Digital marketing definition: digital marketing (also known as online marketing, internet marketing, or web marketing) refers to any form of marketing or advertising delivered through traditional and new digital channels such as websites, social media, mobile applications, email, or search engines, among others.

Digital marketing is traditionally done online and offline and it includes different types of paid and non-paid digital marketing strategies such as:

• Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Email marketing
• Content marketing
• Mobile marketing
• Social media marketing
• Forum marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Marketing automation
• Influencer marketing
• Referral marketing

 

“Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your company's online marketing efforts.”
HubSpot

 

2. Why digital marketing is important for businesses?
Because digital marketing is so versatile, trackable, and scalable, it’s uniquely positioned to help you reach your business goals. Let’s take a look at some of the key ways digital marketing can benefit your business:

#1. Decreases costs. Traditional marketing tends to cost much more than digital tactics. When you focus on digital marketing, you can lower your costs while still driving impressive results.

#2. Drives online sales. Since digital marketing takes place online, these tactics are naturally geared toward driving online sales and conversions. If you want to sell products online, digital marketing is essential.

#3. Increases revenue. Digital marketing campaigns can use both paid and organic strategies to drive revenue. No matter the size of your budget, digital marketing gives you the opportunity to boost your company’s bottom line.

#4. Targets with precision. Digital marketing channels allow you to target users by demographics, interests, and even devices. That means you can connect with the right person at the right time, making the most of your marketing efforts.

#5. Expands reach. No matter the size of your business, you need to expand your customer base continually. Digital marketing can reach customers across the nation and around the globe so you can expand to new markets and even trade globally.

#6. Builds brand reputation. Whether your company is new or seasoned, it’s important to increase brand awareness continually. Digital campaigns can introduce your brand to relevant customers and help you establish a positive reputation with loyal customers.

3. Types of digital marketing
Digital marketing includes over a dozen inbound channels, each with its own strategies and tools that you can use to help you meet your business goals. To help you understand these marketing channels and how they can benefit your business, here's an explanation of some of the most common—and most effective—types of digital marketing strategies.

#1. Content marketing
Content marketing refers to the creation and promotion of all types of content, whether it's written, audio, or visual content. Content marketing assets include blog posts, case studies, videos, podcasts, and more. A successful content marketing strategy attracts and guides customers through every stage of the sales funnel.

1. How can your business benefit from content marketing?
2. You can build trust. When you create helpful content that solves customers’ problems, you gain credibility. Over time, you can establish trust, which can lead to sales.
3. You can improve brand awareness. The more high-quality content you create, the more chances you have to introduce your brand and rank with search engines.

 

“85% of marketers say improving content quality has made their marketing strategy more successful.”
Content Marketing Institute

#2. Email marketing
This channel connects with customers directly in their email inboxes. An email marketing strategy can include everything from sale announcements to monthly newsletters to remarketing messages. An email service provider (ESPs) like MailChimp or ConvertKit can help small businesses execute these strategies more efficiently, but email marketing specialists may also use other tools or methods to craft a profitable strategy.

The secret of email marketing success is writing compelling headlines and high converting copy that makes people want to take the next step. The more relevant your emails are to what potential customers need, the better they will work to build your relationship with them, so they think of you when they're ready to buy.

How can your business benefit from email marketing?

You can get an impressive ROI. Email marketing has an average ROI of 3800%. That means email can generate $38 in revenue for every $1 in ad spend.

You can keep the costs low. Email marketing lets you get right into inboxes, so you don’t have to pay for an ad every time you want to connect directly with customers.