Evolution is the reason that you are here, reading and comprehending this text with zero difficulty. To put it briefly, it is the key to unlocking one’s true potential and improving the quality of life. The topic of evolution is an extensive one; however, here we’ll be limiting it to the marketing space. The catalysts of the evolution of digital marketing are three key technological advancements – the arrival of Internet, Big data & smartphones.
There are almost 4.66 billion active internet users and 3.8 billion smartphone users worldwide. 1.7MB of data was created per person per second throughout 2020. We produce 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day – and these numbers are only rising.
We have witnessed a significant growth of digital marketing in India. While the essence and purpose of Digital marketing have remained the same, over the last few decades the mediums and methods have certainly changed. Let’s trace this growth to the start of digital marketing and where it all began.
The history of digital marketing is as fascinating as it gets – and has it’s roots in the 90s with the term ‘Digital Marketing’ being first coined during the period. The World Wide Web project was launched by Tim Berners-Lee and his team in 1991, but it only garnered attention after the first successful release of Netscape Navigator in 1994. Soon after, the number of people using the web spiked from 16 million to 70. Then came search engines like Yahoo! (1994) and Google (1997), and e-commerce sites like Amazon (1994) and eBay (1995) – and thus began the rise of Digital marketing.
Also read: Digital Advertising: The Ultimate Guide
Big data replaced paper, film and physical forms of data storage. Email marketing started creating a buzz. Search engines started maintaining an inventory of websites, enabling users to find the information, products and services they needed and wanted. With the birth of Social media platforms like LinkedIn (2002), Myspace (2003), Facebook (2004) and Twitter (2007), users started sharing more personal data online. Understanding the importance of Digital marketing, brands started devising multiple digital strategies to entice customers.
And years later, here we are, creating effective, data-driven strategies by analysing patterns and trends of human behavior. Today, both consumers and marketers are reaping the benefits of Digital marketing. So, what does the new-age version comprise?
An average of two hours and 24 minutes is spent by a person, per day on social media platforms. We are living in an era where more connections are made online than in-person. Businesses are now starting to learn the digital language and leveraging its power through social media marketing. Engaging content, virtual brand experiences and customer relationship management help build a positive brand image; this in turn paves the way for more leads and conversions!
4.03 billion people around the world use Email. 87% of B2B marketers use Email as a distribution channel. 79% of B2C marketers rely on Email to spread their new articles or blog posts – meaning that Email marketing remains to be an important marketing tool even today. Why? It’s a low-cost, high-ROI strategy that helps you reach and connect with your target audience easily and build one-on-one relationships through personalised messaging.
When it comes to marketing – content still wears the crown. 96% of the most successful content marketers say that content marketing has helped them build credibility and trust with their audience. Nothing strikes the right chords with consumers better than content that addresses their interests or problems. Once a personal connection is established, it keeps them coming back to you for more. It also improves your organic presence in search engine rankings.
93% of online experiences begin with a search engine – this is why SEO efforts have to be an integral part of your Digital marketing strategies. Search Engine Optimization or SEO is the practice of increasing the volume and quality of organic traffic to your website through search engine result pages (SERPs). It can also position your brand as a source for authentic information on the web.
Also read: 9 Best On Page SEO Techniques For Your Brand
79% of marketers say PPC has been beneficial for their business. One of the most widely-used tools, PPC is where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on one of their online ads. As the name suggests, brands running the ads are only charged when a user actually clicks on them.
The best part about it is that you can choose to spend as much or as little as you like. You can also choose your audience according to demographics like location, language, gender, job profile, and more.
In a world powered by the Internet, Digital marketing for brands has become a must. If you are a brand wondering how to make a lasting impression online and in the hearts of your consumers, turn to BrightBrain – one of the leading companies with the best Digital marketing strategies; one that knows how to keep pace with evolution.
We are a Digital Marketing & Advertising Agency with a focus on building digital solutions for Branding and Increased Sales efficiency. Our expertise includes Digital Advertising Campaigns, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Web Development and Online Branding. Our Google Partnership brings a unique opportunity to work with the internal team at Google, adding even more value to our team & clients.
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The term ‘Digital Marketing’ was first coined In the 1990s. The World Wide Web project was launched by Tim Berners-Lee and his team in 1991, but it only garnered attention after the first successful release of Netscape Navigator in 1994. Soon after, the number of people using the web spiked from 16 million to 70 million. Then came search engines like Yahoo! (1994) and Google (1997), and e-commerce sites like Amazon (1994) and eBay (1995) – and thus began the rise of Digital marketing
Digital Advertising involves multiple channels that allow you to reach a wide audience or narrow it down to a specific target group; save on costs; track results in real-time and adjust your campaigns to capitalize on the audience’s response. Digital marketing has risen rapidly and is taking over share of wallet from traditional marketing because it:
• Levels the playing field for big and small businesses
• Builds brand credibility & authenticity.
• Enables you to maintain a consistent lead pipeline.
• Makes it possible to engage with the customers at each buying stage.
• Is cost-effective.
• Leads you straight to your customers.
• Allows you to make data-driven decisions.
• Optimize & obtain better conversion rates.
What we witnessed in recent times and will continue to do even in 2021 is Artificial Intelligence taking a front seat and being the driving force of many services across various areas like E-commerce, Content Creation, Product recommendations, etc.
AI aids digital marketing on many grounds with cutting staffing costs, using data from social media platforms to help business owners understand their customer’s needs and wants and moreover easing the process of understanding consumer behavior.
AI and Programmatic advertising go hand in hand. To put it in a better way, rather 2021 will be the year a lot of people unravel the dominance of AI. Programmatic ads refer to using AI to automate the process of ad buying so one can specifically target a more desired audience group. This conversion has proven to be much more effective, resulting in higher conversion rates and lower acquisition costs.
The art of digital marketing has evolved over time, and now it serves brands from multiple industries across the globe. To lead in this new-age online era, you must keep up with the trends and technologies. Here are the top 10 digital marketing trends that ensure that digital marketing has a bright future:
1. Shoppable posts
2. Subscription-based plans
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. Conversational marketing
5. Influencer marketing
6. Personalized Marketing
7. Smart speakers & voice search
8. Predictive & augmented analytics
9. Structured data SEO
10. Video Marketing
11. A/B testing
12. Social Media Stories
The 3 primary types of digital media are:
1. Earned Media: This involves all the attention a company gets through ‘word of mouth’ but in the online environment.
2. Owned Media: Like the name suggests, Owned Media involves the channels owned by the brand; the ones which generate direct content about its products and services – websites, blogs, YouTube channels, social media pages, and such.
3. Paid Media: Among all 3, this one is the most popular. It involves paying to reach your audiences. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads, social media ads, and search engine marketing (SEM) are the main types of Paid Media.
Suhail Bajaj is the CEO of BrightBrain Marketing Technologies LLP that has now grown into a full-fledged digital marketing agency with 55+ employees and clients from 7+ countries – all under his supervision. Graduated with an MBA from the esteemed Cass Business School, he brilliantly puts his learnings into practice, helping brands meet their business goals and succeed in a digital-first world.
