A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing campaigns leverage electronic devices to deliver promotional messaging. Digital marketing is most commonly used to describe advertising campaigns that run on a computer, phone, tablet, or other electronic devices. Display ads and social media posts are just a few examples of the various formats it can take. Digital marketing is frequently contrasted with “conventional marketing”, which includes billboards, magazine ads, and direct mail.

What is Digital Marketing?

The promotion of brands via the internet and other digital communication channels is known as digital marketing. This comprises text and multimedia messages as well as email, social media, and web-based advertising as a marketing channel. In essence, a marketing effort is considered to be digital marketing if it uses digital communication.

To reach customers, digital marketing employs a variety of tactics. Goals can include: Increasing purchase behaviour, raising brand awareness, or even increasing engagement with the brand. 

Digital marketing is ever-evolving. For instance, the growing range of wearable technology available to customers offers new marketing options. Forbes predicts that video content will be improved for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. Moreover, email marketing will become even more targeted. Lastly, social media in the B2B area will become more conversational.

Why Does Digital Marketing Matter?

Over the past few years, the marketing industry has transformed. This is due to the rapid advancement of technology and the exponential growth of the digital network. The need for new tools and resources for online marketing and product promotion is significantly greater today. Digital marketing has been instrumental in achieving this. Numerous businesses are utilising digital marketing to create a sizable quantity of revenue.

Types of Digital Marketing

While there is a myriad of strategies available, here are some of the most efficient and commonly used mediums.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

SEO is the practice of writing material in a way that search engines like Google would rank it highly on the results page. 

Google employs algorithms to determine how pertinent your page is to the user’s search terms. Since these algorithms are continuously updated, SEO tactics must also be modified frequently to remain effective.

When done correctly, SEO activities will position your page at the top of search engine results pages and increase organic traffic. This will also help to increase your brand visibility. 

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) 

SEM refers to the technique of marketing a company employs through paid ads that display on search engine results pages (SERPs). Advertisers place bids on terms that users of search engines like Google would use when looking for specific goods or services. This gives them the chance for their ads to show up alongside search results for those keywords.

These advertisements, also referred to as pay-per-click advertisements, come in a variety of formats. Some are brief, text-based adverts, while others, like product listing ads, are more visual. Product-based marketing allows customers to see key details, such as pricing and reviews quickly. 

SEM gives businesses the chance to display their ads to consumers who are prepared to buy at the exact moment. These advertisements also use retargeting, enabling marketing automation technologies to create tailored cross-platform ads in response to the customer’s behaviour.

Display Advertising

Display advertising is the process of promoting a good or service using visuals like photos and videos on publisher websites like the Google Display Network.

Banner, picture, and text display adverts are posted on pertinent third-party websites. Display advertising, which broadly refers to all visual advertisements presented on websites, can be broken down into three main categories:

1. Site placement advertising: The advertiser selects the website they want to run their display ads on
2. Contextual advertising: Ads are displayed on relevant websites, such as an ad for pet supplies on an animal adoption site
3. Remarketing: Ads are placed in front of users who have visited your site but have left without making a purchase

Content Marketing 

To raise brand awareness, content marketing uses narrative and information sharing. The ultimate objective is to persuade the reader to become a client. This can be done by asking for more details, joining an email list, or completing a purchase. In addition to blog entries, “content” can also refer to podcasts, digital videos, and other resources. In general, it should put the needs of the customer first and foremost, rather than focusing solely on brand promotion or trying to close a deal. Instead of focusing solely on closing a deal, content marketing aims to establish a long-lasting, trustworthy relationship with your audience.

Social Media Marketing

A frequently asked question: Is social media and digital marketing the same? They are actually related terms, but do not mean the same thing! Digital marketing is a broader umbrella term for marketing activities, including social media. Social media is a form of digital marketing. 

Social media brings a completely new level of engagement when compared to other media channels such as print and TV. You may actually interact with your customers rather than just blasting messages to a large audience. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Snapchat are just a few of the many channels available. Almost all businesses ought to have accounts on at least a few of these social networks. 

Social Media Marketing also has high conversion rates, and marketing efforts would increase as more people engage with your content. Engagement can be in the form of “likes”, “comments” “shares” and “saves” on your posts. 

Here are two types of social media marketing:

1. Organic Social Media Marketing

Organic social media marketing does not include sponsored advertising. In order to grow and interact with an online audience, it makes use of free social media technologies. This includes Facebook groups and page posts. As a brand, organic posts on your account can reach out to:

• A portion of your followers
• Your followers’ followers if they share your post
• Users who follow the hashtags you use
  

This is the best way to form a connection with your customers. Brands often use organic social to:

• Establish brand personality
• Share informative and entertaining content to increase engagement
• Support consumers at every stage of their purchase journey

2. Paid Social Media Marketing

Paid social media marketing occurs when businesses pay social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, to promote their material. 

Moreover, Facebook and Instagram Ads allow you to specifically target your customer segments and convey your message to your target audience. These ads can either be “boosted” from organic content, or a unique creation solely for promotion.

Brands often use paid social to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Market a new product, service or an event
• Draw more followers, eventually raising sales revenue
• Target specific audience segments 

Combining paid and organic social media techniques is the most effective way to interact with and grow your follower base. This is done while simultaneously expanding the reach of your business to new audiences.

Email Marketing 

Email Marketing makes use of customised emails to inform your email list about your products or services. There are over 4 billion active email users around the world. It is one of the most efficient digital marketing methods, although it may appear outdated as instant messaging is preferred. 

It can also be used to persuade your email list to carry out a certain activity. This includes making a purchase, scheduling a demo, signing up for a trial, or signing up for an event. Remaining in contact regularly with your email list helps to forge relationships and enhances customer loyalty. Additionally, you may communicate with your subscribers despite any algorithm changes.

Benefits of Digital Marketing

The top advantages of digital marketing include:

• Global and local reach: Since the internet is used, brands can reach out to a vast number of consumers, both globally and locally
• Cost-effective: Most strategies would not incur costs, such as content marketing, SEO and organic social
• Measurable results: Platforms such as Google Analytics allows for tracking of performance of marketing efforts. You can then find out if your strategies have been successful, and carry on those activities.
• Improved conversion rates: Together with tracking the performance, you can evaluate where sales are maximised and target these consumers
• Increase social currency: Increasing your online presence, which in turn raises brand awareness. This eventually leads to an increase in revenue
• Two-way interaction: Brands can interact with potential consumers either through commenting on a post, or messaging them. This allows consumers to convey their interest in a brand

Why Digital Marketing is Effective 

For many people today, screen time is at an all-time high. This reality is exploited by digital marketing, which advertises business goods and services online. By focusing on customers where they spend the majority of their time, the likelihood of business’ marketing efforts will be effective, increases.

How to Get Started with Digital Marketing

Kickstart your journey as a digital marketer by signing up for Vertical Institute’s beginner-friendly Digital Marketing Course. You do not need to have a degree in digital marketing, nor any background to enrol in this course. Learn digital marketing skills for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google (SEO, SEM) and more from expert digital marketers in Singapore. You will also gain hands-on experience by executing their own digital marketing campaign – while receiving expert guidance.

Besides digital marketing, Vertical Institute also offers UX Design and Data Analytics courses in Singapore. These are some tech skills that are highly in-demand today and will be helpful for your digital marketing career.

About Vertical Institute

Vertical Institute prepares individuals for the jobs of tomorrow. We specialise in teaching in-demand skills, building the next generation of changemakers and inventors through our world-class tech courses and certifications. 

Singaporeans and PRs can receive up to 70% IBF Funding off their course fees with Vertical Institute. The remaining fees can be claimable with SkillsFuture Credits or NTUC UTAP Funding.