A Smart Digital Marketer’s Guide to the Galaxy and Beyond

The Internet has seeped into our personal and professional lives in ways that would have been unimaginable once. According to Statista, the global shift towards digital has resulted in 64.4% of the world’s population becoming internet users and 59.4% social media users as of January 2023. It is a telling statement of the importance of using digital marketing methods to remain relevant in the ever-changing market. Therefore, as a digital marketer, it’s essential to understand various digital marketing strategies to effectively build a brand, reach potential customers, and convert them into loyal customers.

Providing exceptional user experience must also be a top priority. By leveraging digital platforms, businesses can tap into a vast pool of potential customers and grow their business exponentially.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing, also known as online marketing, is a way to promote the products and services of a brand through different digital channels. Simply put, any form of marketing that requires the use of electronic devices, such as laptops, computers, and smartphones, is known as digital marketing. Digital marketing can include social media marketing, email marketing, web-based advertising or even text-based or multimedia messages. Therefore, digital marketing can be done both online as well as offline.

Inbound Marketing Vs. Digital Marketing

Marketers often confuse inbound and digital marketing because they are used interchangeably. However, there is a marked difference between the two. Digital marketing is a broad term that encompasses all forms of electronic marketing, while inbound marketing is a specific subset of digital marketing. Moreover, inbound marketing focuses on attracting customers through valuable content and experiences.

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How Does Digital Marketing Work?

Digital marketing utilizes various digital channels to reach and engage with potential customers. The process involves several steps, including identifying the target audience, developing a marketing strategy, creating and sharing content, and analyzing the results to optimize performance.

Here’s a brief overview of how digital marketing works:

1. Define the Target Audience

The first step is to define the target audience for the product or service being marketed. This includes analyzing the demographics, interests, and behaviors of potential customers.

2. Develop a Marketing Strategy

Based on the target audience, a marketing strategy is developed. This involves identifying the digital channels that will be used to reach the target audience, such as social media, email marketing, search engine marketing, or content marketing.

3. Create and Share Content

Once the marketing strategy is defined, the next step is to create and share content that will engage the target audience. Content can be in the form of blog posts, social media posts, videos, or infographics. Leverage the services of a content marketer to create a content calendar from the ground up.

4. Monitor and Analyze Results

Various analytics tools are used to measure the digital marketing campaign’s success. These tools help track metrics such as website traffic, engagement, click-through, and conversion rates. After that, this data is used to optimize the campaign and improve performance.

B2B vs. B2C Digital Marketing

Digital marketing strategies work for both B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer). Here’s a closer look at how digital marketing works for B2B and  B2C.

1. B2B digital marketing targets businesses and other organizations, whereas B2C digital marketing targets individual consumers.
2. Strategies for B2B mainly focus on building long-term relationships and trust with the business,  whereas B2C marketing focuses on short-term offers and messages.

Why is Online Visibility Important?

According to a report from Google, 88% of people who search a local store on their smartphone visit it within a week. By being visible online, businesses can reach their target customers, build brand presence, and establish trust.

Additionally, digital marketing enables businesses to gather analytics about their existing and potential customers’ search patterns and buying habits. This data can be used to create effective marketing strategies that result in increased sales and customer loyalty.

What are the Different Types of Digital Marketing?

Businesses can use a wide range of digital media to connect with customers. Here are few digital marketing types that businesses use:

1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO is a technique that involves optimizing your online content to rank higher on search engines. Unlike paid advertising, SEO focuses on organic ranking without any direct payment to the search engine.

Simply put, SEO aims to make online content more visible and relevant to search queries by optimizing various factors that search engines use to rank results. Additionally, technical SEO involves optimizing back-end components of the website, such as URLs, broken links, loading speed etc.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing is a customer-focused approach that consistently delivers high-quality, relevant content. Additionally, the content should focus on building strong relationships with the target audience.

Rather than pushing for immediate sales, the goal is to educate and provide value to the audience. Thanks to your relevant content, you become the go-to authority and trusted source for news related to your industry. The next time they try to make a purchase, they are more likely to think about your brand. Moreover, this approach shows the customers that their needs and interests are taken care of, which results in customers’ loyalty to the business. In this ecosystem, content marketing is a valuable tool to capture and retain the audience’s attention.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing involves engaging people in online conversations on different social media platforms. Therefore, it helps drive website traffic and increase brand awareness. Moreover, it is a powerful way to showcase your brand, products, services, and culture to a vast audience, as billions of people actively use social media platforms.

More than 4.26 billion people used social media in 2021; the number is projected to rise to almost 6 billion by 2027, according to Statista. Therefore, social media marketing can help businesses reap significant benefits.

4. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing

PPC is an internet advertising model that allows businesses to place their ads on search engines, social media platforms, and third-party websites. Advertisers only pay a fee when someone clicks on their ad, hence the name “pay-per-click.”

PPC advertising provides a targeted approach to reaching potential customers and allows businesses to control their advertising spend. Additionally, businesses can set a budget and bid for ad placement. With PPC, businesses can track and analyze ad performance, enabling them to make data-driven decisions to optimize their campaigns for maximum return on investment.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where individuals or businesses, known as affiliates, promote products or services of other companies in exchange for a commission. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement where affiliates earn a commission for each customer they refer to the company’s website through their unique affiliate link.

Affiliate marketing provides benefits for both the company and the affiliate. Companies can expand their reach and customer base by leveraging the marketing efforts of affiliates, while affiliates can earn passive income by promoting products or services that align with their audience or niche.

6. Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that leverages endorsements and product mentions from influential individuals with dedicated social followings. These influencers, seen as experts in their niche, have established trust with their audience, making their recommendations a powerful form of social proof for brands. By partnering with influencers, brands can tap into this trust and reach a wider customer base.

There are four types of influencers:

1. Mega influencer:1M+ followers.
2. Macro Influencer: 100k -1M followers.
3. Micro influencer:10K -100k followers.
4. Nano-influencer: less than 10K followers.

In the past, celebrities held significant influence in high-visibility campaigns, and brands like Pepsi often featured them in their commercials. However, the advent of social media has revolutionized the marketing landscape. With the rise of social media, individuals other than celebrities, known as social media personalities or influencers, have gained substantial followings and comparable influence. They have the power to reach and engage audiences on a similar scale as traditional celebrities.

7. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a highly effective marketing channel that utilizes email to promote a business’s products or services.

It serves as a form of direct marketing, allowing businesses to reach their customers directly in their inboxes. By incorporating email marketing into marketing automation efforts, businesses can inform customers about the latest offerings. Additionally, email marketing plays a crucial role in lead generation, brand awareness, relationship building, and customer engagement. Through various types of marketing emails, businesses can nurture leads, raise brand awareness, and maintain customer engagement even between purchases.

Did You Know: According to EarthWeb, 333.2 billion emails are sent daily, meaning every second, four million emails are sent.

8. Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing refers to promotional activities that occur on smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices. It targets mobile users through strategies like mobile-optimized advertisements, push notifications, and mobile applications. Mobile marketing aims to effectively engage with the mobile audience and deliver tailored marketing messages directly to their mobile devices.

According to a Times of India article, India witnessed significant growth in app installs in 2020, accounting for 14% of global installations. The country experienced a remarkable 28% year-on-year increase in app downloads, surpassing the global average of 7%. In terms of mobile usage, India ranked second, after Indonesia, in the first half of 2020, with a notable 37% surge in time spent on mobile devices. This indicates that consumer demand for mobile-first services is a long-term trend rather than a temporary phenomenon.

How Can You Measure the Success of Digital Marketing?

Measuring the success of digital marketing campaigns is crucial to evaluate their effectiveness and optimize future strategies. Here are some key digital marketing metrics and methods commonly used to measure success:

1. Website Traffic

Monitoring the number of visitors to your website and the source of traffic can indicate the effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts in driving audience engagement.

2. Conversion Rate

Tracking the percentage of website visitors who take desired actions, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or subscribing to a newsletter, helps measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in driving conversions.

3. Return on Investment (ROI)

Calculating the financial return generated from your digital marketing investments, such as the revenue generated per advertising dollar spent, provides a clear measure of success and profitability.

4. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

Evaluating the cost of acquiring a new customer or lead through digital marketing activities helps determine the efficiency of your campaigns and the overall cost-effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

5. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Measuring the percentage of users who click on a specific link or advertisement provides insights into the effectiveness of your ad copy, design, and targeting strategies.

6. Social Media Engagement

Tracking metrics like the number of followers, likes, comments, shares, and mentions on social media platforms indicates the level of audience engagement and the impact of your social media marketing efforts.

7. Email Marketing Metrics

Monitoring metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates for email campaigns helps gauge the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy in engaging and converting subscribers.

8. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

Assessing your customers’ long-term value and profitability helps measure the success of your digital marketing efforts in attracting and retaining valuable customers.

Digital Marketing Mistakes You Must Avoid

Digital marketing offers immense opportunities for businesses to promote their brand, reach their target audience, and drive success. However, it’s important to navigate this landscape carefully to avoid common pitfalls. Here are a few digital marketing mistakes that you must avoid.

1. Neglecting the Target Audience

Failing to define and understand your target audience can result in ineffective marketing efforts and wasted resources.

2. Lack of Consistent Branding

Consistent branding across different digital channels can lead to clarity and diluted brand identity, impacting your overall marketing effectiveness.

3. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

With the majority of internet users accessing content on mobile devices, not optimizing your digital marketing efforts for mobile can lead to a poor user experience and missed opportunities.

4. Overlooking SEO

Neglecting SEO can limit your visibility in search engine results, reducing organic traffic and hindering your online presence.

5. Poor Content Strategy

Publishing irrelevant or low-quality content can damage your brand’s reputation and fail to engage your target audience effectively.

6. Neglecting Social Media Engagement

Failing to engage with your audience on social media platforms actively can limit your reach and hinder the development of meaningful connections with your customers.

7. Ineffective Email Marketing

Spamming subscribers, sending generic emails, or failing to personalize content can lead to high unsubscribe rates and a negative perception of your brand.

8. Lack of Data Analysis

Not leveraging data analytics to measure your digital marketing efforts’ success can result in missed optimization and improvement opportunities.

9. Ignoring Customer Feedback

Neglecting to listen to and address customer feedback can lead to a disconnect between your brand and your target audience, impacting customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Marketing Tools That Boost Digital Marketing Strategy

Marketing tools play a crucial role in helping businesses enhance their digital marketing strategy and achieve remarkable results. From analytics platforms that provide valuable insights into customer behavior and website performance to social media management tools that streamline content scheduling and engagement, these tools can empower marketers to make data-driven decisions and optimize their campaigns.

Additionally, automation tools simplify repetitive tasks, while content management systems enable seamless content creation and publishing. By leveraging the right digital marketing tools, businesses can skyrocket their digital marketing efforts, increase efficiency, and drive better outcomes.

Is Digital Marketing a Good Career Option?

Digital marketing is a lucrative and rewarding career option. The field of digital marketing has experienced significant growth in recent years due to the increasing reliance on online channels for businesses to reach their target audiences. Here are some reasons why digital marketing is a good career choice:

• High demand
• Diverse job opportunities
• Constantly evolving field
• Competitive salary
• Flexibility with remote work opportunities

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Top Digital Marketing Jobs for Aspirants to Look for in 2023

In today’s digital-centric marketing landscape, establishing an online presence has become crucial for businesses to reach a wider customer base. This has led to a growing demand for digital marketing professionals who can effectively utilize digital technologies to promote products and services.

As per Statista report: Of the overall marketing spending in India, 35% was allotted to digital media in 2022, which is expected to increase by 45% in 2024. This means that digital marketing roles will be on the rise in the near future.

Here are a few digital marketing jobs that aspirants can look for in 2023.

1. Social Media Coordinator

A social media coordinator manages and executes social media strategies, creates engaging content, and monitors and analyzes social media performance to drive brand awareness and engagement.

2. Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visually appealing and compelling designs for various marketing materials, including social media graphics, website visuals, and advertisements, to enhance brand identity and communicate messages effectively.

3. UI/UX Designer

A UI/UX designer focuses on creating user-friendly and visually appealing interfaces for websites, mobile apps, and other digital platforms. They ensure a seamless user experience by considering user behavior, navigation, and visual design elements.

4. SEO Specialist

An SEO specialist optimizes websites and content to improve search engine rankings and increase organic traffic. They conduct keyword research, optimize website structure and content, and analyze data to enhance visibility and drive relevant traffic to the website.

5. Data Analyst

A data analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data to provide valuable insights for decision-making. They use various tools and techniques to extract meaningful information from data, identify trends, measure marketing performance, and make data-driven recommendations.

6. Web Developer

A web developer creates and maintains websites using programming languages and frameworks. They are responsible for coding, designing, and implementing the technical aspects of a website to ensure functionality, responsiveness, and optimal user experience.

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Learn Digital Marketing Basics From India’s Top Institutes on Emeritus

Whether you are a marketing professional looking to upskill or a beginner interested in starting a career in digital marketing, Emeritus’s digital marketing courses offer a valuable learning experience to enhance your knowledge and capabilities in this rapidly evolving field. The courses are structured to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of digital marketing strategies, tools, and techniques, equipping you with the skills needed to succeed in the dynamic field of digital marketing.