What are the types of digital marketing & how to use them?

Digital Marketing is divided majorly into 10 types. Here is the list of various types of digital marketing you should be aware of:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO stands for search engine optimization and as the name suggests, it is the science and art of getting your web-pages to rank higher in SERPs (search engine results page).

SEO consists of both on-page SEO and off-page SEO tactics: while the former is all you do with/on your website to win customers over, including authoring on-point, useful and engaging content, the latter is what you do outside your website, including linking activities. The ultimate goal of SEO is to increase the number of website visitors by ranking highly in Google (or other search engines’) SERPs (search engine results page) for certain target keywords. Add to this the fact that SEO is the least expensive of all the marketing techniques listed here while also yielding highly long-term, sustainable results, and you just cannot afford to ignore it.

You must bear in mind here that SEO deals with unpaid or organic search results which are populated by Google based purely on merit, i.e. how suited your website (and its contents) is to the user. Given that Google has a vise-like grip around 95.23% of the global search market, this branch of digital marketing can help you attract up to 22,000 website visitors from just being the top search result for a keyword. SEO also lets website owners maintain an uncluttered website structure that is easy to crawl and index by search engines. Whatever your business goals, we highly recommend that you adopt SEO services as one of your marketing techniques. Here is the complete SEO guide for your reference.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

Pay-per-click marketing deals with paid search results on Google and involves bidding on specific keywords that will garner the most web traffic for you.

It goes without saying that this branch of digital marketing, along with SEO, demands a thorough analysis of keywords, especially those that are relevant to your business. You can use the Google Keyword Planner and Google AdWords to carry out your research and arrive at a set of keywords that are popular yet cost-effective for you. It is then a matter of executing both short as well as long-term PPC projects that will charge you every time a user clicks through to your site through the paid ad on Google.

The overall cost per click (CPC) will vary based on how in-demand a specific keyword is, i.e. the competition you face while attempting to land that keyword, and the quality score of your site, i.e. a measure used by Google to determine the spot where your paid ad will be placed on its SERP. A well-thought-out PPC strategy from PPC experts can give your web traffic a nudge in the right direction. Small businesses may not be able to go for this digital marketing method, especially for longer periods. Hence, it is best to do a business needs analysis before deciding what to do. Please note that both SEO and PPC campaigns can be tracked or measured using the supremely handy Google Analytics tool. Follow the link to know more about what is PPC

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms so as to connect with your audience and build your brand.

Everybody is on various social media these days and this can only mean one thing for new businesses – promoting their brand on appropriate channels to gain a vast fan following is a no-brainer. Paid/sponsored ads on social media are a viable option as they reach the demographic you intend to target and run for the duration you have set. Moreover, such paid ad campaigns are measurable and can also help you understand a customer group better. Paid ads aside, setting up a brand page can help you interact directly with customers and hear what they have to say about your product/services.

Frequently posting compelling, topical, on-trend content will lead to it being shared by people on social media and subsequent brand recognition or awareness. If you are a B2B (business-to-business) company, LinkedIn is the way to go. If you manufacture very visually appealing products, Instagram could be the way forward. However, having a Facebook page that is alive and kicking (read: one with regular, well-timed content, including contests, sale reminders, informative videos about a product, etc.) works well for almost all businesses. Whatever social media channel you choose to employ, the key is to study your prospective customer base and make your social media presence a welcoming and standout one to them.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a type of marketing which involves creating relevant and consistent content to attract defined audience.

Content marketing services form the very backbone of digital marketing as it can lend itself superbly to other branches and help in transforming passive website or social media page visitors to active customers. All you have to do is to have your ear to the ground and thoroughly understand what your consumers need and desire. No matter what type of content you create, be it blog posts, vlogs, picture montages, you name it, if it adds value to the lives of customers and enhances their experience, it is a win for you. It is important to remember here that content marketing is a continuous process and it pays to invest in a good content marketing team. It is also crucial that you pay attention to content placement and look for avenues that will provide you with maximum visibility. Additionally, you do not always have to sell your product/services to people – just communicating with them will help you reap benefits in more ways than you know. Once you have created quality content that people would not mind spending a few minutes browsing through, you can share it on various marketing platforms and of course, your site.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a process of sending commercial messages to group of people via email.

Some of us may view email marketing as a slightly archaic method that may not yield as positive an outcome as others. But modern technology has given us the gift of personalization and tracking tools that will help you design an email campaign that stands out and monitor its opening rate, click-through rate, etc. Let us warn you that emailing someone out of the blue will not be appreciated and can affect your company’s reputation negatively. Instead, target those who have opted in to hearing from you and avoid buying email address lists from third parties. Keep your current/prospective customers informed about the latest developments in the industry, a new product/service launch or the posting of a new blog article, ask them for their feedback on a past purchase, give them a recurring service reminder, etc. Being considered a trusted source of information can land you a spot in someone’s recognized email senders’ list instead of just being part of a tall stack of spammy emails.

Influencer/Affiliate Marketing

Influencer marketing is a type of online networking advertising which includes influencers to endorse and make reference to your products.

We have all swooned over celebrities and waited for their next social media update with baited breath. And then there are industry experts or content creators with legions of fans of their own. Many companies work with such influencers to create brand awareness and convert at least some of their huge fan following into profitable leads for themselves. Many others let affiliates or brand representatives reach out to a varied demographic and generate sales. Furthermore, Google AdSense is a good way for website owners to make money by carrying ads about various products and services while brands gain more visibility.

Many online businesses even have influencers take over their social media channels for a day or two to work their magic and guide their followers onto their social media page or website. While these influencers or affiliates may be offered an upfront amount or a percentage of or commission on sales and leads, this form of digital marketing needs to be well-researched in order to work. For not only are you entrusting those outside of your company to speak for you, you must be very sure that their image/personality will compliment you. We highly recommend that you work out the details of your collaboration with such influencers and affiliates beforehand for an effective campaign.

Viral marketing

Viral marketing is a type of marketing where consumers give or share information about the company’s goods or services through social networks.

In today’s modern-day and age, anyone can become an online sensation if they put out offbeat content that you just cannot afford to miss as a consumer. This content can be in any form, including videos, blog posts, etc. and revolve around a variety of genres or topics, like travel and food, beauty, online journalism, etc. Advertisers these days seek out such content creators in an attempt to have information about their products/services placed strategically within the content. Although there is no sure shot way of making content go viral, this form of digital marketing can garner short-term yet remarkable upswings in web traffic or the number of people who show interest in your brand.

Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is a way of marketing through SMS.

Sending marketing messages through SMS and push notifications is a time-tested way of getting the recipient’s attention, especially since more than 90% of such messages are opened right after receiving them. This, coupled with mobile search and social ads is a powerful way of influencing a customer. Modern geofencing options ensure that you can target a specific demographic with precision and ease. Sending customers news about deals, discounts, coupons, and sales, loyalty point updates, etc. are a great way to engage with your customer. Simply make sure that you give enough thought to annoying and intrusive pop-ups, mobile site responsiveness, slower internet/data speeds on the go, etc. while attempting to incorporate mobile advertising into your overall marketing plan.

Native Advertising

Otherwise known as sponsored content, native advertising is a specialized type of marketing that enables business owners to run paid ads across platforms or portals they intend to target. Content is exclusively developed for native marketing purposes and is tailored to meet the aesthetics and functional appeal of the website or service they are shown. For instance, the cards you are shown on your Google news feed ads that pop up in the middle of your Instagram stories or feed and more.

Online PR

The role and significance of public relations in the digital space remain essential. When companies and brands decide to make announcements to their customers and stakeholders, they develop content for PR purposes and release them on exclusive platforms. Apart from special PR portals, there are also websites that pick up announcements and pieces directly from businesses.

Some of the major purposes of releasing an online PR is to create buzz around an announcement, launch new products or services, diversify into different markets, announce an IPO, and more.

In Conclusion

It all boils down to one thing – constantly assessing where you are in terms of marketing objectives and where you want to be in both the near and far future is the only thing that will help you grow your business. Whatever kind of digital marketing you favour over the other, it is important to distribute your marketing efforts and track campaign results from time to time. Having a team of competent digital marketing professionals, whether in-house or otherwise, who are well-versed with the company mission and vision is also a must. If you have any questions about digital marketing or suggestions about future posts, do let us know. And for everything related to the latest in online marketing trends and news, keep checking our Digital Marketing blog.

FAQ’S

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the practice of selling products and services and creating your brand awareness through digital platforms and electronic devices.

What is the Importance of Digital Marketing?

The number of people searching online is rising every day. So maximizing your digital presence is the key. Digital marketing helps you reach the right people at the right moment.