Digital marketing refers to using online channels such as email, social media and search engines to market products or services online. It can reach specific groups such as shift workers and travelers.
Traditional marketing methods are much harder to measure, such as tracking who clicks on your ads. With digital advertising, however, measurements become much simpler. You can see who clicks through on them!
Definition
Digital marketing involves using electronic devices to promote products and services. This type of promotion encompasses online advertisements, email campaigns, social media promotion and search engine optimization; among others. Digital marketing can be used to achieve various goals such as increasing website traffic, expanding customer outreach programs or generating additional revenues.
Digital marketing is an intricate field with many approaches and techniques available for it. Common techniques include SEO, PPC advertising and content marketing strategies which can be combined or utilized on their own to form a comprehensive digital marketing plan. However, digital marketing does have some challenges that must be considered such as implicit bias.
Origin
Marketing has always been an essential element of business, but digital marketing has revolutionized how companies promote their products. This innovative form of promotion stems from widespread use of computers and mobile phones.
Digital marketing was first invented in 1990 with the launch of Archie, the original search engine. Subsequently in 1993 came clickable web banner advertisements; and then with Yahoo in 1994, businesses utilized search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to rank higher in the search results. Also during this year, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools were designed and released allowing companies to track customer behavior more easily.
Goals
Digital marketing goals should be set with precision in order to help companies meet a specific objective, such as attracting new leads, increasing website traffic and sales, or improving social media engagement.
An organization might set itself the goal of increasing email subscribers by 2% over seven months, and evaluate customer data to discover that offering discounted coupons is an effective strategy to increase subscription rates.
SMART goals help businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses. This can improve internal communication by assigning tasks to those most qualified, while helping teams set work agendas, track progress and set realistic timelines for completion.
Methods
Digital marketing techniques involve using online tools like search engine optimization (SEO), paid social ads, and email to effectively reach the target audience of businesses.
Digital marketing, unlike traditional forms, allows for real-time tracking of results and provides an increased return on investment.
Building customer loyalty through artificial intelligence and augmented reality also helps you establish two-way dialogue. For instance, Sephora uses artificial intelligence and augmented reality to offer their customers memorable experiences that facilitate buying decisions while connecting to the company’s ecommerce platform, which makes purchasing products simple for customers.
Measurability
One common misperception about digital marketing is that it cannot be measured. While some techniques may be harder to track than others, digital marketers can still track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as blog articles published and click-through rates of emails sent.
Online activities can also be linked with sales to help marketers better understand the true value of their marketing efforts. Digital results tend to be readily available in real time compared to traditional advertisements, making data-driven decisions possible and optimizing strategies accordingly – ultimately leading to increased revenues for the business and thus justifying its existence as one of the primary advantages of digital over traditional forms of promotion.
Implicit bias
Implicit bias refers to any unconscious, negative attitude or stereotype towards a group or person that remains unsaid despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Research shows that implicit bias has an enormous influence on people’s perceptions and decisions.
One study involved participants reviewing photos of people and then answering trustworthiness questions about them. People with an implicit pro-white bias were more likely to say they trusted a picture featuring white people over one featuring black ones.
Marketing campaigns utilizing stereotypical images and messaging, such as advertisements relying on implicit bias can have disastrous results for brands’ potential growth and reputations. Thankfully, there are ways to combat implicit bias in digital marketing.