What is Digital Marketing? Explained with Examples

Hey there! I’m John the digital marketing guy. Let me break down what digital marketing is all about in simple terms for you.

What is Digital Marketing in Simple Words?

Digital marketing is just a fancy way of saying marketing or advertising done through electronic devices like computers, smartphones, tablets and so on. So it’s using the internet, mobile apps, social media, email, and other digital stuff to promote a business, build its brand and connect with potential customers.

What is Digital marketing:Is also called online marketing, is the promotion of brands to connect with potential customers using the internet and other forms of digital communication. This includes not only email, social media, and web-based advertising, but also text and multimedia messages as a marketing channel.

The main goal is to find people who might want to buy your products or services and get your marketing messages in front of them so they actually make a purchase or become a new customer.

Some of the main digital marketing activities are:

• Search engine optimization to get your website found in Google
• Paid ads on Google, Facebook and other sites
• Email newsletters and promotions to current and potential customers
• Social media marketing on sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Mobile marketing through apps, texts, etc.
• Content marketing like blogs, videos, podcasts, ebooks
• Website design to create a good online experience
• Tracking customer data and online sales
• Building an email list and marketing database

So in simple terms, digital marketing is using the internet and technology to promote and sell products, connect with customers and grow a business. It’s all about getting the right marketing messages to the right people at the right time. Makes sense?

What is Digital Marketing? Explained With Example:

Here’s a little story to explain digital marketing with a real-world example:

Let me tell you about my friend Pooja, who recently started her own baking business called “Pooja’s Sweet Treats”.

When Pooja first opened her home bakery, she didn’t know much about marketing. She simply put up a basic website and hoped customers would find her. At first, she got a few orders from friends and family, but soon realized she needed to do more to reach potential new customers.

That’s when Pooja decided to start using digital marketing! Here’s what she did:

First, she optimized her website for search engines like Google so people searching for “bakery in Hyderabad” would be able to find and visit her site. She also started a Facebook page and Instagram account to share photos of her delicious cakes and cookies. Pooja made engaging posts daily to draw more followers.

She also started an email newsletter that offered a weekly discount code and announcements about new baked goods. She collected emails from site visitors and social media fans to build up her subscriber list.

To reach more local customers, Pooja tried paid Facebook ads targeting people within a 10 mile radius who were interested in baking and desserts. The ads boosted traffic to her website and got more locals to follow her page.

Finally, Pooja leveraged Google Analytics to see what marketing efforts were working best. She learned her emails and social media posts were driving the most sales, so she kept focusing her efforts there.

Within a few months, Pooja’s revenue doubled thanks to her digital marketing tactics! See how she used technology and the internet to promote her bakery biz? That’s digital marketing in action.

What does Digital Marketing Include ? Explained With Example:

Let me tell you about my friend Sanjay who recently started a website selling grilling tools and accessories. He asked me what modules he needs to include in his digital marketing strategy, so here’s what I suggested:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – This involves optimizing Sanjay’s website content and pages to rank higher in search engines like Google for keywords related to bbq tools, grilling accessories, etc.
2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) – Paid search ads like Google Ads allow Sanjay to get his products in front of people as they search for grilling and bbq-related terms.
3. Social Media Marketing – Having a presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter allows Sanjay to build an audience interested in bbq grilling.
4. Content Marketing – Creating blogs, videos, guides around bbq and grilling helps Sanjay establish expertise and drive website traffic.
5. Email Marketing – Collecting emails and sending promos, tips helps nurture leads and drive repeat purchases.
6. Web Analytics – Using Google Analytics to understand user behavior on his website and optimize pages.
7. Conversion Rate Optimization – Testing and tweaking website elements to increase conversions.
8. Affiliate Marketing – Partnering with relevant sites and influencers who promote Sanjay’s products to their BBQ-loving audiences.
9. Public Relations – Getting press mentions and links from bbq-focused publications helps boost brand awareness.
10. Social Media Advertising – Running paid ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to reach more of Sanjay’s target audience.
11. Lead Generation – Using tools like landing pages and forms to collect leads for future marketing.
12. Marketing Automation – Using software to deliver personalized messaging and offers tailored to each lead.
13. Mobile Marketing – Optimizing Sanjay’s website and ads for mobile devices which are critical for ecommerce.
14. Retargeting Ads – Serving customized ads across the web to past site visitors to drive returns.
15. Customer Relationship Management – Using a CRM system to track interactions and ensure excellent service.

Major Components of Digital Marketing

There are many digital marketing channels and strategies, but most digital marketing efforts fit under one of these main pillars:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO refers to optimizing website content and architecture so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher a page ranks for relevant search queries, the more search traffic it will drive to the site. SEO helps increase organic visibility and traffic to a website without having to pay for ads.

Some important SEO strategies include:

• Keyword research – Identifying keywords and phrases that prospective customers are searching for and targeting those in content.
• On-page optimization – Adding keywords to page titles, headers, URL, image names, etc.
• Site architecture – Building a crawlable site structure with clean URLs.
• Link building – Earning backlinks from other high-authority sites to improve domain authority.
• Local SEO – Optimizing online listings and website for local search visibility.
• Technical site audit – Checking for indexation issues, broken links, speed optimizations.

SEO requires an ongoing effort, but pays off in the form of free, qualified website traffic in the long run.

2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC advertising refers to the paid ads you see on search engine results pages and other websites. With PPC ads, businesses only pay when someone clicks on their ad – hence the name ‘Pay per click’.

The most popular PPC platform is Google Ads, where ads can be displayed across Google’s network of sites and searches. Other PPC platforms include Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and more.

Some benefits of PPC advertising include:

• Increased visibility – Gets your brand seen by people actively searching for your products/services.
• Top rankings – Ads can rank above organic results for targeted keywords.
• Flexibility – You can fine-tune targeting options, adjust bids, and turn ads on/off anytime.
• Measurability – Track clicks, conversions, costs, and other metrics in real time.

PPC does require a dedicated budget, but the cost can be controlled by setting daily limits and optimizing campaigns over time.

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing refers to promoting content, engaging followers, advertising products on social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.

With billions of active users, social media offers a wealth of marketing opportunities such as:

• Organic content marketing – Posting free valuable content to attract followers.
• Social ads – Running paid ads targeted to specific demographics and interests.
• Influencer marketing – Partnering with influencers to promote products.
• Social listening – Monitoring brand mentions and reviews.
• Community engagement – Building relationships by responding to followers.
• Retargeting – Serving ads to site visitors when they’re on social media.

The visual nature and popularity of social media makes it well-suited for branding. Businesses can amplify their messages and make deeper connections with customers through social networks.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing means sending promotional or transactional emails to a list of prospects or customers. When done right, email marketing can have high ROI compared to other digital marketing channels.

Here are some popular email marketing tactics:

• Newsletters – Send regular email updates with blog content, offers, etc.
• Lead nurturing – Send helpful content to prospects to move them through the sales funnel.
• Cart abandonment – Email people who left items in their cart without checking out.
• Customer re-engagement – Win back inactive customers with special offers.
• Holiday promotions – Offer sales and deals for major holidays or events.
• Product launches – Promote new products or services to current subscribers.

The benefit of email marketing lies in having direct access to prospects’ inboxes. This allows building relationships over time and prompting action.

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing refers to creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a specific audience. Blogging, videos, ebooks, case studies, podcasts, and webinars are all examples of content marketing assets.

The goal of content marketing is to provide content that:

• Educates or entertains readers
• Establishes the company as a topical authority
• Generates new leads and sales opportunities

Unlike traditional product-promotional marketing, content marketing aims to build trust and rapport with the target audience. Quality content can increase brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, and sales.

6. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing arrangement between online advertisers/retailers and affiliate marketers. Affiliates promote products on their platforms and earn a commission on resulting sales or leads.

Popular affiliate marketing programs include:

• Amazon Associates – Earn commissions by linking to Amazon products.
• ShareASale – Offers thousands of affiliate programs to choose from.
• ClickBank – Focuses on digital information products.
• Rakuten – Large affiliate network with 200,000 publishers.

Affiliate marketing is appealing because you only pay affiliates after they’ve generated sales. It’s a risk-free way to increase marketing reach.

7. Native Advertising

Native advertising refers to branded ads designed to match the look, feel, and function of the media platform they appear on. Examples include:

• Promoted social media posts that appear in users’ feeds just like regular posts.
• Sponsored content articles that mirror the editorial style of the publisher site.
• Product placement and brand mentions naturally woven into videos.
• Recommendation widgets and promoted listings blended with other site content.

Native ads help brands get their messaging across to consumers without blatantly interrupting the user experience like display ads often do. The seamless integration makes them more likely to garner attention.

Why Digital Marketing Matters?

Now that we’ve outlined the major components of digital marketing, let’s discuss why it’s such an indispensable part of modern business:

1. Digital marketing meets customers where they are.

Today, everyone spends a big chunk of their day online watching videos, browsing social media, and interacting on forums. Digital marketing allows brands to be part of those experiences and connect with audiences on their turf.

2. It allows hyper-targeted, personalized messaging.

With cookies, analytics pixels, and online personalization tools, digital marketing enables a level of personalization difficult to achieve with traditional marketing. Brands can serve up targeted messaging tailored to individual interests and behaviors.

3. The results are highly measurable.

Online analytics make it easy to track every click, view, and conversion generated from digital marketing campaigns. This quantifiable data can be analyzed to optimize efforts and yield better ROI.

4. It’s cost-effective.

Dollar for dollar, digital marketing channels tend to reach more people and generate more revenue than most offline marketing tactics. There are also low barriers to entry allowing new brands to compete.

5. It works in real time.

Unlike waiting for print ads to go to press, digital ads and campaigns can be adjusted and updated instantly based on what’s working best. Brands can respond and adapt to feedback quickly.

Clearly, organizations that fail to embrace digital marketing risk losing out to the competition. Even long-standing brands need an online presence and digital messaging to remain relevant in today’s digital-first world.

Examples of Effective Digital Marketing

To give you a better idea of what digital marketing looks like in the real world, here are some examples of effective digital marketing tactics employed by leading brands:

SEO Success Story

When CBD brand Joy Organics wanted to grow their organic search presence, they made SEO the cornerstone of their digital strategy. Joy Organics worked on improving technical site elements, optimizing content for target keywords, and earning backlinks from authoritative CBD and health websites. In just 3 months, they tripled their organic traffic and saw revenue spike.

PPC Case Study

Online glasses retailer Warby Parker uses targeted PPC ads to get their brand in front of people who are searching for “glasses online” and related queries. Because they sell directly to consumers online, PPC gives Warby Parker a way to drive targeted traffic to their site at efficient CPCs compared to other channels.

Social Media Example

Social media is key to Chipotle’s marketing. They have a loyal Instagram following of over 800,000 users who engage with gorgeous food shots. On Twitter, Chipotle uses giveaways and interactive content to build brand buzz. Their social presence helps give the fast food chain a hip, health-conscious reputation.

Email Marketing Success

When CoSchedule wanted to increase subscription sales for their calendar marketing software, they sent a 5-day educational email series focused on email marketing best practices. This lead nurturing sequence resulted in a 36% increase in email subscription conversions.

Content Marketing Case Study

CB Insights uses compelling data-driven stories and visuals to attract over 500,000 monthly readers to their content hub. The insightful articles establish CB Insights as a thought leader in emerging technology spaces like artificial intelligence. This organic visibility and credibility leads to sales.

Affiliate Promotion Example

Retailer Ebags ran an affiliate promotion where they paid a 200% commission on sales of a specific backpack. Affiliate blogs Like Dumb Little Man shared the backpack deal in their content and sent thousands of referrals Ebags’ way, resulting in $85,000 in revenue from this high-commission campaign.

Key Takeaways

Now that you have a sense of what digital marketing encompasses and how companies are effectively using it, let’s summarize some of the key points:

• Digital marketing uses digital channels like search, social, email, and display ads to promote businesses online.
• Major categories include SEO, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, affiliate marketing, and native advertising.
• The unique benefits of digital marketing include hyper-targeting, measurability, cost-efficiency, real-time adaptability, and the ability to reach customers online.
• Companies like Joy Organics, Warby Parker, Chipotle, CoSchedule, CB Insights, and Ebags demonstrate what innovative and strategic digital marketing can achieve.
• All types of businesses, big or small, direct-to-consumer or B2B, can benefit from having a solid digital marketing strategy.

The world of digital marketing continues to evolve rapidly. This overview covers the fundamental concepts, types of digital marketing, and real brand examples to help you better understand and leverage digital channels in your own marketing initiatives. Reach out if you need any help implementing these strategies for your business!