What Is Digital Marketing?

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Today, businesses use digital marketing to promote their services and products.

But what exactly is digital marketing?

Simply put, digital marketing is the online promotion of products or services. Boom! Yes, that’s a super simple definition. But why complicate things, right?

Forty years ago, businesses marketed themselves through what we now refer to as “traditional” methods. Examples include the Yellow Pages, newspaper ads, radio and TV commercials, direct mailers, telemarketing, highway billboards—you get the idea.

But Al Gore’s Internet changed all that. Personal computers became a thing in the 1980s, and by the 1990s, customer relationship management tools, or CRMs, gained traction. This is pivotal because businesses could now easily keep information on their customers.

And let’s not forget these nuggets:

  • Google came onto the scene in 1998 and transformed how consumers buy.
  • By the early aughts, more businesses had an online presence, and more consumers had access to the Internet and their own personal email addresses.
  • The iPhone hit the market in June 2007, and things really heated up because people could research and buy products and services directly from their phones.

(Here’s an excellent guide about the history of digital marketing—be sure to check it out.)

What’s the difference between traditional marketing and digital marketing?

So, if I had to point to the most significant difference, it would be the ability to target the right audience with the right message at the right time.

Traditional marketing is all about casting a wide net. For example, those direct mailers from forty years ago went to many people. Most probably weren’t interested in whatever the business was selling.

The same was true for that highway billboard. Most people driving down the highway didn’t need a new car, bank, or whatever was being promoted.

Of course, those direct mailers and billboards still served a purpose in increasing brand awareness, even for those who weren’t interested in the products and services right then and there. But still—a lot of money was poured into advertising initiatives that didn’t yield great conversions.

Digital marketing is different because it’s much more targeted.

Instead of casting a wide net that will inevitably include people who have zero interest and will never buy, businesses can target clients and customers who are much likelier to be interested in the product or services based on what they know about their ideal client or customer.

For example, if I own a fencing company and I’m running Google Ads, I can bid on keywords that my prospective customers will type into Google when they’re searching for someone who can help erect a fence in their backyard.

Or let’s say I own a senior living community, and a website visitor fills out a form to download a guide about financing senior living. On the form, I can ask questions that will tell me more about this prospect, starting with maybe what level of care they’re interested in—independent living, assisted living, memory care. I can segment people based on the level of care and send them content related to the care option they’re interested in.

It wouldn’t make sense for me to send information on memory care to a newly retired person interested in joining an independent living community, right?

Digital marketing makes sending the right message to the right person at the right time much easier.

What’s the difference between digital marketing and inbound marketing?

All inbound marketing is digital marketing, but not all digital marketing is inbound.

The inbound marketing philosophy is about putting the prospective client or consumer in control. The prospect is the one who seeks out the brand, not the other way around. The brand takes specific steps, like optimizing its website, to ensure prospects can easily find the brand when they are ready to buy.

For example, let’s say I’m the new HR person for a business, and I know we need to overhaul how we background check job applicants. I google “best background check companies” to see what comes up.

Turns out, people search “best background check companies” 590 times a month in the US. Smart background check companies will optimize a piece of online content for that phrase. They might bid on relevant keywords for pay-per-click ads and do promotional outreach to organizations that regularly do annual reviews about “best background check companies” so that theirs might be included.

The prospect who does the search will see some of this stuff in Google—the PPC ad, the website content, and the review sites. They’ll click, poke around, request demos, and eventually select a winner.

Boom! That’s a perfect example of inbound marketing.

The brand hasn’t actively reached out to the prospect . . . the prospect comes in on their own. With inbound marketing, the brand works hard at attracting prospects via optimized online content and “delighting” them as they go on their buying journey.

Again, that’s a very simple definition. But you get the idea.

So, all inbound marketing is digital because it happens online. However, not all digital marketing is inbound marketing.

The best way for me to explain this is through an example.

Let’s say I purchase an email list and start emailing everyone on it. Email is an online activity, so it’s a digital method. But I purchased the list. Those folks have not asked to receive emails from me. That violates the inbound philosophy where the prospect is in control and comes to the brand first.

Of course, some email marketing is inbound marketing. If someone opts in to receive the brand’s email messages, that would be inbound marketing.

I know… it gets a little confusing.

But the bottom line is not all digital marketing is necessarily inbound marketing.

OK, let’s talk about different types of digital marketing:

  • Affiliate marketing involves partnering with third-party websites to promote products or services, earning a commission for each sale or lead generated through their referral links.
  • Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, consistent content to attract and engage a target audience and drive profitable customer action.
  • Digital TV marketing involves advertising through internet-connected television platforms, delivering targeted ads to viewers based on their viewing habits and demographics. So Hulu with ads, Netflix with ads, Amazon with ads—those are all examples of digital TV  marketing.
  • Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to a list of subscribers to promote products, services, or content and build relationships with potential and current customers.
  • Paid advertising (pay-per-click) is a model where advertisers pay a fee each time their ad is clicked, driving traffic to their website or landing page.
  • Social media marketing uses platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn to promote products or services, engage with audiences, and build brand awareness.
  • Text marketing (SMS marketing) involves sending promotional messages or alerts directly to people’s phones to communicate offers, updates, or important information.
  • Video marketing leverages video content to promote products or services, engage audiences, and enhance brand presence on platforms like YouTube and social media. If you’ve ever watched an ad before a YouTube video, welp…that’s video marketing in action.
  • Website marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) involve improving a website’s visibility in search engine results pages to attract more organic traffic.

What types of jobs are there in digital marketing?

There are lots of opportunities in the digital marketing space. This is a short list, but it gives you an idea of some of the job titles.

  • Affiliate Marketing Manager. Manages relationships with affiliate partners and develops strategies to increase referral traffic and sales.
  • Brand Manager. Develops and maintains the brand’s voice, image, and identity across digital channels.
  • Content Marketing Manager. Develops and manages content strategy to attract and engage target audiences.
  • Content Writer/Copywriter. Creates engaging and persuasive written content for various digital platforms.
  • Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Specialist. Focuses on improving website conversions through A/B testing and user experience optimization.
  • Digital Marketing Analyst. Analyzes data from digital marketing campaigns to measure performance and inform strategy.
  • Digital Marketing Manager. Oversees all digital marketing strategies and campaigns.
  • E-commerce Specialist. Manages online sales platforms and strategies to drive revenue for e-commerce businesses.
  • Email Marketing Specialist. Develops and executes email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and drive conversions.
  • Graphic Designer. Designs visual content for digital marketing campaigns, including social media graphics, ads, and website visuals.
  • Influencer Marketing Manager. Collaborates with influencers to promote products or services to their followers.
  • Market Research Analyst. Conducts research to understand market trends, customer behavior, and competitive landscape.
  • Marketing Automation Specialist. Manages automated marketing campaigns and workflows using software like HubSpot or Marketo.
  • Mobile Marketing Specialist. Focuses on marketing strategies and campaigns specifically for mobile devices and apps.
  • PPC Specialist. Manages pay-per-click advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and social media.
  • Public Relations Specialist. Manages online reputation and media relations to build positive brand awareness.
  • Sales Funnel Manager. Designs and optimizes sales funnels to guide potential customers through the purchasing process.
  • SEO Specialist. Focuses on optimizing website content to improve search engine rankings.
  • Social Media Manager. Manages and creates content for social media platforms to build brand presence and engage with audiences.
  • UX/UI Designer. Focuses on creating user-friendly interfaces and experiences for websites and digital products.
  • Video Marketer/Producer. Creates video content for marketing purposes, including promotional videos, tutorials, and social media videos.
  • Web Developer. Builds and maintains websites, ensuring they are optimized for performance and user experience.

As for me, I’m a freelance copywriter/content writer.

I use the terms interchangeably because digital marketing has blurred the lines. I write the content brands need to attract and delight their prospects and customers, including blog posts, white papers, and social media posts.

But I also write for traditional marketing channels, like radio spots and print ads. And that’s an important point: when it comes to marketing, brands don’t need to choose digital, inbound, or traditional marketing. Honestly, an integrated approach usually works best. It all depends on the audience, your goals, and measuring what works and what doesn’t.

How do you get started in digital marketing?

Here’s a great 5-hour introduction to digital marketing course—free from HubSpot Academy.

If you want to become a freelance copywriter or content writer like me, I’ve created a free 14-week blueprint that mimics a semester-long course.

Here are the two books I recommend checking out if you’re just getting started with copywriting:

✅ The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly

✅ Using Behavioral Science in Marketing: Drive Customer Action and Loyalty by Prompting Instinctive Responses by Nancy Harhut

DISCLAIMER: I include Amazon affiliate links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

Got a question for the Copy Bitch?

Get in touch or visit my YouTube channel and leave a question in the comments on one of my videos.