“What Digital marketing is today” is a question that comes with the age of modern time

Sales and marketing become a blur, especially in the digital world.

But what digital marketing is all about anyway?

Digital Marketing is a form of marketing that uses the Internet and other electronic media. It delivers marketing communications and tracks and measures responses.

The definition of online marketing is the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on

• the Internet
• mobile phones
• display advertising
• any basically other digital media

There are a few definitions of digital marketing on the Internet.

One, from the Association of National Advertisers, defines it as “the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, such as web-based social networks, mobile devices, electronic or interactive televisions, or wireless technologies.”

The United States-based American Marketing Association describes it as “a set of marketing and communication processes that firms use to facilitate transactions between themselves and their customers.”

The basic concept of marketing has not really changed; it is still about branding and exchanging goods and services for an agreed-upon price with an understanding that the customer values the good they purchase more than the money they paid for it.

However, different scenarios equal different realities and channels.

Since each situation is different, it isn’t easy to give one clear definition of what the term means, but let’s start with what digital marketing is NOT: a magic bullet, a quick fix, or a cost-effective replacement for more traditional advertising methods.

I found this to be a pretty good start for someone who has never written a blog post before. When I began writing my blog posts, I would use check out the global trends to ensure I was writing about a trending topic.

There is as much to learn about digital marketing as there is to learn about traditional marketing. However, that’s the point.

Digital marketing is like traditional marketing.

It is a fluid and ever-changing concept, and just as with traditional marketing.

It’s an idea that must be adapted to the times in order to succeed.

 

What is Digital Marketing NOT

Digital marketing is commonly confused with the Internet itself.

I found that out in a comical manner when someone told me that digital marketing is all about using the Internet. (Sorry, I just had to chuckle on that)

Yes, people generally often confuse the Internet with digital marketing and vice versa. This is, of course, not true. The Internet is just an excellent tool for digital marketing.

The Internet is a tool that is used to complete digital marketing objectives.  Digital marketing is a process that involves using the Internet to promote products and services.

The Internet is not a process that involves using digital marketing to promote products and services.

Digital marketing is not the Internet.

But where does Marketing come in?

 

“BUT Marketing Is Too Complicated.”

… “but marketing is way too complicated!” you hear someone groan.

This is probably a phrase you’ve probably heard more than once in your career, life, social events, and when your around young startup talks. And while there are a lot of different components to online marketing, it’s something that’s not too hard to understand.

It’s just a lot to learn.

Here is what digital marketing is definitely NOT

• A campaign
• Limited to the Internet
• A specific software package
• A department in a company in an organization

 

So, what is Digital Marketing about then?

Digital marketing isn’t just about placing your business on a few social media sites, filling out a Google Adwords form, or buying a spot on a keyword-rich website.

It’s about creating content that is compelling to your target audience to draw them to your business.

The best part is that you can do this yourself. Each post you create for your business blog is an opportunity to grow your audience.

Digital marketing can be used to boost your business in many different ways, which is why small businesses need to start participating in this popular industry.

The key to digital marketing is having a digital presence for your business online.

 

Should You Spend Money on Digital Marketing?

If it is so good for my business, should I then spend money on it?

There is a lot of money spent on online marketing.

According to an article by statista.com, a 2018-2024 report showed that “It was calculated that the digital advertising spending worldwide amounted to 325 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. That is in fact, after a drop in 2020 due to the coronavirus-related market issues, it would grow to 389 billion dollars in 2021.”

Since 2016, where television was still considered the most valuable medium for advertisers, it accounted for 35.5 percent of total media ad spend in 2016.

Conferring to the source, mobile Internet and desktop internet reported 18.9 percent of the total ad spending and 15.2 percent individually.

Internet expenditures projected a record growth of 13.3 percent in 2017.

How is money spent and do these spenders really understand what digital marketing is before placing marketing budgets?

Well, mainly marketing budgets are spent on advertising on channels that are ever willing to grab the attention of anyone willing to listen, lend an ear – or basically who have dedicated themselves to social updates that are conveniently just a tap away (the terms “click’ as in ‘mouse click’ is like so old school nowadays)

There are online strategies and methods, such as pay-per-click advertising, which can help your business succeed in this Internet-driven age.

This may be especially true for medium and big businesses and that’s what digital marketing is these days.

But should small businesses and SMEs jump on the bandwagon too?

In particular, pay-per-click advertising lets you pick the kinds of customers you want to attract at a fraction of the cost of old-fashioned ads.

But let’s leave that topic for another day because that’s another whole range to talk about, and I would like you to look at zero-cost marketing first.

Why?

It’s good for startups to find their footing and flavour in the digital world while experimenting with which platforms would suit them best.

Once they know what digital marketing is, it is easier for them to master the other aspects of ads spent and increase marketing expenditures.

Marketing Digitally Is About

• Marketing a product or service using virtual channels
• Reaching the target audience
• Driving traffic to your business
• Selling your product or service
• Writing content that is easy to read, entertaining, and informative, therefore promoting your business
• Blogging, using blogs as a tool for promoting your business
• Social media, using social media channels as a tool for promoting your business
• Networking, using your network as a tool for promoting your business
• Anything that involves the Internet to promote a product or service to an audience that is ready to listen to you

Do you have an audience yet?

More importantly, do you have their attention?

Once you understand what digital marketing is, it is easier to identify an audience and create more intentful messages. This way, your target audience would be more open to receiving your message, give you their attention, and even be more supportive of your brand.

This is how strangers become your friends, and then, later on, fans.

 

So, What Is Digital Marketing?

So now that you know what marketing digitally is all about and what it is not, there is no doubt that it plays a significant role in your and, most importantly, your customers’ lives.

Today, there is no more ponder about what digital marketing is, but rather “how” it works and what strategies you can employ to keep yourself abreast of this seemingly never-ending tide.

Let me leave you with this quote before ending my first ever article.

Don’t fight the wave. Ride it.

Now that you understand what digital marketing is, connect with me today at [email protected]. Let’s find out how you can train your team to understand the fundamentals of what online marketing is all about.