Features of Digital Marketing (Complete Guide for Beginners)

Digital marketing has become an essential part of modern business, with companies of all sizes using online channels to reach and engage with customers. From social media to email, there are many different ways to promote products and services online. In this blog post, we will provide a complete guide to the key features of digital marketing, helping beginners understand how it works and how to make the most of it.

We will explore topics such as interactivity, measurability, targeting, cost-effectiveness, personalization, and omnichannel reach and provide examples of how these features can be utilized to drive growth and success. Whether you are just starting out in the world of digital marketing or are looking to expand your knowledge, this blog post will provide valuable insights and actionable tips.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the use of digital channels, such as the Internet, social media, mobile apps, and other digital platforms, to promote products and services. It allows businesses to reach and engage with customers through a variety of online channels and track and measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

History of Digital Marketing

The history of digital marketing can be traced back to the early days of the Internet in the 1990s when the first banner ads were introduced. 

Since then, digital marketing has evolved significantly with the development of new technologies and platforms that have expanded the ways in which businesses can reach and engage with customers.

Who is the father of Digital Marketing?

It is difficult to identify a single “father” of digital marketing, as the field has evolved over time through the contributions of many individuals and organizations. 

However, some of the pioneers of digital marketing include pioneers such as Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web, and Marc Andreessen, who co-developed the first popular web browser, Mosaic. 

Other influential figures in the history of digital marketing include Bill Gates, who wrote an influential essay on the future of the internet in 1996, and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who developed the world’s most popular search engine.

Types of Digital Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the practice of optimizing a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages. This is done by including keywords and phrases relevant to what people are searching for and by making sure the website’s content and structure are optimized for search engines. 

For example, if you own a website for a local bakery, you would want to include keywords like “bakery,” “bread,” and “pastries” throughout your website’s content and metadata (such as the page titles and descriptions). You would also want to make sure your website’s code is clean and properly formatted and that it loads quickly.

You must remember that SEO is perpetually changing, so what used to be the best practice may have become outdated. That is why you must figure out which SEO technique should be avoided to ensure you are not implementing any outdated or black-hat SEO techniques prohibited by search engines.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC advertising involves placing ads on search engine results pages or other websites and paying each time a user clicks on an ad. Advertisers bid on keywords related to their products or services, and the ads are displayed to users who search for those keywords.

Also check: SEO vs PPC which is better? : Google Ads

For example, if you own a bakery and want to advertise your cookies, you could bid on the keyword “homemade cookies” and create an ad that appears when someone searches for that term.

Also check out PPC vs CPC : Tips in Choosing the Right Path for Business

Social Media Marketing 

Social media marketing involves using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote a product or service. This can be done through paid advertising or by posting engaging content and interacting with followers.

For example, if you own a bakery, you could post pictures of your baked goods on Instagram and share recipes and baking tips on your Facebook page.

Content Marketing 

Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. This can include blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and other types of content. The goal of content marketing is to provide valuable information that helps establish your business as an expert in your field and ultimately leads to more sales.

Also Check: Guest Posting: The Guide on How & Why Doing Guest Blogging

For example, if you own a bakery, you could create a blog post about the health benefits of different types of bread or a video showing how to make a popular recipe.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves using email to promote a product or service. This can be done by sending newsletters, promotional emails, or personalized messages to a list of subscribers. Email marketing is an effective way to stay in touch with customers and build brand loyalty.

For example, if you own a bakery, you could send a newsletter to your email list featuring new products, special offers, and recipes.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing involves partnering with social media influencers (people who have a large following on social media) to promote your products or services. Influencers can help reach a larger audience and increase brand awareness.

For example, if you own a bakery, you could reach out to a popular food blogger and offer to send them some of your baked goods in exchange for a review or shoutout on their social media channels.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards affiliates for each customer brought to it by the affiliate’s own marketing efforts. The benefit of affiliate marketing, earn a commission for each sale or lead you generate.

For example, if you own a bakery and want to use affiliate marketing, you could partner with food bloggers and have them promote your products on their websites. Whenever someone makes a purchase through a link on their site, the blogger earns a commission.

Video Marketing 

Video marketing involves using video to promote a product or service or to share a message with a target audience. This can be done by creating and sharing promotional videos or by using video platforms like YouTube to reach a larger audience. 

Also Check: 7 Ultimate Guide to Rank YouTube Videos in 2022

For example, if you own a bakery, you could create a video tour of your bakery and share it on your social media channels or on YouTube. You could also create recipe videos or tutorials showing how to make your baked goods at home.

Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing involves using mobile devices and apps to promote a product or service or to reach out to customers on the go. This can include creating mobile-optimized websites, sending text message promotions, or creating mobile apps. 

Also Check: Future of Mobile SEO: Top 10 Predictions and Trends

For example, if you own a bakery, you could create a mobile app that allows customers to place orders and track the status of their orders in real-time.

Marketing Automation

Marketing automation involves using software and other technology to automate and streamline marketing tasks and processes. This can include tasks like sending emails, posting on social media and tracking website analytics. The goal of marketing automation is to make marketing more efficient and effective by allowing businesses to scale their efforts without increasing the number of staff. 

For example, if you own a bakery, you could use marketing automation software to send promotional emails to your email list or to automatically post updates to your social media accounts.

Features of Digital Marketing

Interactive and immediate 

One of the main features of digital marketing is that it allows for two-way communication between businesses and customers. This means that customers can easily provide feedback, ask questions, and interact with a company in real time. 

For example, a customer can leave a review on a company’s Facebook page or tweet at a company to ask a question. The company can then respond to the customer’s comment or question in real-time, creating an interactive and personalized experience.

Measurable

Digital marketing efforts can be easily tracked and measured using analytics tools. This allows businesses to see what is and isn’t working and make data-driven decisions about their marketing strategies. 

For example, a company can use Google Analytics to track the number of visitors to its website, the sources of that traffic, and how long visitors stay on the site. This data can help the company identify which marketing channels are most effective and make changes to improve the performance of its marketing efforts.

Targeted

Digital marketing can be highly targeted, allowing businesses to reach specific groups of customers based on factors such as location, interests, and demographics. 

For example, a company can use targeted Facebook ads to reach users who have expressed an interest in a specific product or service or who are located in a particular geographic area.

Cost-effective

Digital marketing can be much more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, as it allows businesses to reach a large audience without incurring significant upfront or ongoing expenses. 

For example, a company can create a social media account and use it to reach thousands of potential customers at no cost or create a Google AdWords campaign to reach specific groups of customers with targeted ads.

Personalized

Digital marketing allows businesses to personalize their marketing efforts and deliver customized experiences to individual customers. This can be done through the use of cookies, retargeting, and other personalized marketing techniques. 

For example, a company can use cookies to track a customer’s browsing history and show them ads for products they have previously shown an interest in.

Omnichannel

Digital marketing can be conducted across a wide range of channels, including social media, email, websites, and mobile apps. This allows businesses to reach customers wherever they are and on the devices they use most.

Also Check: Instagram SEO Guide: 9 Latest Tips to Improve Your Reach

For example, a company can send emails to customers, post updates on social media, and use its website and mobile app to provide information and interact with customers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, digital marketing is a vast and dynamic field that involves the use of a variety of online channels to promote products and services. Key features of digital marketing include interactivity, measurability, targeting, cost-effectiveness, personalization, and omnichannel reach. There are many different types of digital marketing, including social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click advertising, to name a few. By understanding and utilizing the features and types of digital marketing, businesses can effectively reach and engage with customers online and drive growth.