What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is promoting companies via internet channels such as search engines, social media, email and websites to reach potential customers where they spend time online.
What exactly is digital marketing?
Digital Marketing uses internet technology to reach customers via Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, email and websites. It differs from traditional marketing (TV, radio, print) because it is measurable, targetable and interactive.
The main goals are:
Brand awareness
Generate website traffic
Create leads and sales
Build customer relationships
Why is digital marketing important for companies?
95% of consumers use the internet for purchasing decisions, which is why companies must be visible online.
Advantages of digital marketing:
Cost effective : cheaper than traditional advertising
Measurable : Exact ROI tracking possible
Targetable : Reach specific target groups
Scalable : matches every budget
Interactive : Direct customer communication
What types of digital marketing are there?
1. Search engine optimization (SEO)
SEO ensures that your website appears higher in Google search results for relevant keywords.
Three main types:
ON-PAGE SEO : Optimize content and keywords
Off-page SEO : get backlinks from other websites
Technical SEO : improve website speed and crawlability
2. Social media marketing
Social Media Marketing uses Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Tiktok to increase brand awareness and reach customers.
Effective tactics:
Regularly post valuable content
Building engagement by reactions and messages
Paid advertisements for targeted target groups
Influencer collaborations
3. Content marketing
Content Marketing creates valuable content (blogs, videos, infographics) that solves customers problems.
Successful content strategies include:
Blog posts that answer questions
Instruction videos and tutorials
Downloadable guides and white papers
Podcast Interviews and Webinars
4. Email marketing
Email Marketing sends targeted messages to customers through newsletters, promotions and automated sequences.
Best practices:
Segment email lists per customer type
Personalize subject lines and content
Test different shipping times
Use Automation for Welcome series
5. Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)
PPC-advertising places paid advertisements on Google, Facebook and other platforms where you only pay when clicking.
Popular PPC platforms:
Google Ads : Search advertisements and display
Facebook Ads : Social Media Targeting
LinkedIn Ads : reach B2B professionals
Youtube Ads : video marketing
6. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate Marketing is a performance-based system in which partners promote products against committee per sale.
Advantages for companies:
Pay only for results
Access to new target groups
External promotion expertise
Risk-poor marketing model
7. Online PR
Online PR manages brand image via digital media, blogger-outreach and review management.
Important activities:
Press release distribution online
Blogger and journalist relationships
Online review monitoring
Crisis communication management
Does digital marketing work for all companies?
Yes, digital marketing works for companies of all sizes and sectors because strategies are scalable and adaptable.
Advantages per business type:
Local companies : Google My Business and Local SEO
E-commerce : Product ads and retargeting
B2B services : LinkedIn marketing and content marketing
Restaurants : Social Media and Delivery app Marketing
How do you start with digital marketing?
Start with these three foundations: an optimized website, valuable content creation, and social media presence.
Step 1: Website fundaments
Mobile-friendly design
Fast loading times (under 3 seconds)
Clear navigation and call-to-actions
SSL certificate for safety
Step 2: Content strategy
Identify customer questions and problems
Create useful content every week
Optimize content for search engines
Share content on social platforms
Step 3: Social media setup
Choose 2-3 relevant platforms
Make consistent brand identity
Regularly post valuable content
Respond quickly to messages and comments
What does digital marketing cost?
Digital marketing budgets range from € 500- € 50,000+ per month depending on business size and goals.
Average costs per channel:
SEO : € 1,000- € 5,000/month for professional services
Google Ads : € 500- € 10,000/month advertisement budget
Social Media Management : € 800- € 3,000/month
Email marketing : € 50- € 500/month for software
Content Marketing : € 1,500- € 8,000/month
How do you measure digital marketing success?
Measure digital marketing results via website analytics, conversion tracking and ROI calculations.
Most important metrics:
Website traffic : visitors and page views
Conversion rate : percentage of visitors that becomes a customer
Cost per acquisition (CPA) : Costs per new customer
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) : Total customer value
Return on Ad Spend (Roas) : turnover per advertisement
Digital marketing tools and software
Essential tools for digital marketing are Google Analytics, Google ADS, Social Media Schedulers and email marketing platforms.
Recommended tool-stack:
Analytics : Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console
SEO : Semrush, Ahrefs, MoZ
Social Media : Hootsuite, Buffer, later
Email : MailChimp, Convertkit, ActiveCampaign
Design : Canva, Adobe Creative Suite
CRM : HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive
Summary: Digital Marketing Essentials
Digital marketing combines SEO, social media, content, email, PPC and PR to reach online customers and to realize business growth.
Success factors:
Start with website optimization
Focus on solving customer problems
Meet and optimize continuously
Stay consistent in content creation
Invest in long-term strategies
Start today: choose one digital marketing channel, implement the basic tactics and gradually expand into a complete strategy.
