed into LED screens.
However, Digital doesn’t always have to rely on the Internet. Therefore, Digital Marketing can be executed through technological devices like LED billboards, SMS messages, or even mobile applications that can function without an Internet connection. As long as it’s a digital channel that allows a brand to communicate with its customers, it qualifies as Digital Marketing.
So, what exactly is the difference between Online Marketing?
In simple terms, if Digital Marketing is a large circle, Online Marketing is a smaller circle within it. This means that Online Marketing is one method of executing Digital Marketing (it’s also referred to as Internet Marketing).
Examples of Online Marketing include:
- Website
- Social Media
- Content Marketing
- E-mail Marketing
Digital Marketing uses ‘digital channels’ as mediums to connect with customers, while Online Marketing specifically relies on the ‘Internet’ to communicate and deliver messages about our brand’s products and services to our customers.
In summary, Digital Marketing refers to marketing conducted through digital media or electronic devices, while Online Marketing is a specific method of marketing that relies on the Internet to operate.
Channels for Digital Marketing
As mentioned above, Digital Marketing refers to marketing conducted in the online and digital world, utilizing electronic devices to reach customers. When it comes to the types of Digital Marketing, we’ll only be covering a few examples here, as there are many other methods of implementing Digital Marketing beyond those discussed.
1. Paid Search
Paid Searching refers to Digital Marketing conducted on search channels, also known as PPC (Pay-Per-Click). Simply put, it involves paying a website or for our posts to appear prominently in search results.
This allows your website to appear at the top of the search results page, or the Search Engine Result Page (SERP), after customers search for keywords related to your site or the content you’ve published online. On a search engine, websites that pay for this placement are displayed first (often marked with the word “ads” or “sponsored”). The search engine then charges advertisers based on the number of clicks generated through this Digital Marketing method.
2. SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a Digital Marketing method that helps push our websites and articles to the first page of search engines when people search for what they need, whether through keywords or voice search that matches our website content or articles. Optimization refers to improving our websites, web pages, or content to meet people’s needs and make them easily discoverable by search engines.
The better we perform in SEO, the higher our website will rank, and consequently, the traffic to our website will undoubtedly increase.
The traffic that comes to the website through this method is called Organic Traffic or Organic Reach. The more organic traffic a site receives, the more it positively impacts the website’s ranking on the search engine platform (higher traffic helps maintain top rankings for longer).
Traffic that arrives at the website through this method is referred to as Organic Traffic or Organic Reach. The more organic traffic there is, the greater the impact on the website’s ranking on that search engine platform (higher traffic helps maintain top rankings for longer).
3. Content Marketing
Content Marketing can be considered one of the most crucial components of Digital Marketing. This is because content serves as the “message” that businesses or brands use to communicate and interact with people. It includes blog articles, social media captions, email messages, as well as other types of media such as videos, images, and infographics.
For effective content creation, it is essential to have clear objectives. We should be able to answer why we are producing that piece of content—whether it is to provide knowledge, inspire, entertain, or persuade.
For example, creating blog content that matches what people are searching for can significantly increase traffic. The more aligned our content is with the customer’s search intent, the more traffic it will generate. Additionally, well-crafted content is at the heart of communication in Digital Marketing across various methods, such as Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, or even campaign strategies.
To create Content Marketing that resonates with the target audience, we need to consider which stage of the Sales Funnel they are in.
If the audience is in the Awareness stage (Top of Funnel – ToFu) where they realize their problems or needs, we should offer content that is valuable and beneficial to them first. If they are in the Consideration stage (Middle of Funnel – MoFo) where they are comparing options, or in the Decision stage (Bottom of Funnel – BoFu) where they need information to contact or make a purchase, we should tailor the format and message of the content to align with the specific needs and interests of each group. This is a key message that marketers should never overlook.
4. Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing is essential when discussing Digital Marketing, as social media serves as a major hub for delivering messages to both new and existing customers.
Using Digital Marketing on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or emerging platforms like TikTok significantly increases access to brand products and services. This becomes particularly effective when we know which platforms our customers prefer. Additionally, we can leverage the various features and tools available on these social media platforms to our advantage.
You can read articles about Social Media Marketing at the links below:
5. Email Marketing
Email Marketing This classic yet never outdated method of Digital Marketing involves sending messages via email. This marketing approach is an Owned Channel, meaning the brand retains ownership of customer data and contact information. Additionally, Email Marketing allows for automated marketing campaigns to enhance efficiency.QuoteQ
It may sound like a traditional channel, but it remains actively used, especially in the business sector, where B2B (Business to Business) communication is essential.
Email is an important channel for communicating valuable information to customers, whether it’s promoting discounts, introducing new products or services, or driving traffic to other brand platforms, such as sharing articles or blog posts through attached links. However, to ensure that Digital Marketing via this channel doesn’t feel boring or get sent straight to the trash folder, it’s crucial to carefully consider the content and ensure it provides value to the recipient.
6. Mobile Marketing
Mobile Marketing Digital Marketing through mobile phones is another popular method because smartphones are essential technology devices that almost everyone carries. The number of smartphone users worldwide is continually increasing every day.
Digital Marketing via smartphones can be done through SMS or by displaying advertisements within the brand’s applications. Additionally, it’s essential to include links to the brand’s other platforms, allowing users to discover more of our content or to increase traffic across channels.
Marketing Technology: Tools for Online Marketing
Online marketing undeniably requires tools and platforms to support its execution. These include platforms like websites or social media, as well as tools that enhance and optimize marketing efforts comprehensively, such as Email Automation, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Analytics Tools, and SEO Tools.
These tools and platforms are collectively referred to as “MarTech” (Marketing Technology), which encompasses the technologies used for marketing purposes.
To execute Digital Marketing effectively and comprehensively, MarTech can be categorized based on the purpose it serves in supporting our work.
There are 6 main types of Martech, which include:
- Advertising & Promotion refers to tools used for advertising or promoting products and services. These tools help manage, optimize, and analyze advertising campaigns across various platforms, ensuring effective outreach to target audiences.
- Social & Relationship refers to tools that help brands interact with people. These primarily include communication channels such as websites, email, and social media platforms, enabling brands to engage with their audiences effectively.
- Content & Experience refers to tools for creating various content experiences, primarily comprising media-related programs. This includes website and blog builders, video creation software, game development tools, and Content Management Systems (CMS), among others.
- Commerce & Sales refers to tools that assist in selling products or services. These may include e-commerce website builders, tools for managing online sales, or sales management systems for websites or mobile applications. Examples include platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or order and payment systems within apps.
- Data & Analytics refers to tools used to manage and analyze data, which are essential for effective Digital Marketing. Having access to and understanding data gives businesses a competitive edge by helping them decide what actions to take, what to maintain, and what to improve for better results. Simple examples include Facebook Insights, Google Analytics, and other similar analytics tools.
Here are some popular examples of MarTech used in Digital Marketing
- HubSpot
- ActiveCampaign
- Google Tag Manager
- Canva
- WordPress
- Pipedrive
- Zapier
- Buffer
- Unbounce
- Similarweb
Here are some additional MarTech tools we’ve recommended that you might want to explore
Here’s a compilation of common terms used in Digital Marketing
The origins and meaning of Digital Marketing have been thoroughly explained, but there might still be some people wondering what certain abbreviations mean or why certain terms sound so familiar. It’s worth noting that Marketing terminology has its own unique characteristics, but it’s not too difficult to understand.
So, if anyone wants to learn more about marketing terminology, follow us here. This article has compiled an extensive glossary of terms, guaranteed to satisfy your curiosity!
This article has helped you understand the overall meaning of Digital Marketing. In future articles, we’ll dive deeper into what we can gain from Digital Marketing, why it’s better than Traditional Marketing, whether there are any disadvantages, or if it’s all advantages.