This article provides an overview of the primary online digital marketing processes. Each subject will be the subject of a future article. If you would like to receive our comprehensive Digital Marketing Essentials for Recording Musicians guide, subscribe here.
As customers move online to find and buy goods and services, business is increasingly supplementing or replacing traditional marketing methods with online digital processes. Magazine ads have been replaced with online display ads, TV commercials with YouTube channels, and junk mail through your letter box with sophisticated and targeted email campaigns.
The following are some of the processes and technologies currently employed by businesses, organisations and individuals.
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| Technology / process | Comments |
|---|---|
| Concepts & terminology | |
| Online display advertising - Pay Per Click (PPC) & Search engine marketing (SEM) | Dominated by Googles AdWord system whereby buyers bid for their ads to rank highly in search results, for targeted keyword and keyword phrases |
| Online display advertising - using an ad-server network | Essentially banner ads served by ad-server networks, including Googles AdWords (AdSense) system, that utilises end-visitor browsing history/habits to choose and display targeted ads. |
| Online display advertising - using reciprocal linking and individually negotiated ad space | Essentially the 'traditional' advertising model of buying space on a website for a banner ad (similar to the print model of classified or display advertising) |
| SEO - Search engine optimisation / organic search | Also called organic search optimisation - involves optimising content for unpaid search results |
| Email marketing | Highly successful permission marketing method. Encourages customers to engage by subscribing after which they can be sent targeted campaigns tailored to their profiles |
| Content marketing | The process of creating, publishing and distributing free valuable content relevant to the activities of a business in order to attract, engage, and convert new customers. Mobile apps, video, games, competition |
| Video channel marketing | As digital natives increasingly shun terrestrial and cable broadcast TV, a YouTube channel can be incredibly valuable for a business, especially when the channel’s analytics, sharing and social media features are leverage, and videos can be embedded in a businesses website and others |
| Social media marketing | Encouraging existing and potential customers to engage in a dialogue which will spread the word about a product or service. Generally regarded as poor for marketing but good for customer relationship and brand building |
| Guerilla / viral marketing | Leveraging word of mouth to raise awareness and profile |
| Mobile marketing | Primarily in-app display advertising or geo-location targeted advertising (including Google AdWords) |
| User generated content | Reviews, social media channel and forum posts etc |
| Platform & services technologies | |
| Google AdWords | Pre-eminent online search results and ad-network technology |
| Google AdSense | Google technology whereby websites can earn a share of ad revenue by hosting Google ads |
| Micro-site / landing pages | Tailored landing pages for ad campaigns |
| Google analytics | To measure SEO and AdWord success |
| Online email marketing systems | Provide complete solutions including: creating sign-up forms, CRM, managing lists, segmenting, creating campaigns, analytics etc |
| Social media admin dashboards | To tailor profiles, add content, manage advertising, view analytics |
| Social media management tools | Such as Hootsuite, which allows multiple social media channels to be managed from a single location |
| ePub / digital publishing | Essentially the traditional practice of buying space for a banner ad on a site (print model of classified or display advertising) |
| Blogs | To engage customers and facilitate conversations |
| Forum | |
| Webinar / webcast | Successful marketing tool |
| Content types & technologies | |
| Web pages | |
| Images | Photographs, illustrations |
| Info-graphics | |
| Games | |
| Animations | |
| Music | |
| Ringtones | |
| Education | Courses, training |
| Books, magazines, manuals etc | |
| Video | Tutorials, reviews, how-to's, product launch, visitor/customer interviews, product placement/entertainment, infotainment |
| User generated content | When your customers evangelise your business (gold dust!) |
| ePub / digital publishing | Successful content marketing tool eBooks,eMagazines, manuals, coffee table' etc) |
| eNewsletter | Successful marketing tool |
| Software | Plug-ins, freeware, shareware, donate-ware etc |
| Case studies, testimonials and reviews | Valuable sales tool |
| Surveys | |
| Loyalty schemes | Successful marketing tool |
| Competitions | Successful marketing tool |
| Promotions | Discounts / vouchers etc |
| Podcasts | |