What are the Types of Digital Marketing? 

What are the types of digital marketing? There are several that are the most common, but there are new kinds of marketing strategies being developed all the time. As you will see, different types of businesses will do well with certain kinds of digital marketing, and others will not. Factors like popularity and amount of followers, internet traffic, and the use of keywords are some of the things that will determine the marketing that will work best for your company. In this article, we will break down the different types of digital marketing. 

Types of Digital Marketing

There are several different types of digital marketing. Within digital marketing, there are several different types of media that feed off of different assets. These can include websites, social media sites, followers, and more. They also show what kind of approach you can take as you get started. 

Owned Media

This is the most straightforward type of digital marketing, because it has to do with things your company already has. Owned media includes your own website, social media pages, and blogs. Things that fall into this category are easy for you to market with, because you already need them to have an online presence for your company. These take a lot of work to develop and use, because you usually have to do it yourself. However, it can be the cheapest option, especially if you already know how to market online. This also utilizes things like followers and online traffic. SEO and social media marketing are great examples of using owned media to market yourself. 

Paid Media

This category of media is where other companies come in. This is another company performing a service for your company where they market things for you. This includes advertising on other sites, pay-per-click campaigns, and affiliate marketing. Within this category, there is a wide range of how much you pay for someone to do this for you. For example, Millionaire Kylie Jenner gets paid about 1.2 million for a single promotional post. However, PPC can cost as little as $1 per click, and some companies have set a monthly minimum budget of about $200. With a price range that large, it is easy to find a form of paid media that can increase your sales. 

Earned Media

This form of media is the most difficult to obtain, because it is so heavily based on consumers. It includes things like people sharing your posts, reviewing your products, and even just word of mouth! We won’t talk much about this because there isn’t much you can do about it, but if your company is doing well, you will see an increase in earned media. There are ways to utilize this for marketing, but it has a lot to do with outreach to consumers and making sure you are offering things like promotions and discounts. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is possibly the most important form of digital marketing because absolutely everyone needs it! Search engine optimization is very simple to understand, but it can be pretty hard to actually do. Search engines like Google are “in charge” of what gets put at the top of the searches. If you have a company where you sell kayaks, but when people search the word “kayak” your company is 100th on the list, it can be pretty hard to sell them.

As you utilize SEO, you can be much closer, if not at the top, of the Google searches. Using things like keywords will help you to get your website to the top. Keywords are common words or phrases that people search, and when you use ones that pertain to your company, people will be able to find you.

If you want to find out how good your SEO is right now, there are companies that can analyze your optimization and help you figure out what to do to improve it. If you don’t do any other kinds of marketing, we recommend you at least focus on SEO. It will work wonders for your website traffic, and in turn, your sales. 

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

PPC campaigns are great ways to market for several reasons. They are relatively inexpensive but they have proven to be very effective! They offer front page search engine exposure, and get your company into your target consumer’s views. On average, it doubles the amount of money you put into it, because the only time you have to pay for the ad is when someone clicks on it!

Your ads link to your website, so you need to make sure that your site is attractive and well-done, so people will then purchase your products. You can always hire someone to take care of your website design for you as well. With PPC, you are able to get people to your website, which can be a difficult task otherwise. The right company can help you to find the best places to put those ads where people will click on them! 

Affiliate Marketing

Marketing through other companies and people can be risky business, but it can be so worth it. You notice that sometimes someone on YouTube or social media site will post about “affiliate links.” This means that they were paid to talk about this item or refer to this one company.

In a world of influencers, this is one of the most effective ways to get your product to the masses. One of the trickiest parts is finding who you want to advertise with! Some of the best places are with blogs and with YouTube or Instagram influencers. Influencers can put your name out there in a way that no other type of media can. There are also companies called affiliate marketing companies that will find the right influencers for you, so you don’t have to approach them yourself. If you can find the right people to promote your products, this can be one of the best ways to market, especially if your product is trendy and something that people will be interested in seeing on a popular site. 

Email Marketing

Email marketing has decreased in effectiveness over the years, but it is still a great way to reach out to people in a non-invasive, yet personal way. Everyone has an email address, and it is a great way to send out promotional material, discounts, and more. You can even set up a pop-up on your website where people will get a discount for signing up with their email, and then you can send them more promotional material. This is a great way to get emails quickly! Once you have a list of emails, you can create messages that people will be interested in. This is a great way to build your brand and introduce people to your company. 

Social Media Marketing

There are two different kinds of social media marketing: content creation and paid advertisements. Most social media ads are PPC, and direct to your website from social media. With paid ads, there are many different kinds that even just come down to placement within the site itself. Just Instagram has 6 different kinds of ads, and they can all be marketed differently.

On the other side, social media content creation can be extremely effective and is usually free. The main problem is that you need lots of followers or subscribers to really reach people. If you are able to get a good base, creating content and posting regularly can be a great way to market your company. Because of the versatility and differing styles among social media sites, you can usually find one that fits your company best. 

Types of Marketing Agencies

When you are trying to figure out how best to market online, you will need to get some help. Whether it is with content creation, SEO, or just finding the right ad space, you want to find a company that will help you to achieve greatness. There are marketing agencies that will analyze your SEO and help you to better develop it. Some other agencies specialize in content creation, and will create posts and post them for you. There are companies that write blog posts, and companies that make websites and design them. There are companies who do it all and more!

Finding the right company for you may take some trial and error, but as you search through, keep an eye out for the companies who fit your vision and will help you achieve your goals. Be careful where you spend your money! Make sure to find and hire the right marketing agency for your company. 

Get Started with Different Categories of Digital Marketing

Now that you know more about digital marketing, get out there and see what works best for you! Decide whether you would prefer paid media or owned media, if you want to do it yourself or hire someone, and think of a marketing strategy. In our modern world, having an online presence is the way to find customers. Online marketing isn’t easy, but it can be done, and done well. If you can do that, you can truly find a profitable marketplace online and make your marketing goals a reality.  

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the difference between owned, paid, and earned media?

Owned media includes assets you control like your website, social media pages, and blogs – it’s usually the cheapest option but requires the most work from you. Paid media involves paying other companies to market for you through advertising, PPC campaigns, or affiliate marketing, with costs ranging from $1 per click to millions for celebrity endorsements. Earned media is the most difficult to obtain because it’s consumer-driven – it includes people sharing your posts, reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Most successful digital marketing strategies combine all three types.

2. Which type of digital marketing is most important for new businesses?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is possibly the most important because absolutely everyone needs it. If your company doesn’t appear near the top of search results when people search for your products or services, it’s extremely difficult to get customers. Even if you don’t invest in any other marketing types, focusing on SEO will work wonders for your website traffic and sales. SEO uses keywords and optimization techniques to help search engines like Google rank your website higher in search results.

3. How much should I expect to spend on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising?

PPC campaigns are relatively inexpensive and proven effective. Costs can be as little as $1 per click, with some companies setting monthly minimum budgets around $200. The beauty of PPC is that you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad, and on average, it doubles the money you invest. The key is ensuring your website is attractive and well-designed since the ads direct people there – you want them to make purchases once they arrive.

4. Is email marketing still effective in today’s digital landscape?

Yes, email marketing has decreased in effectiveness over the years but remains a great way to reach people in a non-invasive, personal manner. Everyone has an email address, making it an excellent channel for promotional material and discounts. You can set up website pop-ups offering discounts in exchange for email signups, then send targeted promotional content. It’s particularly effective for building your brand and introducing people to your company over time.

5. What’s the difference between social media content creation and social media advertising?

Social media marketing has two main approaches: content creation and paid advertisements. Paid ads are typically PPC campaigns that direct traffic from social media to your website, with platforms like Instagram offering 6 different ad types with varying placements. Content creation is usually free but requires lots of followers to be effective – if you can build a good follower base, creating and posting content regularly can be extremely effective for marketing your company.

6. How do I choose the right affiliate marketing partners?

Finding the right people to promote your products is one of the trickiest parts of affiliate marketing. Some of the best partnerships are with blogs and YouTube or Instagram influencers who can put your name out there in ways no other media can. Look for influencers whose audience matches your target market and whose content aligns with your brand values. There are also affiliate marketing companies that can find the right influencers for you, eliminating the need to approach them directly.

7. Should I handle digital marketing myself or hire an agency?

This depends on your resources, expertise, and goals. Owned media like your website and social media can be the cheapest option if you already know how to market online, but it requires significant time and effort. Marketing agencies can help with everything from SEO analysis and content creation to website design and ad placement. When choosing an agency, look for companies that fit your vision and goals, and be prepared for some trial and error to find the right match.

8. How do I know which digital marketing strategies will work best for my business?

Different types of businesses succeed with different marketing strategies based on factors like your target audience, industry, budget, and current online presence. Consider your follower count, website traffic, and keyword opportunities when deciding. Start by evaluating whether you prefer owned media (doing it yourself) or paid media (hiring others), then think about your marketing strategy and goals.

The key is to experiment and see what works best for your specific business – successful digital marketing often involves combining multiple approaches rather than relying on just one strategy.