Marketing Tip #9

What Is Digital Marketing: Definition, History, and The Power of Having a Digital Marketing Strategy

What is the history of digital marketing?

The history of digital marketing dates back to when the web was first developed. Digital marketing is the promotion of brands to connect with potential customers through digital marketing tools such as social media, email marketing, and search engine optimization.

Migration to digital marketing began decades ago, with offline campaigns using print media and direct mail. As the internet became popular amongst consumers, many businesses started to look to the web to get in front of their potential customers. This began an online trend known today as digital marketing.

Online advertising didn’t reach popularity until the internet revolution of 1994. Back in 2007, Customer Experience (CX) was estimated to be worth $2.9 trillion. In other words, about half of the worldwide GDP at that time could improve customer experience with improved digital marketing in one year.


What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing defines the process of turning your business and its products into good business ideas. "Digital" refers to technologies that are digital in nature: the Internet. The process evolves as new technologies are used and eventually becomes a "movement" or movement that relies heavily on digital strategies.

What is a Digital Marketing Strategy?

A digital marketing strategy is a plan on how you are going to advertise your business in the digital world. To have an efficient strategy that will bring you the most return on your investment, you need to understand who your target audience is, what platforms they are actively using, and how to effectively advertise on those platforms.

Digital marketing consists of advertisements delivered through digital channels. This includes social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. While social media is one of the most popular ways to implement digital marketing, there are many other ways to advertise your business digitally. Search engines such as Google are just as important to your digital marketing strategy as social media. 48% of consumers start their inquiries on search engines, while 33% look to brand websites and 26% search within mobile applications.

Digital marketing encompasses several different methods of using technology for advertising and making direct marketing connections with a targeted consumer. It usually involves blending traditional and digital elements to reach consumers where they spend the majority of their time, hence the importance of knowing what platforms your audience is using.

How can you create a successful Digital Marketing Strategy?

Every digital marketing strategy is different and needs to be tailored to the specific needs of your business. The best way to create a successful digital marketing strategy is to understand the market and your audience. Once you know who your target audience is, then you can start effectively marketing to their needs and wants. A digital marketing strategy for a small business must be realistic. Digital marketing, in general, has become more expensive and companies need to research the best ways to target their customers. In order to succeed, a small company must design a plan that fits its budget. Your marketing strategy can help you take the next steps in turning your business into a successful one, but only if you know what you are willing to spend on paid ads (if applicable) and the amount of time you put into generating content and ads that will convert.

A successful digital marketing strategy requires the following: building a subscriber list, creating content that is valuable and engaging for your audience, and being present on social media platforms. A subscriber list will allow you to stay top-of-mind for anybody that engages with your business, whether they are customers or leads. Engaging with your audience will allow your customers and leads to be nurtured, which will help boost your engagement rates. Remaining present on social media platforms, especially the ones your target consumer is actively using, will allow you to build an organic reach to get in front of new prospects.

Who does Digital Marketing work for?

Digital marketing has the power to change how consumers think. It is a powerful digital strategy that is constantly evolving and changing with emerging technologies. Digital marketing works for any type of business - big or small. No matter if you are a local artist looking to make a name for yourself, a small family-owned business, or a large corporation; digital marketing will help scale your business at a pace (and price) you are comfortable with.

HTX Marketing Group knows what it takes to help grow businesses, both small and large. Whether you are looking for organic or paid growth, HTX Marketing Group will help you grow your business your way. Click the button below to schedule your introductory strategy call or call us at (713) 965-7370 to get started today!

Written by Adam Hundley

Published on September 9, 2021

Adam is the Founder of HTX Marketing Group. After realizing an unexpected passion of helping small businesses grow when growing the marketing department at a local law firm, he decided to turn his passion into a bigger project and founded HTX Marketing Group. He strongly believes in working in tandem with business owners and their staff to ensure that the businesses they worked hard to open sees the growth and success to keep them going.

HTX Marketing Group is not your normal Marketing Agency. We work with you to grow your business your way. Not growing fast enough? We can help. Growing at a steady rate, but want more results? We can help. Whether it is paid ads on social media or search engines, creating content for your website or social media channels, newsletters to keep your existing clients and customers front of mind, or coaching your team how to run your marketing department on autopilot, HTX Marketing Group will guide you.

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