In this article, you\u2019ll learn what online marketing is, which channels to use, and how to get started. We\u2019ll also run through some of the best online marketing tools to make your journey easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online marketing (also called digital marketing or internet marketing) is the practice of leveraging digital channels to spread a message about a brand, product, or service to a target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While traditional marketing methods like TV and direct mail have limited reach, online marketing can target local, regional, national, or global audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By reaching buyers through channels where they already spend time\u2014whether social media , search engines, or email\u2014businesses of all sizes can create and maintain profitable relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It involves choosing strategic keywords, crafting valuable content, optimizing technical website factors, and attracting backlinks, among other important factors. The goal is for pages on your website to appear high in search results for relevant keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, pet brands Chewy, The Foggy Dog, and Ruffwear have optimized their sites for terms related to dogs. You can see they compete for the term \u201cdog collars\u201d at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While there are many aspects involved, the crux of basic SEO is fulfilling users\u2019 search needs by creating relevant, high-quality content and providing great user experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media marketing involves leveraging popular social networks to build brand identity and achieve marketing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of your digital marketing strategy, you can use platforms like Facebook , Twitter, TikTok , Instagram , and LinkedIn to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, U.K. wireless network operator GiffGaff used Twitter to promote a competition for a new product:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social media marketing also includes social media advertising , where you can pay to have your content appear in front of targeted users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Affordability . Email is free, and email marketing tools are generally affordable. You can send a huge volume of content for little to no cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The popularity of email marketing makes it a competitive field. You\u2019ll need a thoughtful, data-driven strategy to stand out in consumers\u2019 inboxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online advertising includes avenues like paid search , social media ads , display ads , and shopping ads . These techniques let you pay to put your business in front of highly targeted internet users on search engines, social media, websites, and similar platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paid search ads appear on SERPs above organic results when users look for related terms. For example, search \u201conline florist\u201d on Google and you\u2019ll get something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost all the results in the image above are \u201csponsored.\u201d In other words, they\u2019re Google pay-per-click (PPC) ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Businesses can also pay to advertise on social media sites. Major social media platforms all have advertising options, allowing you to target precise sections of their users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant content. The aim is to expand, engage, and retain a target audience of potential or existing customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, our own blog offers plenty of advice, how-tos, and tools. And it\u2019s a form of content marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A well-executed content marketing strategy will make your brand stand out to web users at all stages of the customer journey, from research to conversion and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Influencer marketing is when brands collaborate with individuals who have a sizable and engaged following online to promote their brands, products, and services online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, U.S. rail operator Amtrak uses influencers to promote its Pacific Surfliner service on Instagram:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider this tactic a way to borrow another person\u2019s audience. You\u2019ll typically need to pay and make it clear your content is sponsored\u2014hence the inclusion of \u201c#Ad\u201d in the example above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based advertising method where businesses pay a commission on conversions to an affiliate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may see subtle notes about affiliate marketing on media sites, like this one on the tech review site Pocket-lint :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means businesses (likely retailers or the manufacturers of the featured tech) have arranged to have Pocket-lint promote their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Affiliate marketing is similar to influencer marketing in that a brand is relying on someone else\u2019s audience. The difference is you only pay affiliates for successful sales, where influencers generally get paid for exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No matter the size of your audience of marketers and business owners, our Program is your gateway to kickstart your affiliate marketing endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explore enticing commissions, enjoy consistent support, and be part of a trusted affiliate marketing program that has earned the loyalty of thousands!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital marketing has many benefits over its traditional equivalents. Here are some of the most significant ones to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DataReportal reports there are 5.16 billion internet users globally, meaning 64.4% of the world\u2019s population is online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s virtually impossible to match that level of potential reach with traditional business marketing methods, which also tend to be more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, a direct mailer could cost you $250 per 1,000 flyers. And there\u2019s no perfectly reliable way of knowing whether you\u2019re putting them in the right mailboxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, Shopify says the average cost per mille (CPM)\u2014the cost per 1,000 impressions\u2014for Facebook ads is just over $12. And Facebook allows precise targeting so you know exactly who you\u2019re reaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering lack of budget is one of the top marketing challenges for small businesses, these potential cost savings are important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s telling that most businesses maintain or increase their marketing spending, even if they start out small. For example, only 3% of respondents in our State of Content Marketing: 2023 Global Report said they planned to decrease their content budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many online marketing tools allow you to track and analyze performance. They also paint a much clearer picture than you\u2019d get from counting the calls you receive after a TV or radio ad airs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data from online marketing shows what works and what doesn\u2019t. So you can spend your budget more effectively with each campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, you can use Google Search Console to track your organic CTR (click-through rate), or the percentage of users who click on your website from the SERP. As well as keyword rankings, organic clicks, and impressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can set up your Google Analytics dashboard to track other metrics, such as traffic and bounce rates. And see how they impact your overall marketing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than focus on one channel, you can use a range of different platforms that complement one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Say you create a \u201chow-to\u201d blog post for the largest section of your audience but want to reach a smaller segment, too. You can use key takeaways to craft a shorter community post for Quora or a shareable social media graphic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online marketing lets you target incredibly specific audiences so you can deliver more personalized, relevant interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to one McKinsey study, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. And 76% get frustrated when that doesn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cole Haan uses customer data\u2014like purchase histories and browsing patterns\u2014to recommend relevant products in marketing emails:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such specific targeting isn\u2019t possible with traditional marketing platforms like TV ads and billboards. You\u2019d need to take a broader approach, which is less relevant and therefore less likely to engage your ideal demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With so many platforms and strategies to consider, online marketing can be daunting. Especially when you\u2019re just starting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While profit will almost always be your end goal, the question of getting there is more complex. So start by determining how your marketing efforts will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if you don\u2019t have many leads to work on, you could focus on building brand awareness to get more potential customers into your marketing funnel . Shareable social media content will help here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cnew users\u201d metric in Google Analytics is a good brand awareness KPI\u2014it shows the percentage of visitors who are viewing your content for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are other KPIs you can set, but they\u2019re all about learning how to track and measure your success .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, you\u2019ll only have basic information. Existing sales and social media marketing analytics data should indicate your typical buyer\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The more detail you add, the easier it\u2019ll be to deliver personalized services and interactions for future customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Say you learn your target audience regularly uses instant messaging apps but only calls brands as a last resort. You could tailor your service by adding WhatsApp as a contact channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or you might learn most of your ideal customers use Twitter and Instagram, but only some use Facebook. You could then build your social media marketing campaign around Twitter and Instagram primarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use Semrush\u2019s Market Explorer to research and get data on your target audience. Here\u2019s a snippet of the info you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your audience and its preferences may evolve. Track this data over time so you can tailor your online marketing efforts accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While you\u2019ll eventually need a range of marketing channels to reach all corners of your target audience, starting a blog is a great first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This content should help your organic search performance while nurturing and supporting leads at all stages of the buying journey. Apply SEO content best practices to drive more traffic to your website and create new sales opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve built up some content, you can supplement your blog by repurposing articles for social media and promoting them with paid ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While you likely won\u2019t dominate the Google rankings overnight, you can boost organic traffic and lay a sturdy SEO foundation with a few quick actions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlight important pages with relevant internal links . Help visitors navigate your site by linking related content together. Avoid using vague anchor text like \u201cclick here\u201d to enhance UX and crawlability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remove or merge duplicate content . If you have different pages with the same content, you may encounter SEO issues like keyword cannibalization. Use Semrush\u2019s Site Audit tool to identify problematic pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tighten site security . Set up HTTPS, install firewalls, and use multi-factor authentication in your CMS (content management system) and other website logins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improve your site speed . Site speed matters for SEO and UX. Run Google\u2019s PageSpeed Insights tool to see how your site currently stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These fundamentals will set a good foundation as you start building your wider SEO strategy and adding more content to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on your research, choose the social media channel where your target audience spends the most time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That will be the most direct part of your online marketing plan. It\u2019s a place to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you try to do all those things on multiple platforms at the same time, you risk losing track of conversations. You may also struggle to post regularly enough to keep followers engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re undecided about which platform to start with, open business accounts on two, post similar content (for now), and see which gets the most engagement. Over time, you can refine your tactics to be more platform-specific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s plenty of tech out there to help you plan, implement, and measure your online marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choosing the right tools can be tough, so we picked five of the best beginner-friendly digital marketing tools to start with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Semrush is an online visibility management platform that gives you all the information you need to improve organic search performance, maximize content marketing returns, and grow your social media profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Semrush is always expanding. Users have access to over 55 tools and reports to help measure results for content, social media, paid ads, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not convinced? Our platform helped one SEO agency increase its client\u2019s mobile organic traffic by 460% .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Google Analytics is crucial for tracking your content marketing campaign performance. Its data will help you understand how people interact with your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use that behavioral information to bolster customer profiles, refine personalization efforts, and determine whether you\u2019re reaching the right people with your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reports on a range of factors, including links, sitemaps, indexing, and search appearance. Its insights will help you optimize your site to drive more organic traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since launching as a CRM (customer relationship management) platform in 2006, HubSpot has evolved to become a well-rounded marketing automation tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use its varied toolkit to manage and streamline your online marketing efforts and get bigger returns from your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Users can also connect HubSpot to a range of other sales and marketing tools, including Semrush .<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The content you create on Canva can enrich nearly any type of online marketing program. For example, consider publishing insightful infographics on your blog or sharing helpful explainer videos on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online courses are fantastic for learning how to do online marketing well. You can learn from industry experts at a pace that suits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The right course depends on your current level of knowledge, what you want to get better at, and the time you have available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Semrush Academy offers an expanding range of online courses covering all the main digital marketing disciplines, including SEO, paid search, content marketing, and social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use the search bar at the top of the webpage to find what you want. Or scroll through the course catalog for inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It currently offers broad courses like a Digital Marketing Certification Course, as well as more specific programs like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HubSpot\u2019s course content takes various forms to suit a range of learning styles. Along with classic video guides, there are ebooks, webinars, and quizzes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, you\u2019ll find a wide range of topics useful to most marketers and small business owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Google created a lot of its own Digital Garage content, you\u2019ll also find courses from established institutions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can create a new account or sign in with your existing Google account, although the platform will ask for a few extra details before you start a course.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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