What is Digital Marketing?

In this age, media is everything. Society keeps modernizing and advancing technology daily (it seems), and especially in the middle of a pandemic when we're all stuck at home, knowing about digital marketing will really help you keep up with the times and make up for the loss of an in-person market.

Make sure to check out our Intro to Marketing post that discussed traditional marketing first, so that when I discuss similarities and differences later on in this post you have an idea of what traditional (offline) marketing is! Let's address the giant topic of digital marketing with the 5 W's to make a bit easier to understand:

1. What is digital marketing? Digital marketing uses online tactics, such as social media, email marketing, websites, and more to connect with a wider audience through the Internet. Whenever you type in keywords and phrases into a search engine, you're actually being directed to certain websites that have Search Engine Optimization plans so that their sites can be the first hits that come up when you search for something. For example, when I typed "shoes" into Google, the first hits that came up were links to DSW, Famous Footwear, Vans, and more. This is one of the top digital marketing tactics used to bring more consumers/visitors to websites.

2. Why is digital marketing important? Simple -- The entire world is connected by the Internet. Before media and the Internet, the scope of any brand was simply the market that they were immediately able to reach, unless they had accrued a lot of money and resources to be able to expand to a larger market over time. Now, the largest market is accessible at the touch of your fingertips, and markets can easily include people from all demographics.

3. Who is involved in digital marketing? Pretty much any business/organization/entity that really wants to see their image or brand grow to a wide audience and reach the most people takes part in digital marketing. Even social media influencers that you see on your Instagram feed use digital marketing to promote themselves and grow their following. Within a business or organization, this is usually handled by the Public Relations department.

4. When and Where do digital marketing happen? I saved the best for last. The beauty of digital marketing is that it can happen whenever you're able to put out a quick post or send out an email, so basically at your personal convenience, and from the easy accessibility of your phone or laptop! These two aspects are why you should get started on your digital marketing journey ASAP.

Now, I'll detail some key similarities and differences between digital and traditional marketing so you can get the hang of them even more!

Cover Picture Citation

Venn Diagram Created by Jiya Jhonsa