Digital marketing notes

Marketing Notes

1. Unit-1
What Is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the use of the Internet, mobile devices, social media, search
engines, and other channels to reach consumers. Some marketing experts consider
digital marketing to be an entirely new endeavor that requires a new way of
approaching customers and new ways of understanding how customers behave
compared to traditional marketing.
Digital marketing is on the rise and includes search result ads, email ads, and promoted
tweets – anything that incorporates marketing with customer feedback or a two-way
interaction between the company and customer.
Internet marketing differs from digital marketing. Internet marketing is advertising that
is solely on the Internet, whereas digital marketing can take place through mobile
devices, on a subway platform, in a video game, or via a smart phone applications.
Digital Marketing Channels
Website Marketing
A website is the centerpiece of all digital marketing activities. Alone, it is a very
powerful channel, but it’s also the medium needed to execute a variety of online
marketing campaigns. A website should represent a brand, product, and service in a
clear and memorable way. It should be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to use.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising enables marketers to reach Internet users on a number of digital
platforms through paid ads. Marketers can set up PPC campaigns on Google, Bing,
LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, or Meta (formerly Facebook) and show their ads to people
searching for terms related to the products or services. PPC campaigns can segment
users based on their demographic characteristics (such as by age or gender), or even
target their particular interests or location. The most popular PPC platforms are Google
Ads and Meta Ads.

2. Content Marketing
The goal of content marketing is to reach potential customers through the use of
content. Content is usually published on a website and then promoted through social
media, email marketing, SEO, or even PPC campaigns. The tools of content marketing
include blogs, ebooks, online courses, infographics, podcasts, and webinars.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing channels. Many
people confuse email marketing with spam email messages, but that’s not what email
marketing is all about. Email marketing is the medium to get in touch with your
potential customers or the people interested in your brand. Many digital marketers use
all other digital marketing channels to add leads to their email lists and then, through
email marketing, they create customer acquisition funnels to turn those leads into
customers.
Social Media Marketing
The primary goal of a social media marketing campaign is brand awareness and
establishing social trust. As you go deeper into social media marketing, you can use it
to get leads or even as a direct sales channel.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the oldest forms of marketing, and the Internet has
brought new life to this old standby. With affiliate marketing, influencers promote
other people’s products and get a commission every time a sale is made or a lead is
introduced. Many well-known companies like Amazon have affiliate programs that pay
out millions of dollars per month to websites that sell their products.
Video Marketing
YouTube has become the second most popular search engine and a lot of users are
turning to YouTube before they make a buying decision, to learn something, read a
review, or just to relax. There are several video marketing platforms, including
Facebook Videos, Instagram, or even TikTok to use to run a video marketing
campaign. Companies find the most success with video by integrating it with SEO,
content marketing, and broader social media marketing campaigns.

3. SMS Messaging
Companies and nonprofit organizations also use SMS or text messages to send
information about their latest promotions or giving opportunities to willing customers.
Political candidates running for office also use SMS message campaigns to spread
positive information about their own platforms. As technology has advanced, many
text-to-give campaigns also allow customers to directly pay or give via a simple text
message.
Advantages of digital marketing
Global reach - a website allows you to find new markets and trade globally for only a
small investment.
Lower cost - a properly planned and well targeted digital marketing campaign can
reach the right customers at a much lower cost than traditional marketing methods.
Trackable & measurable results - measuring your online marketing with web
analytics and other online metric tools makes it easier to establish how effective your
campaign has been. You can obtain detailed information about how customers use your
website or respond to your advertising.
Personalisation - if your customer database is linked to your website, then whenever
someone visits the site, you can greet them with targeted offers. The more they buy
from you, the more you can refine your customer profile and market effectively to
them.
Openness - by getting involved with social media and managing it carefully, you can
build customer loyalty and create a reputation for being easy to engage with.
Social currency - digital marketing lets you create engaging campaigns using content
marketing tactics. This content (images, videos, articles) can gain social currency -
being passed from user to user and becoming viral.
Improved conversion rates - if you have a website, then your customers are only ever
a few clicks away from making a purchase. Unlike other media which require people to
get up and make a phone call, or go to a shop, digital marketing can be seamless and
immediate.

4. Disadvantages of digital marketing
Skills and training - You will need to ensure that your staff have the right knowledge
and expertise to carry out digital marketing with success. Tools, platforms and trends
change rapidly and it's vital that you keep up-to-date.
Time consuming - tasks such as optimising online advertising campaigns and creating
marketing content can take up a lot of time. It's important to measure your results to
ensure a return-on-investment.
High competition - while you can reach a global audience with digital marketing, you
are also up against global competition. It can be a challenge to stand out against
competitors and to grab attention among the many messages aimed at consumers
online.
Complaints and feedback - any negative feedback or criticism of your brand is can be
visible to your audience through social media and review websites. Carrying out
effective customer service online can be challenging. Negative comments or failure to
respond effectively can damage your brand reputation.
Security and privacy issues - there are a number of legal considerations around
collecting and using customer data for digital marketing purposes. Take care to comply
with the rules regarding privacy and data protection.
Difference Between Traditional & Digital Marketing
Meaning Meaning Traditional
Marketing refers to the
marketing that uses traditional
channels or media, for the
purpose of marketing
communication.
Digital Marketing implies the
marketing of products and
services via digital channels,
such as the internet,
smartphone, display ads, and
other digital medium.
Nature Static Dynamic
Conversion Slow Comparatively fast
Engagement Low Comparatively high
Return on Investment Cannot be measured easily. Can be measured easily.
Effectiveness and
expensiveness
Less effective more expensive Less expensive more
effective
Tracking Not possible Possible
Targeting Standardized Customized

5. Tweaking Not possible once the ad is
placed.
Can be performed anytime,
even after the ad is placed.
Reach Local Global
Results Delayed results Quick and real-time results
Interruptions Consumers cannot skip the
ads, as they are bound to see
them.
Allows the consumers to avoid
or skip the ads which do not
interest them.
Communication One-way Communication Two-way Communication

Why Traditional Marketing?
Easy Connectivity with the target audience: Advertisements can be placed on the
local news dailies and channels of the concerned geographical area to target the
prospective customers easily.
Save hard copies: Customers can save the hard copies of the ads placed in the
newspaper or magazine, which they are interested in, so as to refer them when they
wish to buy that product or service. They can also share those copies with their friends,
relatives and acquaintances, who require that product.
Easily recognizable: People are quite accustomed to the conventional ads, as they are
being used for a long time and so they understand and recognize it easily.
High Reach: Traditional marketing channels have a large customer base, and so a
single ad can reach millions of customers of the area in just one circulation. Further,
people living in those areas where there is no internet access or there is a lack of
network connectivity can also be reached through this medium.
Reasons for The Growth of Digital Marketing
1. It’s a Way to Convey the Existence
People use the internet to meet various needs. In fact, the internet is not an option now,
but a normal requirement. It also bears a sense of aristocracy. People come to know
about a brand, or a company from the internet. This trend is increasing rapidly with the
increasing use of mobile based internet service. Thus, the digital marketing plays a
significant role in mass awareness about a brand, a start-up company, or a new product,
etc. Even if, they come to know anything new from any other source, they want to

6. confirm it from the internet. It has become a common practice, and every single
organization should grab this opportunity.
2. It’s a Cost-effective Way to Promote a Brand
Business owners or the top management look for cost saving processes in every
organizational activity. Digital Marketing provides them with a better opportunity to
promote a brand to a larger audience at a comparatively lower budget than traditional
channels. It is the most cost-effective marketing channel that delivers results in
minimum time. When a company uses email marketing for promoting its products, they
virtually spend very little amount to reach to thousands of audiences, in traditional
marketing system, it is not possible to touch so many people at such a lower budget;
again, when they are using the PPC (Pay Per Click) system, they are spending only for
actual viewership, which is a very authentic way to reach to the targeted prospects at a
minimum cost. Thus, in every aspect, digital marketing tools cost lesser than traditional
marketing tools. As per the experts, greater number of organizations are allocating
budgets for digital marketing by curtailing traditional marketing expenses.
3. Result Oriented Sales Promotion
It is one of the best aspects of digital marketing, where the management could keep an
eye on every movement, analyze the outcome, and look for other ways within the same
system. Suppose, a certain key word is not working, the SEO expert can understand
with various tools that it is not working as expected. He can then introduce some new
keywords after analyzing their appeal in the search engine. He also has the scope to
know, what keywords the competitors are using. Traditional marketing processes can’t
provide such result oriented promotional tools. Digital marketing tools like Google
analytics, help to visualize the results, and to take necessary measures immediately. It
helps to refine, or redefine promotional strategy at any point of time and could see any
opportunities for additional improvement almost immediately.
4. Easiest Way for Branding
No other method of branding can be as effective as digital marketing. People these days
consider a brand’s presence online is the most important aspect of trustworthiness of
the brand. If a product is not found online, they reject it summarily. A product or
service gets a wider recognition in the market through SEO, Social media marketing,
Press Reports online, content marketing. And various similar methods. Thus,

7. companies can’t have a successful branding strategy, without a proper digital marketing
strategy.
5. More Conversion and Better Revenue
Conversion means how many visitors of a business website are actually converting
into customers. The success of a digital marketing campaign is calibrated depending on
the conversion rate. A website may attract thousands of visitors each day, if very tiny
percentage of that traffic is converting into customers, then that digital marketing
campaign is not properly planned. The aim of digital marketing is to increase the
revenue of the company. With the help of various tools like content marketing,
blogging, mobile marketing, etc. conversion rates could be increased, making the
digital marketing a positive step towards success. Higher the conversion rate, greater
will be the revenue or profitability of the company. In a study, Google has shown that
digital marketing is helping most of the companies to enjoy higher profits than their
competitors who are not adopting digital marketing processes.

6. It’s Increasing Loyal Customers
Digital marketing campaign helps a business house to intensify their real-time
interaction with the customers. Digital marketing campaign helps a business house to
intensify their real-time interaction with the customers. With the help of social media
marketing, email marketing, etc. customers, or the audience comes to know every
important activity of a business as and when it happens. On the other hand, a business
house comes to know about their customers’ opinions, and gets the customers’’
feedbacks almost immediately. This real-time interaction process helps an organization
to satisfy their customers with instant actions, response, and engagement. Digital
marketing creates a feeling of oneness in a customer with the organization. When it
happens continuously, brand loyalty increases to a large extent. There is no other better
way available that can increase brand loyalty, and trust so efficiently.
7. It Can Grab the Vast Mobile Market
Business houses with a clear and well-planned digital marketing strategy are also
spreading their brand name among millions of smartphone, and tab users. So, everyone
who uses the internet in any form is a “prospect” for a business house. As per the

8. available statistics, almost 75% Google Chrome users now access internet on their
smartphones, or tabs. Besides, a large number of people worldwide uses both
smartphone and computer to access internet. Without adapting digital marketing
processes, a company can’t grab this mind-boggling opportunity. Mobile based internet
accessibility will increase steadily in near future, which will help the companies to
experience greater business growth, and more market penetration.
8. Competition at Any Level
It is another interesting aspect of digital marketing. A small business can compete with
a major one without worrying about the latter’s strength. People visiting a site online
for buying something see how smoothly they can interact with the seller, what do the
other buyers are saying about the seller in different forums, and how customer-friendly
are their various services? In this format of business capital investment, huge
warehouse, strong network, etc. doesn’t make any difference, neither the customers are
interested in this internal matters.
9. The Best Way to Survive in the Future
Internet is going to be the mainstream business process in the future, i.e. people will
depend on any mode of business transactions, like B2B, or B2C business on the
internet only. This process has already started, and going to intensify with the passage
of time. It is a normal incidence for any brick-and-mortar business establishments to
come across hundreds of visitors entering their shop, and glancing at, or inspecting
products, then leaving the shop without buying anything. In a brick-and-mortar
business, owners need to go on investing on a regular basis just to survive in the
market, and a lump sum expense is made every month as a recurring expense. So, the
business houses have been getting more interest in turning to online business format,
which is much more cost-effective, and market oriented than the physical mode of
business. Thus, in coming days, digital marketing will be the most important
determinant of business growth.
Why you need a digital marketing strategy?
A digital marketing strategy helps in many ways for example:
A strategy gives you direction

9. Many companies without a digital marketing strategy lack clear strategic goals. This
makes it difficult to allocate sufficient resources to individual marketing activities and
even more difficult to measure, through analytics, whether you’re hitting your targets.
It enables you to better understand your market share
It doesn’t matter if you have a digital marketing degree. Without a clear strategy, you
could easily underestimate the demand for your digital services. Moreover, it’s likely
that you won’t fully understand the dynamics of the online marketplace including
customer behaviors, competitors, and customer profiles.
It helps you develop an effective value proposition
The online marketplace is very competitive. In order to succeed, you need to
differentiate yourself and stand tall among the crowd. Only a well-thought digital
marketing strategy can help you with this.
You’ll better understand your customers
Understanding your digital customers requires more than just analytics. You need to
utilize other forms of website feedback tools to identify and address your weak points.
Avoid time and resource-wasting duplication
Sometimes you’ll find different parts of a marketing department purchasing different
tools or using different agencies to accomplish similar marketing tasks. You can
eliminate such costly duplication with an effective digital marketing strategy.
Avoid the risks that come with disintegration
Marketing that is accomplished in silos, where the digital marketer sits in the IT
department, is a disaster waiting to happen. Digital marketing is most productive when
integrated with traditional media and response channels.

Unit -4