What is Digital Marketing?
The evolution of technology has made Digital Marketing an indispensable part for most businesses. However, there are various definitions and concepts related to this field, leading to challenges in identifying and accessing the most accurate and relevant information. This article introduces perspectives and concepts of Digital Marketing from renowned global marketing experts and scholars.
Digital Marketing Environment
Analyzing the environment and conducting marketing research are critical when planning and implementing any Digital Marketing campaign. This ensures that Digital Marketing activities align with the market context, current state, desires, and issues of the business, meeting the needs and insights of customers.
Elements of the Digital Marketing Environment
The elements that Marketers need to consider in the Digital Marketing environment include macro-environment, micro-environment, and internal business and product factors. Analyzing these elements helps businesses identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the Marketing mix model, leading to a sound and suitable Digital Marketing strategy.
Micro-Environment
The micro-environment includes factors directly related to the business, brand, and external forces. Before planning any Digital Marketing campaign, businesses need to analyze information related to suppliers, customers, partners, competitors, and the public.
Macro-Environment
The macro-environment affects Digital Marketing activities through forces impacting the overall industry environment and not directly affecting the business. Typically, the macro-environment includes demographics, economics, technology, socio-cultural, and political-legal components.
Internal Business Environment
The internal business environment comprises internal organizational factors influencing Digital Marketing activities, specifically including human resources, budget, technology, business strategy, history, and corporate culture. Businesses need to identify which factors are unchangeable, which should be included in communication and Digital Marketing activities, strengths to be leveraged, and changeable factors.
Customer Journey in Digital Marketing
According to Salesforce, 80% of marketing experts say the customer journey is essential for a successful Digital Marketing campaign. The customer journey plays a crucial role in Digital Marketing, specifically:
- Measuring the effectiveness and customer engagement in Digital Marketing campaigns.
- Designing Digital Marketing strategies to improve each step of the purchasing process.
- Identifying shortcomings in Digital Marketing strategies and making appropriate adjustments.
- Supporting businesses in implementing cost-effective and accurate Digital Marketing plans.
Process and Tools for Digital Marketing Research Research before deploying a Digital Marketing campaign helps businesses understand vital information such as customers, market, and competitors. Therefore, businesses need to research online marketing, Digital Marketing information systems, and Database Marketing using appropriate online marketing research tools.
Benefits of Applying Digital Marketing
- Convenience
- Low initial costs
- Broader, deeper, and faster reach
- Easy control and measurement
- Building customer relationships
- Targeting specific customers