9 Types of Digital Marketing to Maximise Business Growth

Conducting business online is too competitive today. Attention spans are as low as that of a goldfish. So how should you, as a business owner, ensnare your audience and simultaneously grow revenue and loyalty? If you are a new business entrant or at the beginning stages of learning, explore the 9 types of digital marketing.

Customer experience is essential for any modern business to thrive. And there are many ways to enhance it without spamming the customer with irrelevant ads. 

The goal of modern marketers is to educate, entertain or inform the audience by leveraging the latest technology and trends. Marketing departments cannot rely on one online channel anymore. They have to use different types of digital marketing that require skilled professionals for each sub-department.  

Here are all the types of digital marketing that you must know. 

1. Social media marketing
2. SEO
3. Search engine marketing 
4. Content marketing 
5. Video marketing 
6. Email marketing 
7. Affiliate marketing
8. Influencer marketing
9. Mobile marketing

Social Media Marketing

Businesses use social media marketing to promote products or services through images, stories, infographics, short videos, etc. 

Some major social media platforms are Meta (formerly Facebook), Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok (banned in India), among others. Brands can craft relevant marketing communication through organic or sponsored ads. 

For organic marketing on your social channels, check out the top 10 social media content ideas. 

Why Should You Choose Social Media Marketing 

• Statista estimates 4.41 billion social media users in the world by 2025. This figure is more than the total global population of 7.9 billion on the planet. 
• Over 10 million advertisers are active on Facebook (Statista).  
• As you can directly communicate with your followers, your brand feels more human and personal to them. You can build brand awareness and credibility in this way. 

SEO

SEO or search engine optimization is key to growing organic traffic to your website. There are many elements that make up SEO. They are on-page and off-page SEO based on Google guidelines and more. 

Why You Should Choose SEO

SEO helps in increasing search engine visibility. That is, anyone looking for a relevant product or service will use Google or other search engines. 

Now, search engines show thousands of results. But, to 75% of users, the first page of the search engine result page is enough. They hardly make it to the second page. 

For businesses, effective SEO efforts can bring their web pages on the first ten results of Google. That means, those businesses will have higher click-through rates when they do effective keyword research and incorporate it in blog posts or videos. Refer to the SEO checklist. 

To gain practical knowledge on the subject, it is ideal to go for the top SEO courses. 

Search Engine Marketing 

Search engine marketing (SEM) or paid advertising is another way to drive traffic through paid means. 

This type of digital marketing helps in acquiring customers online and increasing conversions quickly. Both new and established businesses use paid ads. Some of the best examples are Swiggy, Zomato, Domino’s, etc. 

Why You Should Choose Search Engine Marketing 

• For every $1 you spend on Google Ads, you get a return of $2. That means, the ROI is 200%. 
• 65% of customers click on paid ads, according to Techjury. 
• According to Quick Sprout, PPC generates 2x more clicks than SEO efforts. 
• Businesses have more control over paid ads than SEO. That is, businesses can control their marketing campaigns and meet short-term goals. SEO, on the other hand, is for the long-term, and it takes months to get the desired results. 

Content Marketing 

Content marketing is always about adding value to your target audience. This type of digital marketing is done to promote a business website. Here, marketers use various digital marketing tools and SEO tactics to create lasting content that engages the audience. 

Why You Should Choose Content Marketing 

• Content marketing is essential for every business across all industries. 82% of businesses use it, according to HubSpot. 
• According to the Content Marketing Institute, 70% of marketers believe that content marketing educates their target audience. 
• The Content Marketing Institute also states that 81% of businesses use content marketing as the main business strategy. 

Video Marketing

Though it is a form of content marketing, video marketing requires a special mention here. 

Videos are quite impactful, as most users find them more comfortable to consume than read. Having that said, let’s look into its benefits. 

Why You Should Choose Video Marketing 

• According to Aberdeen Group, video marketing is 49% faster in increasing revenue. 
• Forbes states that 90% of customers make a buying decision after watching a product video. 
• Videos increase dwell time, which is an important Google ranking factor. HubSpot states that 80% of marketers have increased dwell time by adding videos on their websites. 

Email Marketing 

It is one of the oldest types of digital marketing. It works for both small and large businesses. 

Nowadays, it is essential for marketers to personalise emails to customers at every touchpoint. Also, brands can constantly send relevant emails to subscribers and convert them.

Among the most successful brands that use email marketing successfully is Zomato. Do refer to Zomato’s digital marketing strategy. 

Why You Should Choose Email Marketing

• According to HubSpot, 99% of consumers check their emails. That means, if your emails are not targetted well, there is a higher chance of them unsubscribing you.
• Email marketing can tap into impulse buys. With the relevant message across, there is a higher chance of increasing your conversion rate. 

Affiliate Marketing 

Affiliate marketing is where an affiliate promotes products or services of another business to get a commission when a sale happens. 

Most YouTube channels across different niches rely on this type of online marketing by putting affiliate links under their videos. When the subscribers and viewers click on that link and buy the product, those YouTube channels get a cut. 

Affiliate marketing is also a choice for many freelance bloggers who use SEO best practices. 

Top Differences Between Digital Marketing and Affiliate Marketing That You Should Know

How to Write Blogs that Consistently Rank on Google

Why You Should Choose Affiliate Marketing 

1. Affiliate marketing helps in increasing brand awareness by 83%. 
2. Businesses that use affiliate marketing do not need a large advertising budget. They only have to pay affiliate marketers when there is a sale through the affiliate link. 

If you are now getting ideas of earning passive income (we've all been there!), you may want to go explore the top affiliate marketing websites.

Influencer Marketing 

It is a part of social media marketing. Brands endorse online influencers instead of big-shot celebrities to promote products or services. These online influencers are content creators themselves and have a large following on social media. 

Why You Should Choose Influencer Marketing 

1. The ROI from influencer marketing is more than other marketing channels, according to 89% of marketers. (Mediakix)
2. Many businesses are increasing their influencer marketing budget this year. Viralyft mentions that 82% of businesses in 2023 are planning to allocate a budget for influencer marketing.

Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is an important digital marketing strategy for every brand. Marketers reach the target audience through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Why You Should Choose Mobile Marketing 

1. After search and video advertising spending, mobile banner ads come in second place with an approximate expenditure of 128 billion US dollars.
2. Most online users use smartphones to access social media channels. 87% of Facebook’s revenue comes from mobile. 

Parting Thoughts

The ones above are the most popular types of digital marketing today. As a growing business, you should leverage them and track your marketing efforts. Meanwhile, there are many digital marketing courses that you can explore at any career stage.