A Guide to Marketing in Today's Digital World

What Is Digital Marketing? A Guide to Marketing in Today's Digital World

Digital marketing is a hot topic in the world of business development and branding. It refers to the promotion and advertising of businesses and their brands through digital media channels, which include websites, social media, radio, television, mobile, and even non-digital media such as billboards and transit signs. Essentially, any electronically delivered marketing media falls under the umbrella of digital marketing, leaving only P2P marketing, print advertising, and direct marketing outside of it.

The shift to digital media is driven by marketing agencies, business owners, and consumers who demand quantifiable results. Digital media, including websites, social media, and mobile advertising, is easier to track than traditional marketing media such as print advertising.

For business owners, many forms of digital advertising are low cost alternatives to print advertising and direct mail, making them available to businesses of any size and helping even the playing field for start-ups, small businesses, and independent consultants seeking new business. To effectively market your business through low-cost digital channels, the foundation of your marketing efforts will be your website. 

It should adequately represent your business and brand, speak to your target audience, be found by searchers on top search engines, be up-to-date and easily navigable, provide multiple channels for customer communication, and connect to other marketing efforts. 

It is recommended that you work with a professional web design firm skilled in web development and search engine optimization. Once you have your website complete, launch regular monthly or bi-monthly e-mail campaigns and connect with customers via social media. You can set aside some digital marketing dollars for search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising to get aggressive with search marketing. 

Beyond e-mail, social media marketing, and search engine marketing, you can venture into a host of other digital marketing efforts like mobile advertising, radio, television, and electronic billboards.