Digital Marketing Types: Top 12 Digital Marketing Types You Should Know
Updated on Jun 02, 2023 | 11 min read | 5.5k views
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Updated on Jun 02, 2023 | 11 min read | 5.5k views
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As of January 2021, almost 4.66 billion population worldwide are active internet users. Most people rely on the internet to gather knowledge about a product or service, preferring an educated purchase. Such consumer behaviour has paved the way for a vital business optimisation strategy called Digital Marketing. It has helped businesses to reach out to their target audience in a measurable and cost-efficient manner, boosting customer-brand interaction.
But, do you know what digital marketing is or how many different types of digital marketing avenues are available? Read on to find out more about digital marketing types.
Digital marketing is any form of marketing that can be done online and is thus, also called online marketing. It includes various marketing strategies businesses use to reach out to their customer base online, using channels like email, social media, search engines, etc. Some common assets of digital marketing are:
If you are a beginner in digital marketing, and want to gain expertise, check out our digital marketing training from top universities.
Now that you have understood online marketing, we have mentioned different types of digital marketing.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The global SEO market growth is expected to reach USD 122.11 billion in 2028 (Source). As the market is increasing, so is the industry growth for professionals.
SEO is a critical digital marketing strategy where content is created specially, ensuring search engines (like Bing, Yahoo, Google, etc.) rank the content page highest. You can ensure higher ranks by putting specific phrases and keywords in the content to increase organic traffic on your page. Websites, infographics, and blogs highly benefit from SEO.
You can approach SEO in any of the following ways:
SEO professionals utilise the tools in order to drive growth. Only basic knowledge of SEO is not sufficient until one understands the efficient functions of SEO as well. Some of the tools required for the SEO are as mentioned below-
As we already know that SEO is considered one of the types of online marketing. That helps in business growth and helps in achieving the final aim that the businesses want to achieve.
The demand for SEO professionals is high, which contributes to numerous job roles available in the role. Some of these job roles are mentioned below –
Some of the technical and non-technical skills required for SEO professionals are as below –
2. Content Marketing
A simple strategy where marketing teams create and promote different content aimed at lead generation and sales. These content pieces can range from blogs, infographics, and ebooks to videos or images with SEO-heavy and user-friendly content to attract potential customers.
Here are a few examples of content marketing:
Content Marketing is king. Marketers use content to build their brands. They utilise articles, blogs, videos and more in order to give away their message. The marketers believe the brands engage more customers and increase brand awareness.
Some of the benefits of Content marketing are as follows –
The strategy to go about content marketing is
3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
SMM strategy uses social media for a product, brand, or content promotion. This strategy is applied via platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., and is helpful in driving traffic and enhancing brand awareness. Brands can execute SMM through paid ads or organic content creation on social media platforms. This strategy is effective due to higher engagement.
Some examples are:
Social Media Marketing is one of the successful digital marketing types in the industry. Some of the benefits of Social Media Marketing are
Why do brands take advantage of social media marketing?
4. Pay Per Click (PPC)
PPC strategy uses paid advertising to divert traffic to a website. The process is relatively straightforward, where every time the advertisement is clicked, a fee is charged. Google is perhaps the most common PPC type, enabling paid option to use the top slots of its search engine.
Other examples of PPC marketing are:
Why do brands use PPC marketing?
Benefits of using PPC marketing –
Process involved in PPC marketing –
5. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
SEM is SEO’s paid version, which allows a brand to purchase an ad space that pops up on SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). Such results can be identified with a tiny ‘Ad’ sign before the URL. Another popular SEM service provider is Bing Ads.
Why do brands use SEM?
Benefits of using SEM
6. Email Marketing
Emails are a vital digital marketing asset companies can use to stay connected to their audience and promote their content, events, etc. Sending customised newsletters to the consumers or offering them special discounts based on their purchase history are also forms of email marketing.
Some examples of email marketing are:
Benefits of using Email Marketing
Brands that use Email Marketing
7. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an execution-based advertising strategy where content producers receive a commission for promoting a service or product on your website. Their commissions are based on the number of conversions they generate for your products. It can be perceived as a newer variant of influencer marketing, where influencers drive traffic toward your website.
Some examples of affiliate marketing include:
Benefits of using affiliate marketing
Brands using Affiliate Marketing
8. Inbound Marketing
A buyer’s journey has three crucial steps, which are:
Inbound marketing strategy ensures consumers’ engagement in these three stages by curating interesting content. Attracting a consumer with relevant content, engaging through communication and customer service, followed by delighting a consumer through unique experiences are the three steps to inbound marketing. Inbound marketing is based on working with, not against, a consumer.
Some examples include:
Inbound Strategy
9. Instant Messaging Marketing
Want to reach out to a consumer in the fastest way possible? Instant Messaging Marketing is the perfect option. You can traditionally send the message (cell phones) or use any direct message feature of social media applications (WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc.). This simple strategy can be ideal for introducing the audience to new products, flash sales, order updates, etc.
Effective ways for instant messaging –
Brands that use instant messaging –
10. Virtual Reality Marketing
VR Marketing lets users gather an audience for a brand through the service’s immersive experience using technological hot fields to attract potential customers. For example, IKEA uses VR marketing to give its customers an idea of how furniture would look in their houses.
Benefits of using Virtual Reality Marketing
11. Email Marketing
Email Marketing can be used to generate sales, increase customer engagement, create brand awareness, and increasing customer loyalty.
Strategies for email marketing –
Benefits of using email marketing –
12. Viral Marketing
It is a sales technique that includes word-of- mouth information about any product. The internet and reach of social media is helpful to increase the number of viral messages. The viral messages can be reached in the form of memes, likes, shares, forwards, etc.
Benefits of using viral marketing –
Brands using viral marketing –
If your goal is to become a digital marketing expert, you should learn digital marketing on upGrad, which offers an Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing and Communication.
This course runs for about 32 to 50 weeks, during which you learn about Marketing Analytics, SEO, SEM, and much more. Here are a few program highlights:
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