More businesses are pouring more of their budgets into digital marketing efforts every year. But, while everyone is familiar with the term and confident they should be doing more of it, there’s some confusion about what exactly ‘counts’ as Digital Marketing.
The consensus is that digital marketing is; cheaper in comparison to traditional methods like print advertising, can be targeted to reach a specific audience that is most likely to be interested in your products and services and there’s the added benefit that digital marketing campaign results are easier to monitor and measure. But for businesses with a limited ad budget, being told you need to be on social and have your blog and be running Google Remarketing Ads, and the list goes on, well, it’s a lot.
Knowing what you need to achieve your goals is the first step to investing in a digital marketing plan that works. Sometimes that can mean running a few seasonal PPC ads to move products. Or it can mean building up your brand as an authority with engaging, helpful content via a blog or social media account.
While the lines between each category can get a little blurry, I’ve narrowed it down to six popular examples.
6 Types of digital marketing
Content Marketing
SEO
SEM/PPC/Display Advertising
Organic Social Media Marketing
Email Marketing
Influencer/Affiliate Marketing
Content Marketing
When it comes to digital marketing, “Content” can mean anything from blog posts, e-books and white papers to Youtube videos and podcasts.
Content marketers create a library of content that will keep directing searchers to your website. Ideally, the content you produce will help promote your brand and cement you as an authority in your niche.
Once you establish that relationship, your content will eventually lead customers to request more information, sign up for an email list or make a purchase.
Pros:
- The focus on useful or entertaining content before making a transaction bypasses consumers’ lack of interest in being directly advertised to.
- New content can work in tandem with other kinds of marketing by incorporating SEO search terms, being shared as social media posts or curated in email publications.
- The type of content you choose to specialize in can be versatile, allowing you to create something memorable and engaging.
- Good content will draw in daily clients that are looking for what you are selling.
- Very effective for B2C companies.
Cons:
- Requires a regular supply of relevant, high-quality content that satisfies your audience’s needs.
- A long-term plan that won’t immediately move product.
- Content marketing is very popular, which makes creating new, insightful pieces on popular topics challenging.
- Need a passion for producing high-quality copywriting as well as good analytical abilities.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
On the surface, search engine marketing (SEO) is all about getting businesses to rank higher in search results and increase your visibility by optimizing your website to make search engines like Google and Bing happy.
There are many ways you can achieve this that include but aren’t limited to researching keywords and phrases. However, SEO can encompass everything from the words on your web pages to how other websites link to yours and how certain elements are structured. It should also include search engine marketing.
SEM focuses on getting similar results through paid advertising. This could include using things like Google Ads and Bing Ads. Often, SEO specialists will offer both paid and organic services, which is why I have included it here, even though the pros and cons associated with SEM are more in line with PPC advertising.
Pros:
- SEO, social media marketing, and content marketing are all closely related. This makes it the ideal tactic to combine with other marketing techniques.
- Assisting clients in finding you online.
- Consumers are more likely to trust organic search engine results.
Cons:
- SEO is a constantly changing series of best practices due to frequent algorithm updates. The person in control needs to be knowledgeable about what is currently effective and ineffective.
- A long-term plan that will provide results.
- Best results are yielded when there is a consistent output of quality content and optimization for a better user experience.
Pay-per-Click (PPC)
Pay-per-click, or PPC, refers to paid search engine results. Banner ads are a more visual version of this, consisting of a large image that encourages users to click off of whatever site the ad is being hosted on.
This can include ads you see while browsing in search, before Youtube videos or on popular free applications.
Regardless of format, these ads are often short and designed to sell a specific product or service making them very similar to what ‘traditional’ marketing looks like with the added benefit that ROI is easier to track and measure.
Pros
- Like many other types of digital marketing on this list, PPC can be used to increase search traffic.
- Best for moving seasonal products or promoting special offers with a time limit.
- You only pay for the results or ‘clicks’ with PPC advertising, and bidding for placement can be pretty cheap for companies on a budget.
- Specific demographic indicators like age, location, and interests can be targeted with it.
- Can be combined with SEO and social media marketing.
Cons
- Younger demographics have learned to ‘tune out’ traditional forms of advertising, favouring content consumption and organic results.
- How competitive your chosen keywords are will determine how much it will cost to run an advertisement or enhance your search results.
Affiliate/Influencer Marketing
Affiliate/Influencer Marketing Both affiliate and influencer marketing leverages ‘authorities’ in a given community (social media influencers, celebrities, industry experts etc.) to promote your products and services. This results in a performance-based relationship where the affiliate partner or influencer receives a commission on the traffic they successfully generate.
When collaborating with influencers, brands will often provide unique discount codes, tester products for the influencer or exclusive offers. In return, bloggers and high-traffic Calgary website design owners will redirect traffic to your products or services in their content.
Pros:
- The rates for hiring an influencer are usually higher.
- When the correct demographic is targeted, smaller influencers can be more cost-efficient and successful.
- Content creators and other kinds of influencers already have an engaged, loyal, and eager audience to support them.
- Association with a well-liked creator can help give your brand a boost with minimum effort to you.
Cons:
- The rates for hiring an influencer are usually higher than paying for other forms of advertising.
- Influencers already have an established brand. This means you need to trust that your influencer’s way of promoting your products will resonate with their core audience.
- You will need to educate affiliate and influencer partners about your brand identity and messaging.
- Choosing a brand partner with the right audience for your products or services will require research.
- Despite the fact that the promotion is outsourced, you must still invest time tracking and keeping an eye on your affiliates.
Social Media Marketing
Use of social media Everything your company does on social media platforms to draw customers and attention from other social media users is referred to as social media marketing. This can consist of sharing interesting content, engaging with other users, and creating memorable posts that will increase your brand or product awareness.
Pros:
- Many aspects of social media management can be automated for convenience.
- In order to effectively use social media, you must pay attention to what your consumers are saying, participate in the conversation, and share relevant material. This approach helps to bypass users’ general dislike of direct advertising.
- Social media can work in tandem with other digital marketing efforts.
Cons:
- There is no “set it and forget it” option, despite the fact that there are numerous internet applications available to automate and schedule social network posts.
- Social media managers need to be proficient at analyzing post-performance and crying strategies based on that data. Each social network has its own specialties, best practices, and top-performing content.
- If there isn’t a real person behind the posts, website visitors will soon discover that out. Other social media platforms won’t be as effective for your scenario, product, or content.
