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Digital marketing: Step by step guide

Digital marketing guide. Are you confused about where to start digital marketing? This article will guide you.

 

Let’s start with the definition of Digital Marketing and how it started.

 

Digital marketing has been around for much longer than we think.

 

Below is a picture of the first digital marketer in history – his name is Guglielmo Marconi. He was the first human to demonstrate to the public, wireless signals in 1896. He invented the radio.

Guglielmo Marconi

 

After his demonstration in England, more signals were transmitted across open water. Although it took about 10 years for the radio to reach the general public, it didn’t take long for creators to realize they could use it as a medium to sell.

 

Behold, Digital Marketing was born.

Don’t be surprised I didn’t mention mobile phones, Facebook ads, Google search ads etc, digital marketing is not just about the internet.

 

Definition

Digital marketing is the type of advertising delivered through digital channels such as mobile applications, websites, email, web applications or any new digital channel.

 

A simpler version: Digital marketing is any form of marketing that involves electronic devices.

Why does digital marketing matter?

Remember billboard ads? Well unfortunately it’s dead. Digital marketing is an easier way to connect with your audience. Everyone is online.

 

People spend more time on their phones than looking at the road. Unlike billboard ads, it is measurable.

Although big brands with big budgets still do billboard ads, it’s almost impossible not to include digital marketing. In addition, it is cheaper than any form of traditional advertising.

The number of people who spends time on their phone will keep increasing so for now, we know there is no future for billboard ads.

Overview

There are two main types of Digital Marketing – Online marketing & Offline marketing. Each type of category has been explained in detail in other articles, I’ll only mention them here.

There are 7 big categories of online marketing:

  1. Social media marketing (SMM)
  2. Search engine marketing (SEM)
  3. Search engine optimization (SEO)
  4. Pay-per-click (PPC)
  5. Email marketing
  6. Affiliate marketing
  7. Content marketing

See below, an infographic created by Unbounce that sums up all kinds of online marketing.

 

unbounce

Now that we know what online digital marketing is, let’s move to offline marketing.

There are 4 big categories of digital offline marketing.

 

Enhanced offline marketing

To start with, have you heard of the term “enhanced offline marketing”? it is the form of marketing that is offline but enhanced with electronic devices.

 

For example, if you use an iPad to record visitors’ details at your gate or to take orders at your restaurant, that is enhanced offline marketing.

 

The types of enhanced offline marketing are:

  1. Electronic billboards
  2. Digital product samples
  3. Digital product demos

 

How do you differentiate a billboard on the road and electronic billboard?

 

Light-emitting diodes & LED

For example, all the billboards in Times Square are electronic.

Next up is product samples.

When you walk into a phone store, you will see people leaning over iPads, mackbooks, Tabs, iPhones etc.

For any electronic product, product demo is an important part of your digital marketing strategy.

 

Finally, we have product demo. Check out this demo disk by PlayStation. A lot of these were given out with other games and sometimes magazines.

 

This is a product sample in digital format.

 

Now let’s take a look at other category of digital marketing that has been around for a long time.

Radio Marketing

Radio has been around for a long time. Since it has transition to the internet, it is not dead. Recently, it has started what most podcasts do – advertise at the beginning of shows.

TV Marketing

TV marketing will probably never go away. A lot of money is burned on tv ads every year. There is a high chance that some of your target audience still spend time watching TV.

 

Phone Marketing

 

No doubt, phone marketing has come to stay. Currently, over 80% of internet users own a smartphone. In 2014, it was discovered that more people access the internet from their phones than via a desktop PC or laptop.

 

Another example of phone marketing is text messages & calling. Cold calling is the act of calling a person with no prior contact and trying to sell.

 

Most marketers still use this method but getting the type of response you wand depends on the mood of the person you are calling. Text messages might be better.

 

Text is an almost guaranteed read.

In conclusion, in a digital world, the internet is not the only place for marketers to gather success. Including the above mentioned offline methods of marketing will surely boost your result.

 

Below is a breakdown of digital marketing:

Online marketing

  1. Social media marketing (SMM)
  2. Search engine marketing (SEM)
  3. Search engine optimization (SEO)
  4. Pay-per-click (PPC)
  5. Email marketing
  6. Affiliate marketing
  7. Content marketing

 

Offline marketing

 

Radio marketing

  1. Radio commercials
  2. Show sponsoring

 

TV marketing

  1. TV commercials

Phone marketing

  1. Cold calling
  2. Text message marketing (giveaways, coupons, loyalty programs)

Hope this digital marketing guide has expended your overall knowledge of digital marketing.

 

Please feel free to comment if you find it useful.

 

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