6 Types of Digital Marketing: Examples & How To Choose

Marketing has changed significantly over the last 20 years. With the rise of the Internet and it's popularity, traditional marketing strategies had to pivot to make way for these technological advancements.

Digital marketing is the practice of conducting marketing campaigns and efforts online, whether it's through social media channels, email, or lead generation through a website. Employing different types of digital marketing can help a business grow online.

In this article, will discuss the different varieties of digital marketing and discuss a few of the top online programs where you can study this category of marketing.

Six Types of Digital Marketing

Although digital marketing is relatively new, almost all companies have a digital marketing strategy. Most companies will employ a mix of these strategies for a holistic custom experience.

Here are the most common types of digital marketing.

1. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is the process of employing a digital marketing campaign through social media platforms, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Companies will likely follow social media trends and try to get their posts to go viral. The more followers and accounts reached, the more awareness they build of their brand.

Companies may also purchase pay-per-click ad space on social channels to get their ads in front of a target audience. While this type of marketing requires a budget and PPC ads, it can be filtered by demographic to control who sees the post.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization is the strategy for implementing keywords into a website in order to make it more visible.

When a user types a query in Google, they will receive multiple search results. The search results that most closely match their query will likely appear first on the search engine results page. Getting your website to the top of the results is the key to SEO.

Search engine optimization is a free or inexpensive method to build brand awareness through common search engines.

Additionally, search engine marketing can include strategizing Google ads in their pay-per-click advertising efforts. The highest PPC bid will get your search results even higher on the search engine results page (SERPS).

3. Content Marketing

Search engine algorithms on Google and Bing are constantly changing in order to push high-quality content to the top of the research results page.

The practice of search engine marketing (SEM) is the role of building content that is optimized to appear on search engines. Content marketing, a form of inbound marketing plays a major role in SEM because marketers must create high-quality content in the form of landing, pages, blogs, case, studies, and white papers.

These written and visual assets are displayed on a web page and are intended to build customer engagement. Ideally, content marketing and search engine optimization work hand-in-hand. High-quality content should have a mix of keywords, but should not rely entirely on them.

A well-developed content marketing strategy will aim to educate, entertain, and inform users, improve the website click-through rate, and onboard customers to other forms of digital marketing like SMS and newsletters.

However, there are so many different websites competing to get on the main page of Google, so a small business must find creative ways to improve their keyword research. By researching data analytics and understanding the appropriate formats of their website, they can reach a diverse audience.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing has the power to drive website traffic through messages your consumers receive in their inboxes. While your customers need to opt in for the emails, submitting marketing messages is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing. The great news is that through automation services, much of your email marketing can be completed without much effort.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Millions of people use social media, and while social media channels are a great way to reach an audience, it can be hard to stand out and build credibility.

Affiliate marketing is the online marketing tactic where a company hires influencers or content creators to advertise their products to an audience.

Influencer marketing can have a high return on investment because the content creators already have an established reputation with their followers, leading them to trust your product.

Video marketing involves product placement in influencer video content or social media posts that discuss your products or services. Content creation also takes place as verbal advertisements on podcasts.

6. Mobile Marketing

Most potential customers have smartphones nowadays. Digital marketerrs know this and see digital devices as another potential marketing strategy.

In addition to building an email list, marketers may also work on building an SMS list, which is comprised of potential, current, and past customers who want to receive text messages from the company.

These customers may receive messages on their mobile devices that alert them of sales on the website or new product launches, prompting them to click to the website. This can improve conversion rates and build brand loyalty.

Building mobile apps is also part of mobile marketing. Having an app can automate much of your marketing efforts because consumers will log into the app on their own.

Which Type of Marketing Is Right for You?

In order to find which type of marketing is right for you, you must first decide what peaks your interest the most. In many cases, marketers use a varying mix of the above in their marketing efforts, and you may need to be versed in all of them.

For example, if you wish to become an expert in social media marketing, you will want to download social media platforms and understand how each works. You will need to gather specific information including:

• the demographics of each
• the types of messaging that work best
• whether the format is primarily video, image, or written content
• what it means to go viral on that platform
• specific algorithm updates that may affect visibility and engagement

When you feel comfortable with the full scope of using different social media platforms, you can create a strategy that includes the type of content you'll make and what time during the day is most effective to post. With some successful posts of your own, you can then build a portfolio showing your work to potential employers.

How To Become a Digital Marketer

Becoming a digital marketer has never been more easy. There are online solutions for those who wish to pivot into digital marketing or want to learn more about marketing tools.

Start by taking a free online course to learn the basics of organic traffic, paid advertisements, and the different kinds of marketing channels. When you become familiar with the different types of digital marketing and how they add value to the overall strategy, you can pivot into a specific area of interest.

You will want to acquire the skills necessary for each type of marketing. Learn what you can about digital marketing by taking courses and joining webinars online. Digital marketing is constantly changing with new technology, buyer interests, and effective messaging, so even professionals with several years of experience never stop learning.

Next, you will want to build a portfolio showcasing your expertise, creativity, and knowledge. If you're interested in email marketing, you can create a document showing past examples of emails you've written. A social media portfolio may include example images of your content with statistical information on your engagement rates.

Digital Marketing Degrees

Becoming a digital marketer is now easier than ever. These three programs offer distance learning options for students who wish to complete their digital marketing degree online.

By building your marketing skills early on, you can employ effective digital marketing strategies and be prepared for many different industries.

1. Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) offers a fully remote marketing degree that can be completed in 120 credits. SNHU is a well-respected online school with a national accreditation. Students typically complete their bachelor's degree in four years or less.

2. University of Phoenix

Students can choose to either enroll in a full- or part-time degree in marketing through the University of Phoenix, or they can take standalone classes in digital marketing.

The standalone classes are great for students who want to expand their knowledge in specific areas of digital marketing without committing to a full degree.

3. Johnson and Wales University

The online Bachelor of Science in marketing at Johnson and Wales University teaches the essential information you need to manage multiple digital marketing channels. Students can complete this 120-credit program entirely online without having to visit the campus.