Internet marketing is an approach to advertise goods and services on the Internet using various platforms and tools. It is also known as digital marketing, online marketing, web marketing, etc.
The Internet has made the world a global village. It is now also a platform to sell and buy products. Millions and millions of us shop online every day. All of us are a part of this huge marketing system either as buyers or sellers or as both.
But how is it any different from traditional marketing?
The main difference between traditional marketing and internet marketing lies in the medium they use.
While traditional marketing uses TV commercials, magazines, newspapers, billboards, etc., to reach their customers, internet marketing uses social media, emails, online ads, etc.
Online marketing also offers many unique benefits such as customizing your search, skipping ads, increasing your scope, interacting with buyers or sellers, etc. It has opened up a whole new dimension for marketing.
TYPES OF INTERNET MARKETING
There are countless types of internet marketing these days. They are classified based on the target audience, the medium used, budget, etc. Here are some of the different types of internet marketing.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Search engine optimization or SEO is a process of modifying a website's content to improve its position in search ranking, i.e., to promote its ranking for relevant searches. The higher the web page's rank, the higher the chances that a potential client visits it. Popular search engines use bots to crawl different web pages on the Internet and index them after getting analyzed by an algorithm. SEOs are also of two types- on-page and off-page.
- Content Marketing - Content marketing is a marketing approach that focuses on creating and spreading online in a strategic manner to attract many audiences. It allows more interaction with the readers and tries to convert them into customers. Different mediums for content marketing include blogs, webinars, podcasts, eBooks, etc.
- Social Media Marketing - Social media marketing uses different social media platforms for advertising. It helps improve customer engagement and popularizes the brand. The different social media platforms used are Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
- Influencer Marketing – Influencer marketing is one of the most popular ways of marketing strategies. They use social media influencers or people with a large follower base to promote their goods or services by talking about them, posting about them, etc., for a price. The influencer acts as the brand’s face. This is one of the most effective methods as many influencers have a very loyal fan base, which becomes potential customers for the product or service.
- E-mail Marketing - E-mail marketing is a marketing technique where emails are used to send marketing messages to attract new customers and hold on to the older ones. It is a cost-effective method of marketing and a popular one too. It helps the brand attract a large customer base.
- Affiliate Marketing - Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing approach in which the company allows a third party to place a small advertising banner or button on their web page. The third-party pays the company each time a sale is made through their links.
- Paid Advertising - Paid advertising is an advertising method when the company pays a third party to display their advertisement on their web page or social media handle. This method is also referred to as Pay Per Click (PPC), where the company pays the third party whenever a click is made on their advertising banner. Although PPC is the most used method, payments can also be made in other references such as per like, per play, per view, per thousand impressions, per share, per comment, etc.
As we just looked through some of the most effective and popular internet marketing methods, now let’s understand why we need internet marketing.
ADVANTAGES OF INTERNET MARKETING
Internet marketing is becoming more and more favored as it has a variety of advantages. Give below are some of the advantages of internet marketing.
- The Internet is easily accessible and convenient to use; thus, it is a home for various customer types.
- The biggest advantage of internet marketing is its low operational cost.
- The brands have the power to multitask using internet marketing. They can manage millions of customers with ease.
- Internet marketing is 24/7 marketing.
- Keeping track of transactions is easy via internet marketing.
- Internet marketing helps improve the seller-buyer relationship.
CONCLUSION
Internet marketing is slowly replacing traditional marketing systems by giving ample benefits to both buyers and sellers. It is the future of marketing. It is a platform where buyers can have a comfortable shopping experience, and sellers can advertise their products and services and gain a large customer base.
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