The 8 types of Digital Marketing

 Digital marketing (or online marketing) is unknown to many. What marketing channels should I be on? Which type of Digital Marketing has what advantages and disadvantages? Is SEO different from Google Ads? Where should I begin?

To help you answer these questions, but also many more, we will look at the 5 most important types of digital marketing. Obviously, the lines are blurred between different types of digital marketing, but at least you'll have some sort of menu to choose from.

When it comes to choice, the common questions will apply: WHY do you want to use digital marketing and WHO are you trying to convince with your marketing efforts? You can achieve your business goals by answering these questions.

Types of Digital Marketing

We'll look at the pros and cons of each type of online marketing and the next steps you can take if you want to get started.

1. Content creation

Creating and distributing content - such as text, photographs, and videos - that adds value to your audience as opposed to just sending out an advertising message is involved in this type of digital marketing.

You can create "content" by posting on social media, blogging, and creating videos if you are involved in B2C (business to consumer). The number of case studies or reports, webinars, and educational videos may increase if you are in B2B (business-to-business).

It is free in that it attracts customers to you and your brand, instead of paying to reach a cold audience with your message.

All forms of digital marketing, such as SEO, social networking (SMM), email marketing, etc., are fuelled by content marketing. By educating, entertaining, and inspiring your audience, content helps your brand grow.

Since everyone now wakes up to create content through blog posts, videos, and more, it's a very crowded space, which is why it's harder to stand out;

Your content needs to meet your customers' needs while reflecting your brand and helping you achieve your goals if you want it to be effective.

Design a simple content creation strategy that includes:

• It is best to focus on about 4-5 basic topics; on one hand, you want to remember what the ideal customer wants and needs; on the other hand, you want to pay careful attention to what your brand wants to communicate;

• You should choose the format you want to use (video, audio, articles, etc. );

• And the channels in which you will post each content (on your site, on certain social channels, etc.)

• Get started - if you're a good writer, maybe go with a blog post or if you trust the camera, record a weekly video and post it!

2. SEO

SEO optimized web pages for search engines! In other words, you should create content people are actively looking for, and ensure that these platforms and the content they contain are SEO- and technically optimized. Businesses and organizations of all sizes should do this.

It's free!

When your brand appears in organic Google search results, it appears to be more "authentic" and more objective in the eyes of your customers.

It's possible that you won't have to pay for specific search results, but it takes time and effort to create quality content and optimize your site's technical SEO.

You're on the verge of changing Google's algorithms, and with all the content you have now, it's very difficult to rank well in organic results.

The SEO services start with content creation, so develop your first content creation strategy (see point 1). Do some research for keywords that are being actively searched, I recommend Ahrefs to find out what people are looking for, and try to stay up to date with the latest updates from Google.

If you are just starting out and using WordPress, you can use a plug-in to help you optimize your site technically (e.g. Yoast) or, if you have a larger budget, you can work with an expert to do a more comprehensive job.

3. Google Ads

Paid ads on Google Ads look almost like normal results, except that it appears at the top of the page, in the top 1-5 positions, with the word "Ad".

You can buy a top position in Google through a bid based on keywords, geographic location, and demographics - especially useful for e-commerce and local businesses.

Google Ads Ads can quickly buy you a top ranking if you're willing to pay for it.

You only pay when someone clicks. It can be expensive, but in the end, it depends on the results; Many customers are sceptical of paid ads and are more likely to trust organic results.

If you have money for Google Ads, you can use this successful way of promotion, in addition to the SEO optimization process itself. Again, you'll need to do a solid keyword analysis and then play with different combinations of targeting and add text to see what works, making sure you're tracking and optimizing as you experiment. Google Ads can be quite complicated, so if possible, you'll want to work with someone in the field.

4. Social media marketing

Compared to other channels, social media adds a new opportunity to engage and interact with potential customers. Instead of just sending messages to a mass audience, you can interact with your customers and listen to what they have to say. -"Get Found Fast"

There are all sorts of channels - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. - and multiple options on each, ranging from organic - for example, Facebook groups, page posts, articles, and direct messages - to payments - such as ads. Facebook or Instagram. Almost any business should be on at least some of these social channels.

Your effort can be multiplied as people like, comment, and share your content with their friends and connections;

Facebook ads, in particular, have become very sophisticated, and you can target certain customer segments with your content so that your message can be seen by the right people. -"99designs"

Mark Zuckerberg, who is behind these social channels, is constantly making changes, adjusting his algorithms, or finding new ways to make money, and it's hard to keep up with all these changes and keep your marketing effective;

It may sound simple to post a little on social media, but you need a proper strategy and much more time than you think to do it correctly and consistently.

5. Email marketing

Email may seem like an old-fashioned way in a social media-dominated world, but email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing tools.

This is a successful channel for e-commerce sites and retailers. It works well by promoting promotions and seasonal discounts (think about Black Friday or March 8 deals), while you can also use email newsletters to "feed" potential customers by giving them a lot of value. beyond just selling your products and services.

Having an email list means that you can stay in touch with your followers regardless of any algorithms that change (for example, if Facebook suddenly decides to close your group)

Staying in touch with your email list regularly will help you build relationships and keep you "close" when you're ready to buy.

Lots of emails remain unopened, so you'll need to come up with powerful topics to get people's attention in spam bins;

You should find a way to keep adding value so that people stay with you and don't unsubscribe.

Choose email software (e.g. Mailchimp, ConvertKit, GetResponse) and then start collecting emails. You should give them a reason to sign up, for example, give them a step-by-step PDF guide or free templates and make sure you check the regulations  

6. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a digital marketing strategy that involves refining site elements to maximize conversions.

What is a conversion? It is an action that causes a person to become a customer or brings him closer to becoming a customer. A purchase is an example of conversion, as is requesting a price quote, subscribing to an email list, and downloading information from the site.

CRO helps you get the most out of your marketing efforts by increasing the proportion of site visitors who become customers.

CRO may involve analyzing various aspects of the site and marketing strategies, including:

• Ease of use of the site;

• Conversion funnel;

• Site text;

• Web design;

• Call to action buttons;

• How qualified your leads are.

7. Video marketing:

Another extremely important type of digital marketing is video content. Companies that use video on their sites have 41% higher search traffic, and the inclusion of a video on a landing page can increase the conversion rate by up to 80%.

Videos can help you with almost any type of digital marketing. You can place them on the site to improve SEO and engagement, you can include them in emails and you can post them on social media. The options are almost endless!

Videos are powerful in themselves. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world after Google, so uploading videos to YouTube can help users discover and get involved with your company.

8. Influencer marketing:

Influencer marketing involves collaborating with people whose opinion is appreciated by the target audience, in order to promote the brand, products, or services.

These influencers usually have a large number of followers in the online environment, although the size of the mass of followers differs depending on how niche your target audience is.

As part of your influencer marketing campaign, you can, for example, send products to them so that they can test them and post about them on their social media accounts.

This type of marketing can be more effective than direct advertising because 92% of people trust recommendations from other people instead of recommendations from brands.

Conclusion:

So, these are the 8 most important types of digital marketing you can consider for your business. Don't try to do everything because you'll end up exhausted and doing nothing very well! Deliberate about what you are trying to achieve, who your audience is, and where they are active… and then choose a leading digital marketing agency in Pakistan to get started.