Beginner’s Guide to Digital Marketing

Digital marketing, in its traditional definition, refers to marketing that involves electronic devices. The introduction of the internet and mobile devices shifted this definition to focus on any form of online marketing. This includes everything from email marketing to online content.

Types of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing encompasses all the various types of online marketing that play an important role in any brand’s success. Below we are highlighting four different types of digital marketing tactics that can help you succeed in the online marketing space:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

When consumers search for a specific product or service, they’re bombarded with hundreds of options and related responses. The key to getting those consumers to visit your website is to appear as high as possible in search engines.

SEO makes your websites, blogs and other content rank higher on search engine result pages, increasing site traffic. To effectively optimize your SEO strategy, you must anticipate which keywords your target audience will be using in search engines.

For example, if you’re a farmer who sells apples, using the keyword, “apple,” for your online content would connect you with thousands of consumers, but many of them would have been searching for the technology company, not produce. In this case, a large portion of the people directed to your site from that keyword would not be potential leads because they were looking for something completely different.

When it comes to keyword utilization, it’s about connecting with the right people, not the most people- quality over quantity.

By utilizing specific keywords that connect you with consumers who are looking for your specific product or service, you’ll be able to generate more traffic and potential leads.

2. Content Marketing

Content marketing drives site traffic and consumer engagement by creating helpful materials for your audience. These materials include everything from blog posts to infographics and ebooks. The goal is to produce documents that will help your consumers reach their goals, whatever they may be.

Here are a few tips for your site’s writing content:

• Understand the needs of your consumers and write content to address those needs
• Strong, effective content can help with your SEO strategy
• Focus on helping your reader find solutions rather than selling them a product.
• Include a call to action at the end of your piece to direct the reader to potential next steps

Done correctly, content marketing can increase brand awareness, leads, customers and traffic.

3. Email Marketing

Another way to engage with your customers and direct them to your site is through email marketing. These are messages sent to users’ inboxes to promote a product, service or online content.

The goal of email marketing is to engage your target audience and direct them to your site and turn them into leads. The effectiveness of a particular email campaign is measured by its click-through-rate (CTR), or the number of clicks links within your emails receive.

Many factors influence a campaign’s CTR such as the positioning of the link in the email, the time of day the email is sent and the length of the email.

You can improve and maximize your CTR by:

• Only sending relevant email newsletters. Don’t spam your consumers’ inboxes with too many messages.
• Including relevant, engaging content that contains multiple links throughout. A/B testing can help you find the right amount of links for your audience.
• Ensuring your call to action is clear and strong so your readers know what next steps you want them to take and how it will benefit them.

4. Social Media Marketing

The rise of social media has changed the ways brands advertise and connect with their followers. It makes the relationship between the brands and their consumers stronger and more personal.

Promoting content on social media can increase brand awareness and traffic while generating new leads for your company. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are some of the most popular social media platforms used to reach customers. Each platform offers a new way to connect with your audience.

Most social media platforms allow you to share content through a more visual or condensed medium. There are a variety of ways to tell a memorable story on social media using carousel ads or sponsored posts. Utilizing captivating and engaging content on social media platforms allows you to stand out to your consumers.

The Future of Digital Marketing

As people spend more time online, the importance and impact of digital marketing will continue to grow. Understanding the different tactics used in digital marketing and how to effectively engage your consumers online is fundamental to your future success.

At Bridge, we can help you navigate the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about how Bridge can maximize your company’s reach with digital marketing.