Mastering Digital Marketing: Strategies for Success

Digital Marketing is everywhere, but it’s not just social media, and it's not just digital advertising — it’s more than that. Let's explore the different elements of digital marketing and define it.

What is Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing can be defined as creating a dialogue with today's modern audience that builds a community around a brand or organization. It's all about building trust and providing customers with long-term value so that they become advocates who bring you more customers. Digital marketers must have a thorough understanding of search engine optimization, organic and paid search, display marketing, social media marketing, marketing automation, multi-channel analytics, always-on campaigns and desktop and mobile user experiences — all to get the right messages to the right people in the right places.

• Keeping up with the latest trends and strategies is crucial for digital marketing success. In a recent Marcom Today blog, we covered 4 Digital Marketing Trends and How Brands are Using Them.

Understanding the strategy behind the different digital marketing elements is important to a successful digital marketing campaign.

Components and Strategies within Digital Marketing

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing a website’s content and structure to improve its visibility on search engines’ organic search results. The goal is to enhance the website’s relevance to specific keywords and provide a seamless user experience. Key components include keyword research, on-page optimization, content quality and link building.
• Paid Search, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked, which shows up based on keywords searched. Rather than earning the organic traffic with keywords, you bid for the keywords.
• Display Marketing is a method of reaching your audience to attract them to your company’s website, social media platform or other digital medium to take a specific action. Some common types include banner ads, video ads and native advertising.
• Social Media Marketing uses  social networks for marketing purposes involves strategically creating and sharing content, engaging with an audience, and using data analytics to measure the efficacy of different campaigns. The purpose of social media marketing is to leverage social media platforms for the promotion of brands, products and services.
• Marketing Automation is used to make routine marketing tasks automated, without the need for human interaction. Commonly email marketing is automated based on a form submission or action taken.
• Always-On Campaigns are one strategy used with digital marketing ads that do not require a specific time or date. They are continuous campaigns that run in the background used to create a constant presence and engagement with your target audience.
• Mobile Marketing was developed with the increasing use of smartphones to target ads tailored to users on mobile devices. Mobile Marketing includes creating mobile-friendly websites, mobile messaging and location targeting to drive website traffic, optimize conversions, create value and track performance.
• Content Marketing involves creating and publishing content such as videos, blogs and social media posts that generate interest in a brand without being highly promotional. Content has had an evolving role in marketing and requires real, authentic content.
• Email Marketing utilizes email lists to promote a brand's products, offerings, services or discounts. It is typically used to create brand awareness and generate leads or sales.

Authenticity and Community in Digital Marketing

Making genuine connections is one of the best ways to stand out in a competitive world.

We hear authenticity mentioned a lot, but it is an important aspect of digital marketing. People don’t want the sales approach. Authenticity cannot be manufactured. The true art of authenticity is being true to your values and who you are as a person (or as a brand).

Part of authenticity involves a human touch and connection. You can build a community around your brand by building trust and proving a long-term value. So, how can you make your brand authentic? You need to be genuine and transparent in your brand’s identity, values and purpose across all touchpoints.

By being authentic, you’ll be able to have a community that drives brand advocacy and word-of-mouth marketing.

• Interested in the different roles digital marketers work in? We cover 8 job titles in digital marketing communications what what you do in those roles in one of our recent blog posts!

Examples of Digital Marketing Campaigns

Brooks: Love, Hope and Titanium

Marvel star Jeremy Renner shares his story about his snowplow accident, recovery and how Brooks helped his recovery. He was told he wasn’t going to be able to walk properly again, let alone run. After recovery, the three-and-a-half-minute ad shows how having the right footwear contributed to his recovery. This is one component of their “ Let’s Run There” campaign, which is an invitation to feel like our favorite selves and venture where we’re scared to go. With a focus on authenticity, the brand’s strategy includes celebrity endorsement, cross-channel publishing and digital storytelling.

International Paralympic Committee: #ChangeStartsWithSport

The International Paralympic Committee has released a new ad to challenge perceptions about the Paralympics. Building on the idea that the Paralympics is usually seen as bringing people with disabilities together to participate in a celebratory sporting event, the ad emphasizes the athleticism competition that takes place during the event. To continue with this message, the committee has been releasing athlete spotlights using the hashtag #ChangeStartsWithSport. The message highlights real people for the human connection touchpoint and is shared across various digital platforms.

Learn More About Digital Marketing

WVU’s M.S. in Digital Marketing Communications gives you the strategy, skill and knowledge to not only launch digital marketing campaigns but also prove the ROI and reach the audiences your brand needs to reach. With built-in certifications and an industry-focused curriculum, you’ll be ready to make an impact in the digital space by learning:

• Audience Segmentation. Explore demographic data and other key indicators that can inform successful campaigns, and which data best serve the development of unique market segments to support specific marketing communication goals.
• Digital Storytelling. Explore advanced thinking and strategies for concepting, developing and promoting digital content used in product marketing and anchored in brand storytelling. Create visual content that reaches targeted audiences across various channels.
• Campaign Metrics and Assessment. Explore how data informs key performance indicators that define a campaign’s success. Students examine how metrics can rely on data for maximum benefit and survey available metrics and assessment platforms.

Learn how to meet your audiences where they are through SEO, organic and paid search, display marketing, social media marketing, marketing automation, content marketing, multi-channel analytics and desktop and mobile user experiences. Request more information today!

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