I bet Digital Marketing is not at all a new word for you. Some of your friends are working in this field, or some are studying in the area to work as digital marketers. So you might be already aware of what is digital marketing. As basic as it might sound, we have been living in the era of digital marketing for more than a decade now. And let me assure you that it isn't going anywhere. The field is in-demand right now and will continue to be in the coming years till we'll be using the internet.
This blog will be your complete guide on what is digital marketing and its various elements. Let's begin with understanding what is digital marketing.
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing comprises all the marketing and advertising strategies performed with the help of the internet. It means using digital mediums like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, etc., to reach the target audience of the brand. Suppose you want to purchase headphones and decide to order them online. Now as soon as you googled your requirement, certain brands pop up on your screen in the top results of search engines. And, within a few minutes of browsing, you just purchased one headphone.
Now, what do you think about how these brands reached you on your phone? Well, the answer is via Digital Marketing. These brands made sure to optimize their online content to reach the right audience at the right time.
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Types Of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing consists of various elements and components. In this what is digital marketing guide, we'll see few of the top types of digital marketing.
- SEO - Search Engine Optimization
As the word depicts, SEO is optimizing your content for search engines. To explain, SEO is the process of content optimization to rank it higher on the search result page. Like Google, other search engines use a set of algorithms to decide the rank on the result page. Utilizing SEO correctly makes sure that your content ranks higher than your competitors.
- Pay-Per-Click
With increasing competition on the internet, brands don't rely on organic traffic only. That's when PPC comes into the picture. PPC is paid ads that appear on the top of the results page. These ads have labeled "Ads" in front of them. In these types of Ads, the advertiser is required to pay only when someone clicks on your ad and is redirected to your landing page.
- SMM - Social Media Marketing
As can be guessed by the name, social media marketing is leveraging social media platforms to promote the brand's product/ service. Compared to traditional media, which is TV and print, today's audience is most engaged with social media apps. Creating content for social media platforms can help brands reach more of their target audience at a lower cost. Various famous social media apps to target are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and much more.
- Email Marketing
Many marketers assume that in the world of social media platforms, Email marketing is dead, and the truth is quite the opposite. Email marketing, if done right, can help you to convert, increase web traffic, interact with the audience, and much more. Email marketing is sending promotional and informational emails to the targeted audience to keep them updated on the brand's activity.
- Influencers Marketing
Influencer marketing is promoting the brand's products/services by partnering with celebrities, influencers, and experts in the field. This type of marketing helps the brands to reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. When influencers with a huge following will recommend your product on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, etc., their followers will be excited to try your products as well.
- Video Marketing
Nowadays, the most preferred form of content among the audience is a video as the information can be easily consumed by them as compared to written or image format. As a brand, one can create short-form or long-form video content, which can provide either educational or entertaining content. Using video to convey your message may be powerful since it engages the viewer emotionally and is much more remembered than just words or even a photo.
- Content Marketing
The information that can help consumers solve their issues or satisfy their desires is in high demand. So, when customers need to make a choice, they will turn to your brand since they will assume a position of authority in the market. And that is the main focus of content marketing.
This strategy entails providing your audience with answers to their queries through insightful content. Blogs, social media, emails, and other platforms can all be used for it.
- Viral Marketing
Anyone can become a web sensation in the modern day if they provide amazing stuff that consumers cannot afford to miss. A range of genres or topics, such as travel and food, beauty, online journalism, etc., can be covered in this content, which can take any form, including videos, blog posts, etc.
Even though there is no guaranteed technique to make content go viral, this type of digital marketing can produce brief but notable increases in site traffic or the number of individuals who are interested in your company. One can research and know what is viral marketing and how to create viral content. These were the top types of digital marketing. Now that you know what is digital marketing and the types of digital marketing, let's see what are the skills required to enter this field.
Digital Marketing Skills Required
Every job has specific skill requirements, which typically include both "hard" and "soft" talents. The same applies to digital marketing. In this what is digital marketing blog, let's quickly see what are some of the digital marketing skills required. The following are the general skills necessary, no matter which component of digital marketing you select.
- Spreadsheets - You don't necessarily have to be an Excel genius, but you should be familiar with spreadsheets and Google sheets. You'll probably use sheets because they help organize analytics data and build content calendars. Just know the basics, and you will be good to go.
- Google Tools - Google is the most used and preferred search engine among the audience. And therefore, any digital marketer should know about Google tools, Ads, campaigns, keywords, etc.
- Digital Marketing Metrics - There are hundreds of different metrics in digital marketing. But a few common ones are being used in your team consistently. You must know about them, like bounce rate, CTR, conversion rate, CRO, and others.
- Branding- If you work in digital marketing, you'll represent a company's face on social media, through content marketing, or at conferences. It's crucial to have a strong online presence that demonstrates your professionalism and degree of engagement in an online world.
- Knowledge Of Automation - The art of marketing automation involves developing automatic duties for website users to help marketers save time. Understanding how to set up forms, design landing pages, and launch drip campaigns is crucial for nurturing website visitors into paying clients.
Let's see a few of the soft skills that are required in this what is digital marketing blog:
- Communication - As a digital marketer, you would be required to conversate with the social media team, SEO team, content team, etc. Strong communication will help you to derive your preferred results faster.
- Multi-Tasking - As mentioned, digital marketing is a dynamic field. One must be ready to juggle between different roles and look into different components of digital marketing for the brand.
- Creativity - In a world full of content, digital marketers should know how to create something different and guide the content team. They must also know how to promote the content in a unique way to receive the desired results.
- Persuasion - It's a marketer's responsibility to influence people's thinking. Indeed, it's in your best interest to become an expert salesperson! Yet this isn't only about making a hard sell; the ability to persuade may be equally crucial when building a strong brand image gradually or even while trying to convince your coworkers to support a fresh marketing idea.
- Planning - When a digital marketer creates a multi-phase plan that will be implemented over weeks or even months, all of these talents come together. Effective marketing strategies demand careful planning, a forward-thinking outlook, as well as an awareness of new trends.
These were only a few digital marketing skills, and there are numerous more on the list that can be learned by the individual over some time. With so much information about the field, and after understanding what is digital marketing, you now might be ready to know about making a career in digital marketing. We've outlined some of the careers in digital marketing below.
A Career In Digital Marketing
Whether you're into social media, SEO, or any other field, digital marketing has many career options. We'll see a few of the most in-demand careers below:
- Social Media Specialist
Individuals who love using social media apps can consider starting their careers in this field. A social media specialist is required to look after a brand's different social media accounts and manage them. They are responsible for understanding the algorithm of social media platforms and increasing brands' reach. The average salary in the field ranges from ₹ 2.0 Lakhs to ₹ 9.0 Lakhs.
- SEO Specialist
An SEO specialist is required to optimize the company's website for SERP. They are also required to optimize the content from the audience's point of view. Researching keywords and optimizing them also comes under their area of work. The average salary for the same is ₹ 1.8 Lakhs to ₹ 8.0 Lakhs.
- Digital Marketer
A digital marketer looks after all the campaigns and digital marketing strategies of the organization. They're responsible for managing social media, website, Ads, bringing traffic to the website, etc. Due to increased responsibility, the average salary of a digital marketer in India is ₹ 5 Lakhs to ₹ 12 Lakhs.
- Content Marketing Manager
The responsibilities of a content marketing manager involve running the blog, running drip marketing campaigns, writing copy for sales pages, publishing ebooks, blogging as a guest, using video marketing, emailing people, and doing a little PR. Content marketing managers should expect to make between ₹ 4 Lakhs to ₹ 10 Lakhs. An experience requirement of 3 to 5 years is necessary for this position.
- E-Commerce Specialist
E-commerce experts are skilled at placing the right buttons and writing appropriate descriptions for product sites. By doing this, businesses raise conversion rates and enhance the consumer experience. They also work together to define a lead generation and sales goals with marketing and sales teams. The average salary in the field is ₹ 3 Lakhs to ₹ 11 Lakhs, depending upon the years of experience. Other than the above-mentioned career options, one can select from any other field of digital marketing. Before ending the guide on what is digital marketing, let's talk about the future of digital marketing.
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The Future Of Digital Marketing
To be competitive in the ever-changing field of digital marketing, it is essential to have an excellent vision for the turns and twists your marketing journey will take. Only knowing what is digital marketing won’t be enough, one needs to know the trends in the digital marketing field. This involves fixing your sights on several years in the future rather than just the projection for the next six months.
Let's look at some of the expected advances and shifts that will occur in the next few years of digital marketing,
- Preference For Short Video Content
Over time, consumer patterns have undergone a significant shift. Yet, one thing has stayed the same: people don't want to watch advertising for long periods. As a result, short, concise, and memorable videos will need to be used in marketing campaigns.
- Live-Video Feature
When available, live videos draw a lot of user attention. Although common people are aware of this and have seized the opportunity to strengthen their brands, not enough brands have adopted the trend.
- Mobile Optimization
A lot of businesses have switched to mobile optimization in the past two years. Yet, in the future, mobile optimization is probably going to be even more crucial. According to some statistics, mobile devices account for more than half of all annual website traffic. Also, a mobile-optimized digital experience is crucial since millennials and Gen Z will have more purchasing power in the coming days.
Now, that we’ve covered what is digital marketing, its types, skills required, a career in the field, and the future the field owns, it’s time to wrap up this guide.
Conclusion
Digital marketing, basically, leverages all the possible options to connect the brand with its target audience. If you aspire to become a digital marketer, this blog will help you to know what is digital marketing and the fundamentals of digital marketing. There's no perfect guide to learning digital marketing in one go. An individual, whether a fresher or professional, needs to upskill on a regular basis to stay updated with digital marketing trends. In the same way, it is essential to know about all the important tools of the digital marketing field. One can practice tools and assignments by getting enrolled in the best digital marketing course.
