Complete Guide to Digital Marketing

You might be wondering what Digital Marketing is.  Maybe you already have a little knowledge but still do not fully understand the scope.

I have seen a number of online marketers ascribe the term digital marketing to just internet marketing. Unfortunately or should I say fortunately, Digital Marketing is much more than just online advertising

What is Digital Marketing?

What is Digital Marketing?

Wikipedia defines it as

 the marketing of products and services using digital technologies mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising and any other digital medium.

I’m actually not comfortable with this definition. Not like it is wrong anyway.But I would rather want Wiki portraying digital marketing in a much broader term. Marketing digitally doesn’t just occur on the internet, It happens both online and offline.To give you a short but encompassing definition that sticks to memory, I’ll say

Wikipedia defines it as

 the marketing of products and services using digital technologies mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising and any other digital medium.

I’m actually not comfortable with this definition. Not like it is wrong anyway.But I would rather want Wiki portraying digital marketing in a much broader term. Marketing digitally doesn’t just occur on the internet, It happens both online and offline.To give you a short but encompassing definition that sticks to memory, I’ll say

Digital marketing is the use of various digital mediums and strategies to attract customers

Now, this mediums might include the use of computers, Mobile phones, electronic Billboards, Television and radios. Why is Digital Marketing Important?Digital marketing, especially internet marketing is the present and future of marketing. And i’m glad a lot of businesses are beginning to see thatFor your business to thrive, you need customers.Right?But how and where do you find them?Your prospective customers are everywhere. In their homes, offices, on the road trying to get somewhere. Thanks to technology, People spend crazy amount of time with their smartphone

A smart business that knows how to get its products in front of prospective buyers take advantage of these digital mediums to get to their clients.I mean, people sit at home to watch televisions and listen to the radio. When they are on the go,  if they are not paying attention to the billboards placed at strategic places on the road, Guess what they are doing?Surfing the Internet!They are either online on Facebook, twitter, Instagram or some other social networks.Leveraging digital marketing helps you reach your target market anywhere, anytime, any day. This you can do through the use of television and radio adverts, electronic billboards and most importantly, the internet

Digital marketing is the use of various digital mediums and strategies to attract customers

Now, this mediums might include the use of computers, Mobile phones, electronic Billboards, Television and radios. Why is Digital Marketing Important?Digital marketing, especially internet marketing is the present and future of marketing. And i’m glad a lot of businesses are beginning to see thatFor your business to thrive, you need customers.Right?But how and where do you find them?Your prospective customers are everywhere. In their homes, offices, on the road trying to get somewhere. Thanks to technology, People spend crazy amount of time with their smartphone

A smart business that knows how to get its products in front of prospective buyers take advantage of these digital mediums to get to their clients.I mean, people sit at home to watch televisions and listen to the radio. When they are on the go,  if they are not paying attention to the billboards placed at strategic places on the road, Guess what they are doing?Surfing the Internet!They are either online on Facebook, twitter, Instagram or some other social networks.Leveraging digital marketing helps you reach your target market anywhere, anytime, any day. This you can do through the use of television and radio adverts, electronic billboards and most importantly, the internet

Types of Digital Marketing

Types of Digital Marketing

I have divided digital marketing into two main pillars

I have divided digital marketing into two main pillars

Online or Internet marketing

Offline Marketing

Offline marketingThese are basically done offline but with the aid of digital devices. Examples include

Online or Internet marketing

Offline Marketing

Offline marketingThese are basically done offline but with the aid of digital devices. Examples include

Television Marketing

Radio Marketing

Phone Marketing

Electronic Billboards

Internet MarketingThis is going to be our main focus. It involves the use of the Internet to promote products and services. A good digital marketer should understand to a reasonable extent the following:

Television Marketing

Radio Marketing

Phone Marketing

Electronic Billboards

Internet MarketingThis is going to be our main focus. It involves the use of the Internet to promote products and services. A good digital marketer should understand to a reasonable extent the following:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
3. Email Marketing
4. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
5. Content Marketing
6. Pay Per Click advertising (PPC)
7. Affiliate Marketing

Benefits of Digital MarketingBecause I’m focusing on Internet marketing, the benefits would be highlighted in terms of online marketing

It is Cost effectiveA well planned and properly targeted digital campaign can reach the right customer and increase ROI at a cheaper rate compared to other forms of marketing. Thus, even small businesses with little budgets can adopt internet marketing

It is Cost effectiveA well planned and properly targeted digital campaign can reach the right customer and increase ROI at a cheaper rate compared to other forms of marketing. Thus, even small businesses with little budgets can adopt internet marketing

It is measurableThanks to web analytics and other online metric tools, you can measure the success of every campaign . You can also get detailed information as to how customers are responding to your campaign,how they use your website and so on

It is measurableThanks to web analytics and other online metric tools, you can measure the success of every campaign . You can also get detailed information as to how customers are responding to your campaign,how they use your website and so on

Moreover internet marketing also benefits business and marketers in areas of personalized or targeted ads, improved conversion rates, Customer loyalty through social media etc.Target Audience Are ReachedThrough the availability of demographic information and general characteristics, more personalized ads can be created for target those who are most likely to be interested in what your brand has to offer ConclusionNo doubts, there are many benefits of digital marketing. When taken advantage of, it can be a game changer to the advantage of your business growth. Digital marketing is the best way to reach your customers wherever they are during the moments when they are most likely to be searching for products or services you offer.If other Businesses are doing it, You can tooWhat other benefits of internet marketing are not highlighted here?Kindly put that in the comment box 

Moreover internet marketing also benefits business and marketers in areas of personalized or targeted ads, improved conversion rates, Customer loyalty through social media etc.Target Audience Are ReachedThrough the availability of demographic information and general characteristics, more personalized ads can be created for target those who are most likely to be interested in what your brand has to offer ConclusionNo doubts, there are many benefits of digital marketing. When taken advantage of, it can be a game changer to the advantage of your business growth. Digital marketing is the best way to reach your customers wherever they are during the moments when they are most likely to be searching for products or services you offer.If other Businesses are doing it, You can tooWhat other benefits of internet marketing are not highlighted here?Kindly put that in the comment box

Read More

What is Affiliate marketing

Everyone wants to get out of the rat race and gain financial freedom. When you go online, you come across internet marketers especially on YouTube teaching you various techniques to make money while you sleep
Passive income is the dream.
And yes, It is possible!
One of the foremost ways to earn it online is through affiliate marketing.

What is Affiliate marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a referral based marketing system that involves the recommendation of products by a marketer in exchange for commissions from the sales of such products.

In other words, you make money by promoting other people's products

How Affiliate Marketing Works

A marketer finds a product he likes, promotes it and earns a commission (a share of profit) from the sale of such product.
According to acceleration partners,

1. Affiliate partner promotes a brand’s products or services on their site.
2. Consumer clicks on brand’s promotion on the affiliate’s site and a cookie is then stored on the consumer’s browser; cookies are what make it possible for the affiliate network to track the consumer’s progress from the affiliate’s website through to the brand’s shopping cart.
3. Consumer is redirected to brand’s website.
4. Consumer purchases a product/service from the brand.
5. The network then automatically pays out a commission to the affiliate (based on the rules set by the brand) for driving that sale.

There are basically four parties involved in a typical affiliate marketing system
They include:

1. Merchant
2. The Affiliate Network
3. The Publisher or Affiliate Marketer
4. The Consumer

The Merchant:

This refers to the product creator. They don't necessarily have to be the manufacturer of the product. The merchant only needs to have a product to sell
The Merchant could be a manufacturer, retailer, vendor or brand. For Example, Jumia is a merchant and of course, they obviously don't manufacture products. Yet, they have enough products for affiliates to promote
Moreover, The merchant doesn't have to be a big brand like Jumia or Amazon. Even Solo entrepreneurs who produce e-books and other digital products can fall into the merchant category. All that is required to be a merchant is have something to sell

Affiliate Networks:

These are middlemen that serve as intermediaries between affiliate marketers and the merchants
Although some merchants create and handle affiliate programs themselves, it is much easier to leave all that for affiliate networks to handle
Affiliate Networks Usually have a lot of products among which a marketer or publisher can choose to promote. This way, a publisher isn't limited to just one product. Examples of really nice affiliate networks include ShareAsale, ClickBank, Commission Junction etc

Publisher Or Marketer:

Affiliate marketers are promoters who attract customers through various means and convince them to make a purchase decision or take specific actions on a merchant's website
When an affiliate marketer tactically gives a consume, good reasons as to how a particular product solves problems and add values, conversion is expected
Most bloggers, Influencers and brands fall into this category

Consumer

The audience that an affiliate marketer look to influence to make a purchase, submit a lead form, sign up for a newsletter, test out a service, become a new customer, etc.
Consumers are usually the main target for an affiliate marketing cycle to be complete. And of course, it has to end with a purchase

How Do Affiliate Marketers Get Paid?

There are different ways and payment options for affiliates. they include:

PPC (Pay Per Click)

You make money based on the number of users you send to the advertisers website through your link

(PPL) Pay Per Lead

You get a commission when a user follows your link to an advertiser’s website and completes a particular action which could be filling a form, signing up for a trial of a product, subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a software, or submitting contact details.

(PPS) Pay Per Sale

This is the most commonly used payment structure. You’ll get your commission from a merchant when a user makes a purchases as a result of your marketing strategies

Advantages of Affiliate Marketing

You can work from Home

For those who hate going to the office, affiliate marketing allows you the pleasure of working from home. All you need is your computer and internet connect. This is a job you can do without ever getting out of your pajamas.

You earn passive income

While any “regular” job requires you to be at work to make money, affiliate marketing offers you the ability to make money while you sleep. By investing an initial amount of time into a campaign, you will see continuous returns on that time as consumers purchase the product over the following days and weeks. You receive money for your work long after you’ve finished it. Even when you’re not in front of your computer, your marketing skills will be earning you a steady flow of income.

It is Cost-effective

Unlike most businesses that require huge amount of startup fees, affiliate marketing can be started at low cost, meaning you can get started quickly and without much hassle. There are no affiliate program fees to worry about and no need to create a product.

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing is perfect for those looking to gain control of their own income by focusing on performance-based revenue options. An affiliate marketer can also achieve passive income without worrying about producing their own product or service.
Although the success of your business depends on your skills, affiliate marketing is an effective way to make money online full-time or part-time.

What are you waiting for?Learn How to start affiliate marketing

Read More