Top 5 Types of Digital Marketing and Their Benefits

Updated on: Aug 25, 2021
Types-of-Digital-Marketing-Featured-Image

It’s 2022 and if you still haven’t heard about digital marketing, it’s time you did. Digital marketing has been in major play in the last 5 years and saw a massive book since the covid-19 pandemic. 

While most industries and sectors were hit badly, digital marketing experienced an amazing rise because it helped companies re-establish themselves and survive the pandemic. Thus, the scope of digital marketing saw a significant upward trend. 

In this blog, we’re going to help you understand what digital marketing is and what all comes under this umbrella. 

 

What is Digital Marketing and why is it Important? 

Digital marketing is using any online tools and devices for marketing purposes. These connected devices include mobile phones, computers, and more. Messages are circulated through search engines, social media, websites, and emails. Digital marketing is conversion-oriented.

In the past decade, digital marketing has become integral to a company’s overall marketing strategy. Here’s the best digital marketing tutorial if you want to catch some quick insights.

The use of digital marketing is very important in today’s online world. Let’s have a look at how it can help your business or company grow and flourish – 

  • Cost-effective – Digital marketing is much more cost-effective than traditional marketing. Read more in our blog on Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing for a more detailed approach. 
  • High reach and engagement – The reach for digital marketing is global and Digital marketing has a 2-way conversation; hence, the engagement is very high.
  • Effective targeting – One can effectively target niche audiences with various digital campaign tools.
  • Instant results – When it comes to digital marketing, the results are instant and measurable in real-time which is a huge advantage.

Now without further ado, let’s look at all the types of digital marketing that exist and businesses can use. 

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What are the Top 5 Types of Digital Marketing?

TOP 5 TYPES OF DIGITAL MARKETING KEY BENEFITS
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Higher Ranking on SERPs of Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Increased website traffic and lead generation
Social Media Marketing (SMM) Growth in brand recognition and website traffic
Email Marketing Reaching an already engaged audience with personalized content
Content Marketing Audience retention with high-quality content such as blogs, podcasts, infographics, and videos

Digital marketing is an ever-growing industry will newer technologies and practices entering the market. But there are 5 basic and veteran types of digital marketing that are still given much more attention than the rest. 

The top 5 types of digital marketing are-

 

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)


SEO or Search Engine Optimization is one of the oldest types of digital marketing existing since the time Google introduced its ranking algorithm. By definition, SEO is a process of continuously improving your website so that it shows up higher on the SERPs or Search Engine Result Pages. 

Fun Fact: Google Algorithm gets 500-600 updates every year which means that your SEO strategies have to undergo significant changes after each round of updates. 

As the number of websites increases, SEO efforts and strategies have also increased. The main aim is to improve web traffic to your website and generate leads that ultimately convert into sales. SEO refers to all the organic efforts to rank higher on the SERP and not paid.

Some examples of SEO strategies are –

  • Keyword Research
  • Optimizing on-page elements (images, content, etc.)
  • Improving the backend of your website
  • Building links
  • Stay consistent with creating content

Check out this online SEO course that’ll help you with search engine optimization better with an understanding of SEO tools such as Google Search Console, Moz, and Yoast. Now is the time to build your own SEO strategy!

 

2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

SEM or Search engine marketing is an umbrella under which SEO and Paid Ad Marketing exists. Since SEO is a wider and independent concept, SEM is often synonymous with Paid Ad Marketing. SEM is a strategy that leverages paid ads with the help of search engines.

These ads are displayed on the search engine result pages or SERPs. Pay-per-click is a great search engine marketing strategy wherein the advertiser only pays for every click on the advertisement. It is conversion-oriented.

Ads can be of various types- Display Ads, Text Ads, Banner Ads, Interactive Ads, Search Ads, Video Ads, Shopping Ads, etc. To choose which type of ad is suitable for your campaign, you must set your objectives and KPIs in place. 

Google Ads is one of the best platforms to conduct SEM. Get started with it through this online Google Ads Course.

 

3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social media marketing is using various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. to put out your marketing message. Ever since Facebook entered the social media industry, brands started using social media as a promotional platform. With social media, you can reach a large and relevant target audience.

The other many benefits of social media marketing are- 

  • Increased brand awareness
  • Better rankings on search engine 
  • Improved website traffic
  • Lead generation
  • Growth in sales
  • Increased brand loyalty and reputation 

Apart from the generic social media marketing strategies, user-generated content is a great social media strategy as it builds credibility and also trusts amongst potential customers.

Moment marketing is another great strategy. For example, Amul has always been able to create relatable, topical content in tandem with the latest news and happenings all over the world.

amul- types of digital marketing

Looking for a short course on social media marketing? Check out this online social media marketing course to hone your digital marketing skills.

 

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is promoting your brand with the use of email. Email is considered one of the earliest connections of mankind to the digital age. 

But the tool of email marketing has recently gained popularity for the direct results it gives websites. The main objective of email marketing can be growth in revenue and also brand visibility. Some good email strategy examples are – 

  • Email personalization – personalized emails give the brand a humane touch and make the customer feel valued
  • Audience segmentation – Email segmentation can help your message reach the right audience. Segmentation is carried out by grouping audiences with similar demographics and likes and preferences.
  • Mobile-optimized email designs – More than half of internet users check their emails on their phone when not at work and a significant number of clicks are through the mobile. Hence, mobile optimization is necessary. 

Here’s a short online email marketing course that can help you masters email marketing tools like Mailchimp and BeePro.

 

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing is defined as creating brand awareness via information. The channels of information can be different such as blogs, videos, podcasts, social media, press releases, etc for promotional purposes. Content marketing also helps in SEO ranking. Good content marketing strategy examples are –

  • Create relatable content – If your target audience, for example, is younger people then create reels, Tiktok videos, and other such formats to engage them.
  • Trending content – trending content with the right hashtags can make your content go viral.
  • Keywords – Relevant keywords are very important as it helps in making the content SEO-friendly.
  • Collaborations – Brand and influencer collaborations will get visibility on your page.

Fun Fact: The oldest form of content is a blog which was first published by Justin Hall under Links.net to publish his writings publicly.

This online content marketing course is everything you need to enhance your content marketing skills.

 

What are the 20 Trending Types of Digital Marketing?

Now that we have looked at the basic types of digital marketing, it is now time to understand the trending types of digital marketing that has created new avenues of promotion and branding for businesses.

6. Paid Media Advertising

Paid advertising is a paid form of advertising as opposed to organic results. 

  • Banner ads – these ads appear as web banners on other websites
  • Pay-per-click ads – these are ads that target potential customers that may already be interested in your product or service. As the name suggests, advertisers pay per click.
  • Influencer marketing – This involves advertising through an influencer or an opinion leader to promote your brand. Here’s an example of Lays Influencer Marketing campaign- 

lays influencer marketing- types of digital marketing

7. E-commerce

E-commerce marketing is the selling of products through online platforms and websites.

  • Integrate social media – It is important to always include your social media platforms through link-out buttons
  • Leverage Email campaigns – Send wishlist and cart reminders to all potential customers or announce the launch of new products through newsletters. You also need to redirect users from your social media to your e-store.
  • Content is key – Excellent quality images and content is essential for sales

This Online Ecommerce training course will help you set up your own eCommerce store. Go ahead and check it out.

8. Ad Design

Design plays a key component in any kind of marketing communication. In advertising, your design captures the attention of your potential consumer. Some examples of ad design strategies are –

  • Use appealing visuals
  • Include negative space – avoid clutter with imagery 
  • Align your landing page with your ad

Check this ad design online course out – it even has practice tests and assignments.

9. App Store Optimization

Apps are the future of digital marketing. What is better than having access to everything on your mobile phone? Optimizing your Android and iOS apps is very important to capture attention. Some app optimization examples include –

  • Quality Icons
  • Adding videos
  • Using relevant keywords
  • Including reviews

Check out our IIDE’S online app optimization course.

10. Copywriting

A compelling copy can really add to your marketing efforts. It needs to be powerful, sometimes have an emotional connect and also conversion driven. Some effective copywriting strategies that you can put to use include –

  • Use urgency
  • Include call-to-action
  • Highlight all the important information

Master your copywriting skills with IIDE’s online copywriting course.

11. Media Planning

Media planning involves when, how, and what kind of advertising message should be put out there. Media planning strategies when developing a plan include aligning business and marketing objectives for maximum results and analyzing the outcome.

Here’s our online media planning course you should consider with live sessions and Q & A support.

12. Online Reputation Management

A positive brand image is very important to building a loyal customer base. This is crucial for a long-term relationship with your clients. Online reputation management, digital PR, and personal branding step in here. It needs internet monitoring and control of messages.

  • Increase internet presence
  • Act upon mishaps at the earliest 
  • Take note of customer feedback

Buffer, Google Alerts, and BuzzSumo are some tools you’ll master in this online reputation management course.

13. Website Planning

Your website is like a business card to your company. It speaks volumes of what your company stands for, what they do, and its policies and ethics. It is important to develop a website that matches your brand personality. Here are a few strategies to keep in mind when developing your website-

  • Choose value-adding plus-ins
  • Mobile-friendly interface
  • Make sure to use keywords to rank

Check out this WordPress and Website planning online course now!

14. Advertisement Planning

Wondering how to create a comprehensive advertising plan to create targeted ROI-driven Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns? Here are some strategies for an ideal advertisement plan – 

  • Use Facebook Ads Analytics to measure ad results
  • Match your ads and website design
  • Cross-promote on social media

This Facebook online Ads course will get you started on ROI from Facebook and Instagram Ads.

Did these examples inspire you to strategize better? We recommend that you read these top digital marketing examples and case studies for some more inspo!

15. Performance Marketing 

Performance Marketing includes all those marketing campaigns where the advertiser pays the merchant only when a certain action is performed by a user. For example, whenever a user clicks on the link, the advertiser pays the merchant. 

Here are the most popular Performance Marketing metrics:

  • Cost Per Click (CPC)
  • Click Through Rate (CTR)
  • Cost Per Conversion (CPC)
  • Impressions
  • Cost Per Lead (CPL)

Read our blog on Performance Marketing for a more detailed guide.

16. Inbound Marketing 

When you try to create awareness about your brand through creating valuable content, it is known as Inbound Marketing. Inbound Marketing lets the customer decides their actions instead of brands pushing them. 

If a brand is following an inbound marketing methodology, they primarily adopt the following strategy-

  • Attract– Use blogs, social media posts, podcasts, and other forms of content to attract traffic
  • Engage– Use remarketing strategies to further engage an already attracted audience
  • Delight– Now is the time to use smart content and personalized conversations to convert the audience into sales

Must ReadTop 11 Benefits of Digital Marketing.

17. Outbound Marketing 

When the company reaches out directly to potential leads/customers and directly tries to sell their product/service, it is known as outbound marketing. Outbound marketing includes paid media marketing, email marketing, and even cold calling. Both Inbound and Outbound marketing are those types of digital marketing that need to be used in proportion to one another.

18. Integrated Marketing 

A marketing technique that tells you to spread the same message and create the same brand image across all types of digital marketing channels is known as integrated marketing. 

Here’s an infographic by Adroll that will help you understand Integrated Marketing briefly-

integrated marketing- types of digital marketing


19. Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate programs caught wind of those wanting to earn a little extra money in the 90s and still remain one of the most successful types of digital marketing. Influencers and experts in your niche can be your affiliates who sell the idea of your product or service to their audience and then earn a commission on each sale.

20. Referral Marketing 

One of the types of digital marketing that involve the masses is referral marketing. In referral marketing, each referral earns certain benefits or incentives after referring a product or service to their family or friends. 

Here’s an example of Jio’s Referral Program-

jio refferal program- types of digital marketing.

21. Conversion Rate Optimization

Strategies created to optimize the conversion rate for better lead generation, higher ROI, and sales come under Conversion Rate Optimization. Popularly known as CRO, every brand is integrating this particular metric so that you can judge the outcome of the campaigns much better. 

Some CRO strategies in 2022 can be-

  • Reoptimize high-performing blogs
  • A/B Testing on landing pages
  • Personalized messages on top-converting web pages
  • Remarketing strategies via email marketing
  • Attractive CTAs for your blogs

Learn the A-Z of CRO in this advanced certificate course.

22. Mobile Marketing

Mobile searches contribute to 60% of the total search volume. Hence one of the most important types of digital marketing that brands need to look towards is mobile marketing. When all your digital marketing efforts are directed at the user’s experience on the mobile phone, it is known as mobile marketing. 

Under mobile marketing, you can include:

  • SMS Marketing
  • In-App Optimization
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Whatsapp Marketing
  • Proximity Marketing
  • Location-based Marketing

Since mobile marketing is the future, it is important that you understand all the above concepts and try optimizing your website content according to smartphone interfaces.

23. SMS Marketing 

Marketing by sending SMS in bulk to a database is known as SMS Marketing. While SMS Marketing sounds every easy, there are a few principles that you must follow before creating a strategy-

  • Ensure that you have got the timing right. Sending promotional SMSs at midnight is less effective than those sent during the day.
  • Branding is a must while drifting the SMS that you wish to roll out. Without your brand’s name, the SMS is as good as any other text.
  • The first two lines really decide whether a particular person is ready to convert or not. So take time to write an eye-catching SMS copy.

Here is an example of SMS Marketing- 

sms marketing- types of digital marketing

24. WhatsApp Marketing 

One of the newest types of digital marketing includes WhatsApp Marketing. A type of messenger marketing, brands tapped into the opportunity of attracting 2 billion active users on Whatsapp as soon as they rolled out a business account feature. 

Studies show that text messages have a 98% open rate which means that it is one of the highly convertible forms of digital marketing as well.

 

25. Video Marketing 

Creating brand awareness via video sharing platforms is known as Video Marketing. Another trending type of digital marketing is video marketing which has taken the world by storm with Youtube and short-form videos such as Reels, TikTok and Youtube Shorts. 

To create a good video marketing strategy, you must-

  • Set your video goals
  • Research and close your target audience 
  • Create a storyline 
  • Involve a creative and trending element
  • Set a shooting budget that is realistic and justifies your numbers

Here’s a video marketing statistic that shows the growth of this type of digital marketing over the years.

video marketing- types of digital marketing

(Source: Website Planet)

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Types of Digital Marketing Courses

Are you looking to upskill? With the immense scope that digital marketing has to offer, it is important to keep learning. To stand out from the crowd, any kind of digital marketing certifications or intensive courses would add value to your resume. Let’s have a look at some of the digital marketing courses –

Short-term courses – If you’re an entrepreneur looking to understand digital marketing for your business, this is perfect. Most short courses last for a few weeks and give you the flexibility of learning from the comfort of your home. Check out IIDE’s range of short-term certification courses with which you can specialize in any particular type of digital marketing as well.

Certificate courses – Certificate courses are perfect for anybody who wants to join the digital marketing field in a short time with very little investment of time. This is great for working professionals from other industries who want to switch to digital marketing but have no formal education in the field. Our 4-month advanced digital marketing certificate course offers you the perfect crash course!

Postgraduate courses – There are quite a few postgraduate courses in digital marketing that can equip you with formal education which simply means that you can demand a higher salary package. An intensive course also expands your knowledge base and skills, making you a very valuable asset to any company. Don’t miss out on our MBA in Digital Marketing!

Bonus Read: Everything you need to know about drafting a digital marketing resume

To Summarise 

There are many different types of digital marketing jobs out there with so much scope. It is necessary to be familiar with all the types of digital marketing, its scope, tools, jobs, salaries as well as how to draft a good digital marketing resume. Hence, a good well-rounded candidate is what you need to aim to be.

Another important thing for every aspiring digital marketer is to be updated with the latest digital marketing trends in the industry. 

Check out our blog for all your queries related to digital marketing jobs, salaries, and more. Our experts at IIDE are here to save the day! 

We do hope that you enjoyed reading this blog. Let us know in the comments below.

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Karan Shah

Founder and CEO at IIDE

He is a passionate public speaker and teacher for over 10 years. He has trained over 60,000+ students and 25+ corporates in Digital Marketing via online and offline channels. He is a Harvard alumnus specialising in E-commerce......[Read full bio]

14 Comments

  1. Logan Torres

    Such a great read regarding an overview of digital marketing as well as the various types and their benefits for continued business success. Thanks for this.

    Reply
  2. muhammed rahees

    the blog is very understandeble and learn about digital marketing stretagy. thank you

    Reply
  3. masin pt

    I like you blog. This is easy to understand and know about digital marketing.

    Reply
  4. digital sandip

    Nice information . I am so much appreciate you for this blog so much knowledge here.

    Reply
  5. Riddhi Jain

    Digital marketing uses various ways to promote products or services online. This includes SEO to improve website visibility, PPC for ads, social media marketing on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, email marketing, content marketing, and influencer marketing. Understanding these methods helps businesses reach and engage their online audience effectively.

    Reply
  6. Riti

    This blog on the different types of digital marketing is very informative and was helpful for me and would highly recommend it to viewers

    Reply
  7. Saasha Bonthu

    The top five forms of digital marketing are highlighted in this blog post along with their advantages. It covers tactics including pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). The article describes how every kind of digital marketing may assist companies in connecting with their target market and accomplishing their marketing objectives. It’s a helpful tool for anyone trying to learn about the many digital marketing tactics out there and how to apply them to improve online visibility and encourage company expansion.

    Reply
  8. Rudrarajsinh Zala

    Hey, so there are these cool ways to market stuff online, like Marketing types: Inbound marketing, video marketing, SEO, Social Media, Emails, Content, and PPC Ads. SEO gets your website noticed in searches, Social Media rocks on platforms like Facebook, Emails shoot out messages, Content share useful info, and PPC Ads pop up where people search. It’s like a digital marketing party with different vibes!

    Reply
  9. Ridhima Mungekar

    This article effectively navigates the diverse world of digital marketing. It lays out various channels like content creation, social media engagement, and SEO, explaining their unique uses and target audiences. Highlighting new trends like influencer marketing and voice search adds valuable insight. Whether you’re a business exploring options or an individual seeking understanding, this article serves as a well-structured guide.

    Reply
  10. Rijul Jain

    The blog provides a comprehensive overview of different types, including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing (SMM), Pay-Per-Click (PPC), Content Marketing, and Email Marketing. Each type has its unique benefits and target audience. The blog offers valuable insights for beginners and professionals alike, highlighting the diverse landscape of digital marketing channels available today.

    Reply
  11. Binal

    Informative read on digital marketing types! It’s fascinating how SEO, social media, and email marketing each contribute uniquely to online visibility. Great overview for beginners, thanks for sharing!!By the way what’s gonna be the fees of these courses?

    Reply
  12. Abhinav Uppal

    Love your list of the top 5 digital marketing methods! It’s super clear and easy to understand, and I appreciate how you explain the benefits of each one. Which kind of digital marketing do you find to be the most effective?

    Reply
  13. Arya Shukla

    Really helpful for a beginner like me who are looking to make career out of digital marketing. i want some of the top institutions to learn to learn digital marketing in Delhi please include. amazing blog. Thank you IIDE

    Reply
  14. Revathi waghinkar

    Thanks for sorting this out for me. Really helpfull

    Reply

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