What is Digital Marketing? An introduction
After attending a two day summit filled with amazing speakers, intense sessions and more ideas than I could fit in a notebook, literally, I began to ponder the big question. What is digital marketing? What is the attraction to it, and how can it be used effectively by smaller companies? Could others benefit from a series written to address exactly this? How can I possibly condense my 50+ pages of notes into something cohesive, comprehensive and yet, digestible?
The first step, let’s define it.
Naturally, I went straight to social media and asked my tribe. In a group I regularly interact with, PromoKitchen #promochat, there are several digital marketers who jump in. We often share interesting ideas or strategies, fun gifs and complaints about how the world views us - like all we do is play with fun gifs. My tribe did not disappoint.
“To me, digital marketing is the collision point between the foundations of traditional marketing and the pressures of surviving in an ever-evolving digital-first society. It is the beating heart of your brand, and the strategies you choose to implement are often distinctly intertwined with your capacity to succeed.”
I love this description as it really exemplifies the idea of modern problems, the ongoing inundation of information and society’s constant interface with a screen. This requires modern solutions and innovative planning to reach the intended audience and all while staying true to the soul of the organization, the brand.
“Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the internet, including search engines, and social media and email, to connect with current and prospective customers!”
This is a great example as well. It is a comprehensive listing of all the forms digital can take. While each part plays a role, the entire group is what creates an effective execution.
Why Digital?
The reason I enjoy this world of digital marketing is that it is a perfect blend of art and science. You can create something so amazing and then follow its life and the way that it can influence a decision being made by a group or individual. The art is the media, and the science is the analytical way to track results, alter directions, and create change. It is a way of communication that is only limited by technology from connecting people across geographical, socioeconomic and demographic boundaries into a common community.
Digital Marketing is very broad, very new and very effective if done strategically. It’s the long game play to create a funnel of leads. This combined with addressing potential needs in the customer journey can result in increased revenue in a modern way. In this series, we will explore forms of digital marketing and ways to create and implement strategies to support your core business. Patience Neophyte, we’ll get there.
Coming next… Where do you start?