Blog 1a - Concepts of Digital Marketing

An introduction to the basic concepts of digital marketing

1a. Explain the concept of Digital marketing.

Now more than ever, we are reliant on the digital world and technology to keep our lives running. In July 2020, there were over 4.5 billion active internet users worldwide (Statista, 2020). With these figures, it seems near impossible to run as a business, without being present online. This means that businesses are adapting and using digital marketing as a way of best serving their customers. But what is digital marketing?

Simply, digital marketing is the promotion of products or services through a variety of online platforms (Patel, 2020). While traditional forms of marketing still exist, such as direct mail, flyers, brochures, billboards and telemarketing, most customers can now be found and targeted more effectively online (Anderson, 2018). There are many different forms of digital marketing, with some popular types including:

- Social media marketing - Search engine optimisation - Email marketing - Content marketing - Influencer marketing (Lundberg, 2019)

Looking further into some concepts of digital marketing, is the idea of the 5 D’s. The 5 D’s of digital marketing is an important concept to understand, as it shows the opportunities that customers have to interact with a business, as well as the platforms in which businesses can use to reach and engage their target audience (Lakha, 2018). The 5 D’s of digital marketing are:

1. Digital Devices

This is how customers engage with a brand or business. Digital devices include but are not limited to smartphones, laptops and televisions (Lakha, 2018).

2. Digital Platforms

Digital platforms are the outlets in which customers choose to interact with a business. Most interactions take place via social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter etc. (Lakha, 2018).

3. Digital Media

Digital media is the different ways in which companies can communicate and engage their audiences. This can be through three different forms of media:

- Paid media (advertising, paid search etc.) (Lakha, 2018)

- Owned media (blogs, websites, apps etc.) (Lakha, 2018)

- Earned media (influencers, social media, word of mouth) (Lakha, 2018).

4. Digital Data

These are the insights that businesses are able to collect and analyse, that help them to best serve their customers (Lakha, 2018).

5. Digital Technology

Digital technology refers to the different forms of technology available for businesses to use in order to create an interactive experience for their customers. This includes websites, kiosks/self-serve machines and apps (Lakha, 2018).

While this is only a small introduction into the world of digital marketing, I hope you have learnt something! The next section presents what opportunities and challenges e-commerce businesses face in the age of COVID-19.

References

Anderson, J., 2018. 9 Traditional Marketing Techniques That Still Matter - Online Marketing Institute. [online] Online Marketing Institute. Available at: <https://www.onlinemarketinginstitute.org/blog/2018/06/9-traditional-marketing-techniques-still-matter/> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Getty, 2020. Digital Marketing. [image] Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/kpmg/2020/06/23/what-media-companies-need-to-prioritize-now-customers-cash-cost-and-capital/#3f60d13334c8> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Lakha, R., 2018. Understanding The 5D’S Of Digital Marketing And Technology! – Digital Marketing In A Digital World. [online] Digitalworlds.co. Available at: <https://digitalworlds.co/understanding-the-5ds-of-digital-marketing-and-technology/> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Lundberg, A., 2019. The Different Types Of Digital Marketing (And How To Use Them) - 99Designs. [online] 99designs. Available at: <https://99designs.com.au/blog/marketing-advertising/types-digital-marketing/> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Patel, N., 2020. Digital Marketing Made Simple: A Step-By-Step Guide. [online] Neil Patel. Available at: <https://neilpatel.com/what-is-digital-marketing/> [Accessed 14 August 2020].

Statista, 2020. Digital Users Worldwide 2020 | Statista. [online] Statista. Available at: <https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/> [Accessed 14 August 2020].