Digital marketing occupies a unique and very powerful position amongst all other advertising channels and methods. It has made tremendous strides since its birth about a decade ago and has become one of the most popular buzzwords. At first, seen as something unbelievable and quite inconceivable; digital marketing now largely dominates the internet, boardroom discussions, and the overall business world. It also seems to inspire a great many myths and fairytales. Some people tend to underestimate its influence and put no value on its existence. Others elevate its status as the next “God” amongst us and advocate worshipping at its digital alter 24/7. The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle. As a matter of fact, not everyone has to know digital marketing in detail to take the best advantage of its ever-expanding capabilities. Still, if you want to become a successful marketer in today’s world, you must know at least the basics of it. So, let’s start at the beginning.
What exactly is digital marketing?
The main goal of digital marketing is to reach, connect, and engage with audiences as swiftly and efficiently as possible
It is a type of marketing that utilizes the internet and other digital technologies such as computers, mobile devices, and online platforms with the purpose of promoting a product or a service. Digital marketing is a broad field and includes all marketing channels and methods you can use such as attracting customers via email, social media sites, web applications, content marketing, search platforms, and more. The main goal of digital marketing is to reach, connect, and engage with audiences as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Basically, it works as a bridge between a business entity and its clients, helping not just in the promotion of products or services but also facilitating two-way communication. It differs from traditional marketing as it relies exclusively on digital channels and thus provides marketers with more control, tools, and data to analyze the performance of their marketing campaigns. In many ways, digital marketing also differs from Internet marketing. Whereas Internet marketing is all about advertising on the Internet, digital marketing can take place using smartphone apps, in video games, or even via other offline marketing channels that are not necessarily connected to the Internet.
While marketers all around the world seem to have jumped onboard the digital marketing bandwagon, it remains an undeniably tricky rope to walk on. The entire industry can feel overrun with specialized concepts, techniques, and head-spinning jargon for a novice practitioner. And sometimes in the process of mastering the knowledge and getting up to the speed with the latest trends, the most important lessons get overlooked. So, here are three things every new digital marketer absolutely have to know to be successful. These are not only crucial insights but vital, practical pieces of advice for you to get the most out of your digital marketing efforts. So, please take these ideas to heart!
- Digital marketing also costs money
When it comes to digital marketing, there is both the good news and the bad news. The good news is that digital marketing is easy to master, immensely effective, and powerful. However, the bad news is that like other forms of marketing and promotional activities, it also costs money. In other words, most of the procedures and expenditures involved in traditional media also apply in the digital realm. But even so, in many instances, digital marketing can be way less expensive and more cost-effective than offline modes of promotion and advertisement. The current trends are not very encouraging though, because more and more online platforms continue to increase their average advertising prices. Just a few years ago, you could create an amazing digital marketing campaign with a small insignificant budget, now sadly it’s no longer the case. Considering how expensive it has become, marketers are often hesitant to spend extra money without the assurance of a positive Return on Investment (ROI). So, do your homework before committing time, energy, and resources to the digital shift. Moreover, there are a lot of low-cost but highly effective digital marketing techniques you can employ to attract and engage audiences without breaking the bank.
2. Digital marketing is not only about advertising
Digital marketing strategies carried out whether, through social media platforms, a website, or any other means can significantly affect the profitability and marketability of your organization. This can involve a wide variety of activities and are by no means limited to online advertising only. For instance, digital marketers now have tools to collect extensive data about a user’s behavior on the company’s website or other online platforms. This data can be utilized to enhance user experience and create engaging digital content. Similarly, another key part of any business’s digital strategy is Search Engine Optimization (SEO), something that might still mystify you in its ongoing complexity. In simple terms, SEO is the process to optimize your website to make it more preferred by the search engines, leading to increased organic traffic to your web pages. Another key part of the digital marketing landscape that is often overlooked, is link building. The importance of building high-quality links has never been higher as every link back to your website enhances your credibility, positive authority, and referral traffic. Also, email marketing and video marketing are other very crucial components of digital marketing strategy.
3. Successful digital marketers are experimenters
To some people, this might sound a bit controversial but most successful digital marketers are not number crunchers or data nerds but experimenters. In other words, they are willing to constantly go through the loop of learning, unlearning, and relearning by regular routine of experimentation. According to many experts, staying informed about the latest trends in the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing is crucial, but to some extent, it’s also a bit over-hyped. For instance, world-renowned digital marketing experts, like Sujan Patel or Jeff Bullas don’t necessarily focus on staying up to date. Instead, they learn by doing stuff and experimenting on a daily basis. These professionals usually don’t have time to read everything that there is to learn new and innovative techniques. Instead, they hustle to find creative solutions to complex problems and thus cultivate and hone their practical skills. That’s how new digital marketers can also specialize in any given area and become stronger and stronger in their careers. So, don’t worry about staying up to date, instead of worrying about actually learning by doing things to increase your expertise, and strengthening your talent.
Final Thoughts
Digital marketing isn’t something you can afford to neglect or put off, whether you are a marketing professional or a businessperson. As a new marketer, it benefits you in a lot of ways by opening up new and exciting avenues for your career development. As an organization, digital marketing helps your brand to connect, engage, and communicate with its audiences. Regardless of its mounting cost, digital marketing remains a simple and effective way to enhance businesses of all sizes by achieving growth and visibility online. In a nutshell, you need to give digital marketing its due attention if you want to lead your organization toward success. The possibilities in the digital arena are endless and now is the perfect time to take advantage of them. If you don’t know enough about it, start learning today!
