By now you are aware of digital marketing and the value of using it in your business. Today, however, I will define the terms involved and then I will discuss some important digital marketing facts you should know for your online service business. I will discuss how to effectively use digital marketing in part 2 of this article.
Defining Digital Marketing
I want to first define several terms as I start to unravel what digital marketing is and what you need to understand about it so that you can use it in your business.
Define Marketing First
It is necessary to comprehend what marketing means for your business before I can explain digital marketing to you.
Marketing, defined by the AMA (American Marketing Association) is “Marketing is the practice of identifying and satisfying customer needs.” They go on to say…
“…successful marketing efforts can drive leads and conversions.“
I would refine that a little more and my definition would be:
“Marketing is the act of reaching the right group of people (your ideal prospective clients) or businesses with your brand’s messaging expressing how you can improve their lives or businesses lives through the use of your products or services.”
tammy
The Origin of Digital Marketing
While I was researching facts for this article (yes, I do research for you <wink>) I also came across the origin of digital marketing and thought it was relevant to share with you.
“With the explosion of digital technology, including the widespread use of computers and smartphones, businesses began to experiment with new marketing tactics—which is the origin of digital marketing.”
Digital Marketing Defined
As we move on to defining the topic of this article, digital marketing, let me introduce you to a very well-known name in the industry (if you do not already know him), Neil Patel. He made his fortunes
I rather enjoy Neil Patel and his information so I wanted to share how he defines digital marketing:
“Simply put, it’s a method for promoting your business online using digital channels.“
neil patel
Digital Channels Included In Digital Marketing
There are numerous forms of digital channels. I could provide hundreds but I will keep it simple and related to online service businesses for the most part.
Limited List of Digital Channels:
Below is the partial list of digital channels I promised. As I said I could list hundreds of possible digital channels but these are most relatable for those who are an online service business.
- Ads – money spent on digital platforms attempting to reach your audience.
- Apps – mobile applications to help you deliver content to your favorite platforms to reach your audience. May also be an app that is designed for your brand so your clients/customers can use it to interact with you and/or your products.
- Blogging Platforms – can be third-party platforms that host blogs for others. Medium is an example.
- Email Marketing Platforms – software programs that help you deliver emails regularly to your warm prospective leads.
- Landing Pages – temporary or sales website pages to promote a product, service, or event usually for a specific length of time only.
- Social Media Platforms
- X (formerly Twitter)
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Website – your brand’s digital footprint online. This is one of your most important channels because you own it! It consists of pages and for you online services providers it usually consists of home, about, services (and possibly digital products), free offers (or opt-in), and testimonials (although the more up-to-date thing is to post reviews and testimonials splashed on different pages highlighting the services or copy on the page).
Digital Marketing – Is Content Still King
Digital marketing is all about content. They say, “Content is king, ” and yes, it still is true today! You need to produce content, content, and more content if you want to have the opportunity to show up well online.
What Is Content?
Here I go again, definitions. Wait, don’t stop reading yet, let’s do a quick dive into the meaning of content.
My Definition:
Content is any form of media including but not limited to text, photos, videos, audio, and more. Content is used in digital marketing to help deliver your message, get the word out about your brand, create how-to articles and videos, and present your offer to your audience.
fearless business boss
Another, yet similar definition from SEM Rush:
“Digital content can include text, images, audio, video, animations, interactive features, and more. This type of content can be used for various purposes, such as entertainment, education, communication, marketing, and e-commerce . Some examples of digital content include: E-books, blogs, articles, and newsletters.”
Forms Of Effective Content For Digital Marketing
Effective content related to digital marketing includes many options today, as my list above demonstrates. I will take each of these and discuss them further one at a time in part 2 of the series. Therefore, you can decide on the best approach for your brand when you digitally market it.
- Appearances – guest appearances on others’ podcasts, videos, and blogs will help you reach a potential new audience. Not to mention shine a bright light on your brand.
- Email Marketing
- SEO Blogging
- Social Media
- Website
In part 2 or this series, we will dig further into appearances, email marketing, SEO blogging, social media, and websites. Join me for the second half of this article next time.
Until then, here’s to your continued success,
