<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe answer to what is digital marketing has changed. Digital marketing in the early days of the Internet was significantly different than it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a big deal back in the 1990s when we watched a car commercial and noticed a web address underneath the company logo. That was when business leaders first realized that \u201cmarketing\u201d must include a digital component.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, SEO was much easier in the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you wanted to rank your site for a term like \u201cblue jeans\u201d back then all you had to do was stuff that term somewhere in your site as much as possible and include it in the title. You\u2019d probably rank towards the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some SEOs got clever by including a bunch of search terms in text at the bottom of the document (below the main content) so that the site would rank for multiple words and phrases. Some strategists look back at those times as \u201cthe good ol\u2019 days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The search engine developers quickly got wise to those tricks. That\u2019s when they added code to prevent people from manipulating their algorithms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advertising also changed quite a bit over the years. In the early days of AdSense, some advertisers complained that it served ads related to content rather than consumer demand. In 2004, Google allowed advertisers to opt out of the AdSense network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life got a little better for those advertisers in 2010, though. That\u2019s when Google started using a person\u2019s search history to offer up more relevant ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t just AdSense that evolved over the years, though. AdWords evolved as well with the addition of new features like remarketing, ad extensions, and click-to-call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online advertising in general has evolved over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, banner ads were thought to be a perfect way to reach people in a target market. Soon, though, webmasters noticed that people were just \u201ctuning out\u201d ads on the sidebar and at the top of a web page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So publishers started borrowing a page from the playbook of TV advertisers. They opted for \u201cinterruption marketing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some cases, webmasters started running pop-up ads that visitors literally couldn\u2019t miss. In others, they\u2019d run videos (complete with audio) that interrupt the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still other webmasters opted for a less intrusive way to monetize their site with the use of native ads. While native ads look like part of the content of a site, they\u2019re really content that\u2019s produced by an advertiser. They\u2019ve also grown in popularity over the last few years with companies like Taboola and Outbrainleading the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media marketing appeared just as soon as social media channels appeared. However, advertising on social media took some time to evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It really <\/em>evolved, though. Strategists who are looking to target a very specific group of people (based on interests and\/or demographics) can do so by running ads on social media channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Types of Digital Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs we\u2019ve seen, the concept of digital marketing encompasses a variety of specific marketing strategies. It\u2019s important to distinguish between all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a list of the various types of digital marketing and a brief description of how they\u2019re used today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Search Engine Optimization<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s often the case that when people want to learn more about a particular subject or buy something, they begin with an online search. That reality is gold for a lot of marketers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why? Because if they can put their brand at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs), they can pick up some additional business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, it\u2019s not often the case that websites appear at the beginning of the search results by accident. It\u2019s usually the result of a very careful (and sometimes expensive) effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That effort is called search engine optimization (SEO). It\u2019s a way that digital strategists \u201cconvince\u201d the search engines that their websites should rank high for one or more search terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like digital marketing, SEO is multi-faceted. There are numerous ways to optimize a site for the search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, Google has informed us about the three most important ranking factors. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Backlinks <\/strong>\u2013 links on other websites pointing back to the optimized site<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Content <\/strong>\u2013 easy-to-read articles that offers value to the visitor<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- RankBrain <\/strong>\u2013 Google\u2019s AI algorithm<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If you want to optimize your own site, you can\u2019t do a whole lot<\/em> about RankBrain. But you can start a campaign to add backlinks to your site and produce quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne of the best ways to add backlinks to your site is with guest-posting. Just reach out to non-competing bloggers and ask if you can post content on their site that\u2019s of value to their readers. Somewhere in that content, include the link to your own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you should practice good karma and return the favor by allowing the other blogger to post on your own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, add a blog to your own site and produce content that\u2019s of interest to people in your target market. That\u2019s called content marketing and we\u2019ll have more to say about content marketing a little later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should also practice on-site SEO. That means you take steps to ensure that the content and structure of your site is friendly to search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On-site SEO is a little more technical than some of the other aspects of SEO. For example, your articles should include an HTML <title> tag that includes the keyword you\u2019re trying to rank for. You should also include an <h1> tag in the content that matches the <title> tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s also good practice to ensure that you don\u2019t have any broken links on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve already got a large website and you really don\u2019t want to through every page to check for SEO blunders, you should enlist the aid of software like Screaming Frog. That tool will give you a report of everything that\u2019s wrong with your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another great way to optimize your site is with the aid of a sitemap. Basically, a sitemap is an XML representation of the way that the pages on your site link together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reason a sitemap is so valuable is because it makes it easier for search engines to traverse your site and index your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, content management systems like WordPress allow for plugins that make it a snap to add a sitemap to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should also add your site to Google Search Console. Once you\u2019ve done that, Google will inform you about what you can do to improve your website\u2019s search presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Google isn\u2019t the only search engine in town, you should also visit Bing Webmaster Tools and register your site there as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools offer helpful analytics about how well your site is performing in the search engines. You can use that information as feedback to help you strengthen your SEO efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Search Engine Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSearch engine marketing (SEM) is different than SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With SEO, you\u2019re earning traffic through unpaid listings in the SERPs. With SEM, you\u2019re buying <\/em>traffic with paid listings in the SERPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe unpaid listings are often referred to as \u201corganic\u201d results. That\u2019s because they appeared there naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paid listings, on the other hand, appear in the SERPs because you paid money to place them there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news about paid listings is that they\u2019re at the top<\/em> of the search results. So if you\u2019re looking for a short-cut to get your site to the very top of the SERPs, then you should consider SEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow much does SEM cost? That depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Usually, you\u2019ll run an SEM campaign by requesting that a search engine lists your site when people search for one or more keywords. How much your campaign will cost depends on the competitive nature of those keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, right now the suggested bid for \u201cblue jeans\u201d is $4.82. That means if you want to display your site in the SERPs when people search for \u201cblue jeans,\u201d it will cost you $4.82 every time one of those people clicks on your link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term \u201ctrs-80,\u201d on the other hand, will only cost you five cents per click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why the difference? Because \u201cblue jeans\u201d is much more competitive than \u201ctrs-80.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The downside to SEM isn\u2019t just the cost, though. SEM listings usually appear in designated spaces in the search results, so people often tune them out in favor of the organic (or more \u201cauthentic\u201d) results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, many brands to this day are using SEM to promote their products and services. They clearly view it as a value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Content Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs we\u2019ve seen, Google says that content is one of the top three ranking factors. That\u2019s why digital marketers are so gung-ho about content marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a nutshell, content marketing is about producing quality content on a blog that\u2019s designed for people in your target market. Then, when those people search for a term related to your industry, they\u2019ll stumble across your awesome article and learn more about your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unsurprisingly, some of the people who are best at using content marketing to promote their brand are digital marketers themselves. Just use Google to search for the phrase \u201ccontent marketing\u201d right now. The results list on the first page will show you a bunch of websites that are all about digital marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our company Ignite Visibility does a lot of content marketing. That is why we blog often here and on sites like Entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SEMRush will also let you know which keywords are bringing people to your competitors\u2019 sites. More importantly, you\u2019ll see which backlinks your competitors are using to help rank for those keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve established which keywords you want to rank for, it\u2019s time to develop some content around those keywords. It\u2019s usually best to produce one article for each unique keyword. That way, you\u2019ll have plenty of content on your blog and many more opportunities to rank your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a rule of thumb, you should include the keyword in your article title and first paragraph. Also, you should sprinkle it throughout the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be careful, though. You don\u2019t want to use the keyword too much in your content or you\u2019ll send a signal to the search engines that you\u2019re not playing by the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, it\u2019s a good idea to produce longform content. That\u2019s content at least 1,500 words in length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Social Media Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnother great way to promote your brand is with social media marketing (SMM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the best advantages of social media marketing is that it\u2019s free. Sure, you can run ads on various social media channels, but we\u2019ll cover that in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your goal when it comes to SMM can be summed up in one word: engagement<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen people comment on your post, share it, or \u201clike\u201d it, you\u2019re getting a response from people in your target market. That response helps you build trust with those folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than that, though, engagement helps you promote your business. That\u2019s because some of the social media sites (like Facebook) will use engagement to determine the \u201cpopularity\u201d of a post. Very popular posts, as you might have noticed, tend to get pushed to the top of people\u2019s feeds and get even more exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why you should post content on social media that helps your followers. Do that instead of just posting sales pitches and you\u2019ll go a long way in earning people\u2019s respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, it\u2019s also important to pick the right social media channels for your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you\u2019re running a company that relies heavily on visuals for promotion (a fashion company, as an example), then you should be active on image-centric social media channels like Instagram and Pinterest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Pay-Per-Click Advertising<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve already discussed one form of pay-per-click advertising: SEM. But that\u2019s not the only option out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media sites offer some of the best bang for your buck when it comes to advertising because you can run a campaign to an audience that\u2019s likely to be part of your target market. Just select who sees your ad based on demographics and interests and let it run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you can also run banner ads on websites as well. Just be sure to limit your advertising only to those sites most frequently visited by people in your market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Affiliate Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDid you know that you can make money by selling products without even carrying an inventory? You can, with affiliate marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some companies let you advertise their products on your website. If one of your visitors buys a product, you get a commission. It\u2019s that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, you have to get approved to become an affiliate marketer. Some brands don\u2019t want to be affiliated with certain types of websites (for obvious reasons).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Approval is usually pretty easy, though. You fill out an online application, submit your tax information, and wait for the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019re approved, you can start listing that company\u2019s products on your website and reap the rewards of your sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words: you can make money selling anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Email Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhy? Because it\u2019s more of a \u201cpush\u201d marketing strategy. You\u2019re communicating with individuals directly on a platform they check almost every day: their email inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important point to remember about email marketing, though, is that you should always secure permission from people before adding them to your email distribution list. Otherwise, you\u2019re just a spammer and will likely find that you do your brand more harm than good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you\u2019re marketing a line of beauty products, you could offer an e-book that\u2019s packed with makeup tips and tricks. Tell people that you\u2019ll happily send the e-book URL to their inbox in exchange for their email address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once they supply the email address, you can add them to your distribution list. Just be sure to let them know at some point during the transaction that they\u2019ll be added to the list and receive periodic emails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use email distributions lists to promote your business as you see fit. Provide links to great content that you\u2019ve created on your site, announce special offers, and tell people about new products in your product line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How Offline Marketing Integrates With Digital Marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough there\u2019s a stark difference between offline and online marketing, the two often work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One way that they work together is in showrooming. That\u2019s when people visit a store, find a product they like (for example, a sofa), then go home and go online and order the product at a discount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people practice the opposite of showrooming: webrooming. That\u2019s when consumers window-shop online for a product, find the one that they want, and then go visit a store that sells the product so they can touch it in real life and possibly buy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Savvy marketers know that people are showrooming and webrooming. That\u2019s why they pull out all the stops to make sure that their products are marketed both online and offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people also integrate SMM with their offline marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if a company is hosting an event, the organizers would create a hashtag for it. Then, they\u2019d promote that hashtag all over the place so that when people tweet about what\u2019s going on at the event, they\u2019ll use the hashtag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the event is crowded and lots of people are simultaneously tweeting about it, the hashtag is likely to make it into Twitter\u2019s trending topics. When that happens, even more people learn about the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marketers also integrate both worlds of marketing with the aid of custom URLs. They do that for two reasons: 1) to make the URLs memorable and 2) to track the effectiveness of the campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s how a custom URL can work in offline marketing. It offers consumers an easy-to-remember way to reach a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, the best way to integrate online and offline marketing is with consistent branding. The overall ambience of your business culture and your approach towards your customers should be consistent in your online and offline efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, you should use the same logo everywhere. Beyond that, though, the \u201ctone\u201d of your website design should match the way that you reach out to people in TV and radio ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>What is Digital Marketing? Now You Know<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDigital marketing, for most brands, is an absolute necessity in this day and age. Even local mom-and-pop shops that try to avoid any kind of online marketing are in danger of going out of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The challenge for most companies is that digital marketing is multi-threaded. That means it\u2019s important to hire a team of consisting of individuals who are experts in each of the various digital marketing components (email marketing, SEO, PPC, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This overview was only meant to give you the \u201cbig picture\u201d about digital marketing. It\u2019s not by any means an exhaustive overview of everything related to marketing online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that you know the basics, it\u2019s time to improve your digital reach. Go find some partners who can help you boost your brand online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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