The Fundamentals of Digital Marketing

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing, also known as online marketing, is an element in marketing that utilizes the internet and online based platforms and technologies in order to promote products and services. These forms of digital communication include web-based advertising, SEO, emails, and social media.  

Why is digital marketing important?

The reason behind this migration to digital platforms is taking place as a result of the benefits that come with it.  Digital marketing gives you access to a wider audience, you would be able to reach customers all over the globe. Utilizing data analytics tools allows you to track your website activity as well as social media activity.

The fundamentals of digital marketing immensely differ from the fundamentals of traditional marketing. What works online will not always work in media such as print, tv, and mobile phones.

What are the fundamentals of digital marketing?

 

• SEO

First and foremost, one of the most efficient and inexpensive digital marketing fundamentals is SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization. This is one of the best ways to increase brand visibility across online platforms, this is done through the strategic utilization of keywords as well as the strategic use of the algorithm on every platform.

Optimizing your online presence allows your product or service to be more visible and accessible to your customers. The more visible a product is in a search, the more likely it is to attract a larger customer base and traffic. The more you want to be noticed, the more manpower and capital you should invest into SEO.

• Pay-per-click

Pay-per-click, also known as PPC is used to improve search rankings on search engines using paid advertising. The way it works is that every time someone clicks the published ad, the company account is charged for it, it functions on a paid basis where the ad only lasts for as long as it is being paid for.

This method essentially translates to buying visits to your site. It’s a short term method of pushing traffic towards your website, and companies tend to invest more in it during seasonal deals. The price of each click depends of the degree of competitiveness of the keywords and the time period of the ad.

• Content marketing

Content marketing focuses on the creation, publication, and distribution of relevant content aimed specifically at a segment of your target audience. This strategy is efficient because it allows you to target a niche audience which will probably lead to better performance and sales.

Using content marketing allows you to target specific audiences who you think will interact best with your product or service. This also increases brand awareness, and because it is a specific audience, your product will be at the top of their mind when it’s time to buy.

• Social media marketing

Any form of advertisement on social media platforms can be categorized as social media marketing. This being an interactive methods makes it  one of the easier ways of connecting to your target audience.

We are all aware of the immense impact of social media, which is why this has proven to be a successful method of spreading product awareness. Social media marketing can be adopted by a brand of any size, it is crucial for both small and big brands to have a strong social media presence. This also allows brands to track the reach of their advertisements and products.

• Email marketing

This method is simple and is utilized to stay connected with your customers. The main way this works is emails are constantly sent from the brand to the possible or previous customers, sometimes this includes gift vouchers and other enticing elements to shift the consumer from the email to the website.

In conclusion, these are some, not all the fundamentals of digital marketing. Each of these elements is used depending on brand size, target audience, and marketing budget. Understanding the fundamentals of digital marketing not only allows marketeers to advertise their products much more efficiently but it also creates a bridge between clients and consumers that facilitates advertising, purchases, and increasing brand awareness.

Interested in learning more? Speak to a Higher Education Consultant for a consultation.