Digital marketing is a key driver of business growth. It’s not just a fad, but an essential activity for anyone who wants to build a successful business online.
Your competitors are only one click away, so it’s vital to know which channels to use and how to use them. You don’t want to keep gifting potential leads away.
With the right strategy you can become a digital marketing ninja who outmanoeuvres the competition in both category and region, meeting customers precisely where they are.
In this article you will learn what digital marketing is, the benefits and challenges of marketing online, the different types of digital marketing channels, and how to develop a digital marketing strategy that delivers results.
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing is the promotion of products and services through digital channels, including web and mobile. It utilises a wide range of tools and technologies to gain market insights, develop strategy, build brand awareness and generate sales.
PPC Advertising, Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media, Email and SMS are all effective forms of digital marketing, helping businesses attract customers and build lasting relationships.
The Benefits of Digital Marketing
A good digital marketing strategy will achieve the following outcomes:
- Insight. Gain deeper insights about your customers and the market(s) you serve, helping you make more strategic decisions.
- Awareness. Increased awareness of your brand, products and services.
- Positioning. A clear brand position within your sector and region.
- Leads. A consistent flow of fresh leads, coming from multiple sources.
- Sales. Increased sales via your website, apps and third-party channels.
The Challenges of Digital Marketing
There are a few challenges inherent in digital marketing that you should be aware of. These include:
- Overwhelm. Not knowing which platforms to use or the best practices can leave marketers feeling confused and overwhelmed.
- Competition. Competition is high online in most categories, so cutting through the noise in a cost effective way can be difficult.
- Time wasting. Marketing can take up a lot of time and resources, especially for inexperienced marketers who are unsure about what they are doing.
- Wasted money. Investment is required to learn which initiatives and which campaigns will be successful for your business, leading some marketers to burn through cash.
- Frustration. Trying really hard to market your business and seeing no results for your efforts makes many business owners want to quit.
Types of Digital Marketing Channels
Digital marketing channels are the platforms used to promote products, services and brands online, each reaching different audiences and requiring specific skills to implement.
Here are the key digital marketing channels you can use to build awareness, generate leads, and drive sales online:
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of optimising your website and content to improve visibility and rankings on search engines (eg. Google). It involves keyword research, content creation, site speed enhancement, and link building, all with the aim of ranking higher in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and attracting more organic (unpaid) traffic.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) aims to boost visibility in Search Engines through paid advertising (Pay-Per-Click/PPC) and capture high-intent users who are actively searching for products, services and information. The process involves keyword research, ad creation, and auction bidding, offering precise targeting and quick results.
Content Marketing
Content Marketing is a strategic approach to creating and distributing a variety of content online including blogs, videos, podcasts, and infographics. The goal is to establish authority, gain trust and build a defined audience, with content that is valuable, relevant, shareable and targeted.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing uses platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with audiences, build communities, increase brand awareness and generate sales. Through publishing engaging content, running targeted ads, and interacting with followers, marketers can achieve key strategic objectives like awareness, leads, website traffic and sales.
Email Marketing
Email Marketing is the process of using email to capture contact information, connect with potential customers, nurture leads, promote products and generate sales. It may be considered old-school, but it’s still an incredibly effective way to build trust and increase customer loyalty.
SMS Marketing
SMS Marketing uses text messages (Short Message Service) to send alerts, promotions and reminders to users who have opted-in to the service. It is a direct and personal communications channel that offers high open rates and greater control than third-party platforms.
4 Steps to Start Digital Marketing
Now that you know what digital marketing is and the main channels that are used in digital marketing, let’s get started creating content.
Step1: Choose a topic. Pick a topic that’s closely related to your products, services and brand. What are you an authority in? What do you want to be known for? What’s your brand philosophy?
Step 2: Write a long-form article. Write a long-form article on the topic with the aim of creating the definitive guide. Include any information or assets that will maximise the value of this piece of content, including photos, data, tables or illustrations. Make sure to inject your brand personality and aesthetic into the article then publish it on your blog.
Step 3: Make a long-form video. Now, take the content you have written and create a long-form video version for YouTube. Make it as extensive, informative and entertaining as you possibly can.
Step 4: Break it down and share it around. Once you’ve done the heavy lifting you can take little snippets of the content to create shorts, reels and graphics that are easy to consume and share. Post them to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and any other social media accounts you have. This extends the reach of each piece of content and increases the likelihood that people will dive deeper into the full article.
There’s a lot of skill and strategy that goes into digital marketing, but if you can get over that first hurdle of producing a piece of content you’re on your way.
Best Digital Marketing Books
There are many great books on digital marketing. These are some of our favourites to get you started:
- Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller
- Digital Marketing Strategy, Simon Kingsnorth
- Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice, by Dave Chaffey and Fiona Ellis-Chadwick
- Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, by Gary Vaynerchuk
- Shoot The HiPPO: How to be a killer Digital Marketing Manager, by Tom Bowden & Tom Jepson
- Epic Content Marketing, by Joe Pulizzi
- Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, by Al Ries and Jack Trout
- Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, by Seth Godin
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, by Al Ries and Jack Trout
- Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin
Digital Marketing Quotes
“Content is fire; social media is gasoline.” – Jay Baer
“Traditional marketing talks at people. Content marketing talks with them.” – Doug Kessler
“It’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.” – Douglas Warner III
“When creating content, be the best answer on the internet.” – Andy Crestodina
“In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.” – Doug Warner
“Inspiration is the most important part of our digital strategy.” – Paull Young
“Quit counting fans, followers, and blog subscribers like bottle caps. Think instead about what you’re hoping to achieve with and through the community that actually cares about what you’re doing.” – Amber Naslund
“Speak to your audience in their language about what’s in their heart.” – Jonathan Lister
“Content is the key because it’s how a website creates an online experience.” – Adam Audette
“Marketers need to build digital relationships and reputation before closing a sale.” – Chris Brogan
“The modern marketer is an experimenter, a lover of data, a content creator, a justifier of ROI”. – Kim Walsh
Frequently Asked Questions
Starting out with digital marketing can be quite daunting, but once you get into it, it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of running a business. We typically recommend writing a long-form blog post to help crystallise your thinking and create a resource that you keep sending traffic to. This piece of ‘pillar content’ should hold value, no matter what trends come and go in your industry.
Digital marketers spend their time researching, creating, implementing, managing, measuring and optimising campaigns to strengthen a company’s online presence. They use a variety of tools, channels and tactics to reach a target audience and capture market share.
If you have the budget and want to improve your marketing results, hiring a digital marketing agency is a great idea. Koi Labs brings our deep insights and experience to your business, ensuring you get the outcomes you are aiming for.
Conclusion
Digital marketing is a key driver of business growth. There are many marketing channels available, including free and paid platforms, for you to promote your products, services and brand.
Your competitors are only one click away, so it’s vital to meet customers where they are and establish clear brand positioning.
If you master the basics of digital marketing and stay consistent with it, you will build brand awareness and trust, generate leads and drive sales for your business.