If we look back about 75 years ago, advertising meant taking out an ad in the newspaper. 50 years ago, TV commercials were all the rage. 10 years ago, it was enough for a business to have a basic website with a few keywords. However, internet usage has doubled in the last decade, meaning marketing and advertising for your business online is crucial these days. Digital marketing, digital advertising, online marketing, internet advertising…whatever you call it, as a business owner, you know it is important! So what is the digital advertising basics and where should you begin?
What is Digital Advertising?
The purpose of digital advertising is similar to any other kind of advertising; it is a way to connect with potential customers and influence them to spend money with your business. In general, digital advertising basics mean any type of online marketing assets or efforts. This can include things like social media marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, and more. These platforms help you introduce people to your business and convince them to make a purchase.
Digital Advertising Assets
For digital advertising to be successful, you need some assets or tools that you will use online to make your advertising work the best it can. Just about anything can classify as an asset, so you might already have some that are ready for you to use! Digital assets can be:
- Your logo
- Your website
- Video content such as ads or product demos
- Written content like blog posts, product descriptions, eBooks, or testimonials
- Photo of your products, infographics, or company photos
- Social media pages
- Online products such as interactive content, calculators, or SaaS
- Reviews from customers
Common Types of Digital Advertising
There are several different channels a business can use to increase their digital advertising efforts. You will want to choose the right type of marketing activity based on your needs.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a general term used to describe any kind of digital advertising where you pay for each user who clicks on your ad. A popular form of PPC is Google AdWords which is referred to as “paid search advertising.” This means you pay for your advertisement to be shown at the top of a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Next time you do a search on Google, see if you can spot the ad.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is the process of getting your website to rank higher in search engines by optimizing it instead of paying for your website to be shown in the SERP. In doing this, you increase the amount of organic (free) visitors to your website. This takes more time and effort, but the long-term results are worth it.
Social Media Advertising
Promoting your brand and content through social media advertising can help drive website traffic, increase brand awareness, and generate more leads for your business. All good things! You may already have social media pages for your business, but you can pay platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat to run ads on their sites.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a tried and true method of advertising your business. It is one of the oldest forms of digital advertising, and it is still relevant today. Email marketing can be used to highlight important content, advertise specials or sales, promote an event, welcome new customers, get blog subscribers, and so much more. Some businesses can reach hundreds or even thousands of customers weekly by using email marketing.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing refers to the tactic of attracting and engaging customers at every stage of the buying process. Doing this keeps your business at the forefront of their mind and helps encourage them to follow through with a purchase.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a fairly broad term that describes the creation and promotion of your content assets. These pieces of content could be things like blog posts, eBooks, whitepapers, or infographics. You can use them to build brand awareness, generate leads, or get more visits to your website.
Let Us Guide Your Digital Advertising Journey
These digital advertising basics are just the start and can feel overwhelming to dive into if you don’t have expertise. The team and The Evoke Group has years of experience in helping businesses grow through digital advertising. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.