Digital marketing is communication using digital technologies, most commonly over the Internet. It serves to build brand awareness, lead generation, conversion, customer loyalty and upselling, and aims to increase engagement between the target group and the brand.
Digital marketing is also called data-driven marketing because it is based on data sets and uses the analysis of customer data to optimize communication strategies.
Digital marketing includes all measures that serve the communication goals and economic goals in the digital space.
What is the difference between digital marketing and online marketing?
The terms or concepts of digital marketing and online marketing may sound similar, but they are not congruent – quite the opposite! Digital marketing is the targeted, now increasingly personalized, communication with (potential) customers via electronic devices using digital signals.
The advantage of digital technology lies in the measurability of all measures:
the user signals enable the digital marketing manager to measure success in order to optimize marketing.
The content is often played out via digital applications, such as websites, apps, emails or social media platforms. Online marketing is a subtype of digital marketing
– digital communication does not necessarily have to be connected to the web. Digital marketing can also take place offline – for example via display advertising in public places.
In a narrower sense, digital marketing only describes communication via digital technology, the signals of which are based on the binary system
– regardless of the source and the medium through which the content is played out.
Digital marketing: measures and strategies
Digital marketing consists of many different tools, each of which is used to pursue different goals. The individual options are intertwined as parts of a larger strategy and often influence each other.
A digital marketing strategy is usually designed to interlock various measures in order to create interfaces and enable multiplication effects.
A successful campaign across multiple media with a consistent message and strong recognition value is referred to as integrated communication. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that the content and format correspond to the needs, requirements and expectations of the users of the respective medium.
The goal should always be that digital marketing should:
complemented internally during their customer journey in their needs and at the same time does justice to the formal nature of the various touchpoints.
For more information we would be happy to advise youContent marketing agency from egypt and find the right levers for your online marketing strategy. We briefly present the most important tools and terms of digital marketing.
content marketing
Content marketing is not limited to the digital space, but plays a central role in the communication between a company and its target groups. Content marketing is happening increasingly and mainly digitally.
In addition, digital marketing has been significantly shaped by the strategic approach of content marketing. At the same time, content-driven digital marketing combines other disciplines with other strategic weightings, which, however, all interact to produce the desired multiplication effects.
content
Digital marketing thrives on content. Content marketing means a need-oriented approach to the target group through added value in terms of content. It is published on relevant communication channels without the recipient being asked for anything in return.
The content must be non-binding and free of charge so that the target group gets involved with it. The more relevant and high-quality the content for users, the more they interact with it and the more likely it is that a purchase decision will be made.
However, the added value can only develop its full potential with the users if it actually meets the needs and is psychologically aimed at them. It must be perceptible and communicated where the user is looking for answers.
social media
Social networks offer digital marketing particularly interesting opportunities to reach the target group. Here the users segment themselves through the settings in their own account.
The psychological dynamics in social media also live from the targeted positioning of users in a social space through selective reception and interaction.
Whether through likes, shares or comments – the users strengthen their self-concept with content. Accordingly, communication via social media tends to be emotional. In the social media context, users expect content that inspires, amazes or entertains them. The speech must take place on an emotional level. Digital marketing here means an affective approach.
PR
Public relations is a more traditional tool for communicating with target groups, but has made the leap into digital marketing through online PR.
PR in digital marketing is not only there to put a company in a positive light, but above all aims to increase visibility on the web. The presence that a company has on the Internet pays off for digital marketing if it is also perceived as transparency
– provided that all stakeholders in the digital space are picked up with the relevant content. Skillful online PR helps digital marketing to strengthen corporate brand trust, authority and reputation among target groups.
Do you have any questions? As a digital PR agency from EgyptThis is exactly where we come in and develop tailor-made strategies. Feel free to contact us for an initial meeting in which we can clarify any open questions!
SEO
Digital marketing does not work without search engine optimization. SEO is a good example of the interdependence of the individual measures in digital marketing:
SEO, content marketing and seeding are mutually dependent. Google as a search engine is the number 1 touchpoint for every target group, but if you want to be at the top of the search results pages for the relevant keywords, you have to create high-quality content primarily for the users.
If digital content and the user signals in the interaction with the content are positive, the machine will also classify the content as relevant and give it a good ranking.
Added to this is the number and quality of the backlinks that a piece of content receives. This refers to the links that lead from a website to your own domain.
If pages with a certain authority in the subject area link your own domain, the backlink is considered particularly valuable. Link building is a central lever in digital marketing, which is made possible primarily by means of seeding.
seeding
Seeding is the strategic content distribution without which digital marketing cannot function. Content is strategically distributed and placed by means of seeding in order to increase the relevant reach and generate viral effects.
On the other hand, seeding should support organic link building and gain valuable backlinks for owned media platforms. There are various strategic approaches, the application of which depends on the seeding goal being pursued.
linkbaits
In digital marketing, linkbaits are content that was designed to appear as relevant as possible for editors of other media, so that they publish the content in their media and set a link to the company’s owned media platform there.
When creating linkbaits, the content creators must be aware of which media are relevant for the target group and where the intersection between customer needs, content orientation of the media and their own brand essence lies. If all interests and requirements are taken into account, linkbaits can achieve the desired effects.
Branded content seeding
With branded content seeding, content is distributed that is closely linked to a brand without the brand being the main focus. The content represents a high added value for the target group and deals with user questions relevant to needs.
This can be content on the areas of work, relationships, finances or hobbies – everything that seems relevant to the target group and builds a bridge to the core brand of the company.
Example: E-book on the subject of “flood protection”, presented by the construction financing platform baufi.de. The content offers the target group direct added value – the portal baufi.de positions itself as a problem solver with the topic.
The formats can vary: Whether e-books, white papers, infographics, videos or online competitions – the medium in which the content is to be published determines the format
viral seeding
Viral campaigns enrich any digital marketing with organic multiplication effects, which, however, must first be initiated through cooperation.
Prerequisites for virality are certain attributes of the content so that the individual users feel inspired to share the content with their circle of friends:
The content can inspire through storytelling (e.g. in the form of a video), be humorous (e.g. funny visuals for current events events) or polarize (e.g. through statements, open letters, scandal reports).
It is important that the content is proactively shared in the right place – until the distribution develops momentum and results in a snowball effect.
Working with influencers who already have an established community with users is particularly suitable for this:
internally unite different target groups behind them. The multiplication effects created by viral seeding via influencers once again open up completely new possibilities in digital marketing.
Video seeding
The video format dictates the seeding process. The distribution takes place organically, through cooperation with multipliers and the placement of video ads. The individual measures are not options, but complement each other.
On the one hand, editors from other media must be approached in order to initiate cooperation. On the other hand, working with content-relevant multipliers enables a push for reach.
The community’s emotional connection to the multipliers significantly enhances the video content from the target group’s point of view. The placement of the video ads is supplementary, but still necessary,
Frequently asked questions about “digital marketing”
Why Do Businesses Need Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is essential for companies today from two perspectives: On the one hand, it is necessary to keep up with the digital ravages of time and not to miss the connection to the competition.
On the other hand, the use of digital marketing results in a multitude of opportunities and advantages. These include, among other things:
Personalized target group approach, cross-media marketing opportunities for products/services of all kinds, control of digital marketing strategies based on tools in real time and, last but not least, improved cost efficiency in marketing.
How can my business/brand benefit from digital marketing?
In the previous question, some important benefits of digital marketing were already mentioned. In principle, it helps to achieve goals such as acquiring new customers or increasing sales with the help of a wide variety of measures.
This succeeds above all because digital marketing not only addresses the target group that sees classic advertisements in daily newspapers or advertising on television.
Thanks to the countless channels and instruments in digital marketing, specific target groups are better addressed and the advertising budget is used much more effectively.
What is included in a comprehensive digital marketing strategy?
Since there are different tools in digital marketing, there is no one perfect strategy. It is important to realize that with an ideal strategy, each gear meshes with the next. This is the only way to create interfaces on the one hand and enable multiplication effects on the other.
An important keyword in this context is “integrated communication.” In the context of a campaign, this means that it spreads a consistent, recognizable message across multiple media.
Overall, the maxim in digital marketing is to complement the needs of users during their customer journey.
What are the most important channels and formats in digital marketing?
Identifying channels in digital marketing that are better or more important than others in terms of their functionality or effect makes little sense.
The decisive moment is the interlocking of the channels with each other, as this is the only way to achieve multiplication effects and to unfold the full effectiveness of a strategy in digital marketing.
Does digital marketing work for B2B and B2C companies?
In principle, digital marketing works for companies in all industries and sectors. No matter what products or services a company offers – whether it’s an internet start-up, a small neighborhood café or a huge industrial group
– the goals and the way to achieve them are usually the same: determine personas, identify target group(s) and appeal to them , create tailored content that is distributed through digital channels.
However, it is important to note that every company needs its own digital marketing strategy, since the budgets and thus the strategic approach always varies.