You’ve probably heard the term digital marketing thrown out there in conversation a time or two. It seems to be one of those buzz words that agencies like to use that most mere mortals don’t quite understand if they haven’t been around the advertising world in the last decade.
The good news is that digital marketing isn’t as technical of a term as you might think it would be. In fact, it is pretty closely related to good old-fashioned promotional sales practices that have been around for almost two hundred years.
Here is a step-by-step guide to digital marketing, including what it is, the various types, and other important information you need to know.
What Is Digital Marketing?
As consumers, we see examples of digital marketing everywhere around us, even though we might not even understand what it is. The short definition of digital marketing is any advertising that uses electronic media to convey a message. More specifically, it is all marketing efforts that utilize an electronic device and the internet.
What Types Of Digital Marketing Are There?
There are literally dozens of different types of digital marketing, and the scope of what it entails can be pretty far-reaching. That advertisement that you see at the top of Google? An email you received promoting a sale at your favorite boutique? Those ads that show up when you’re browsing YouTube? A review you saw for a neighborhood restaurant on Yelp? A blog post you read about a particular product you’re thinking about buying? Yes. Those are all examples of digital marketing.
Who Uses Digital Marketing To Promote Their Business?
You might be surprised at the vast number of people who use digital marketing to promote their businesses. Pretty much anyone trying to use the internet to sell a product or service is utilizing digital marketing. For example, the teenager who puts her babysitting services on Craigslist and the major clothing retailer with a witty Twitter account are both using digital marketing to promote their businesses. Another example? The coffee chain with a specialized smartphone app with online ordering and special offers. Digital marketing is all around us, and most of interact with it in some form each day.
Why Is Digital Marketing So Popular?
The main reason why digital marketing is so popular is that the internet is popular and extremely accessible. We are all pretty well attached to our smartphones, computers, and digital tools. Companies and brands understand this and have adopted this new method of marketing to help reach new customers.
Another reason behind the push towards digital marketing is that it is easily adaptive. Print advertising takes weeks of planning, printing, and distributing for it to be effective. Digital ads can be created much quicker, and the results of a campaign can be seen in hours or days. In an era where everything moves fast, this is an incredibly important factor for companies trying to get the maximum effect from their marketing dollars.
Digital Marketing Is Here To Stay
It is important to realize that digital marketing isn’t some sort of fad. It is the way advertising and business are done these days. Even if you don’t own a business and are just a consumer, it is essential to realize the different ways marketing agencies work to get your attention on social media, search engines, videos, and more.
