What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is something of an umbrella term. It refers to the use of digital technologies to promote, advertise, and market products or services. As an ever-increasing volume of business transactions are taking place online, via mobile devices and personal computers, digital marketing has become more important. Examples of primary digital marketing strategies include:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Marketing
• Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Email Marketing

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a primary element of a comprehensive digital marketing endeavor. SEO is defined as the process designed to maximize visitors to a website. This is accomplished by efforts to place the site higher up on the list of search engine results. SEO typically is a component of content creation. Targeted keywords are included within the content.  The goal is to  optimize search engine results associated with a particular website. For example, SEO can be part of blogging efforts undertaken by a:

• business
• organization
• individual

See our ranking of the 30 Best Marketing Degree Online Programs (Bachelor’s).

Social Media Marketing

Social media plays an important role in digital marketing. Social media marketing uses various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as promotional tools. The goal of social media marketing is the production of content that is presented on a social media platform. Once presented, the hope is that the content is independently shared within the social media platform as a means of promoting a:

• brand
• product
• service
• business

Exposure increases as sharing carries forward. Myriad  benefits can be realized through social media marketing, according to Forbes magazine. These benefits include:

• increased brand recognition
• increased brand awareness
• increased conversion rates
• enhanced search engine rankings

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Another widely utilized digital marketing strategy is pay-per-click advertising, or PPC. PPC involves the targeted placement of advertisements. An advertiser is billed for an advertisement when a person clicks on a link. The manner in which payment is made is favored by businesses because they only face a financial cost when a prospective customer responds to its ad. PPC marketing commonly is associated with the major search engines, including Google and Bing. These search engines offer tools to assist a business in undertaking a PPC campaign. In addition, there are professionals that specialize in developing, implementing, and managing PPC campaigns.

Email Marketing

Email marketing remains an effective digital tool to promote a business and its products or services. Email marketing can be utilized in a variety of different ways. These include:

• recurring newsletters
• notification of blog postings
• notification of promotions and sales
• informational communications

Today’s technology provides the ability to automate a considerable portion of the email marketing process. This results in enhanced efficiency and decreased cost, which are attractive to businesses of all types. Many businesses utilize multiple techniques and technologies when it comes to marketing in the digital arena. In the final analysis, a comprehensive digital marketing campaign proves the most effective way in which to promote a:

• product
• service
• brand
• business

Digital marketing firms exist that provide a full spectrum of comprehensive services under one roof. Related Resources:

• What Can I Do with a Degree in Marketing?
• Do I Need a Degree in Marketing to Get a Job in the Marketing Industry?
• What is the Best Degree Path for Becoming a Market Research Analyst?
• 30 Best Marketing Degree Online Programs (Bachelor’s)