What Is Internet Marketing? Definition And Relevance
The problem faced by a company, in general, is the difficulty of managing data properly which hinders the marketing process. As these enterprises increase in scale, consumer data reserves can quickly spiral out of control. Now everyone is getting to know and quite familiar with startups. Thus, internet marketing in business can take a more central role for companies from 2020 to the company’s future programs.
Internet Marketing is the cheapest way to reach the company’s target market. Regardless of the size of the business, both large and small businesses, every company has the same opportunity.
Definition of Internet Marketing
In language, the meaning of internet marketing is marketing through the internet or online marketing. Internet marketing is the process of promoting a business, product, or service, via the internet or digital media (online) using media/tools that help drive traffic, direction, action, and sales to a company.
The definition of internet marketing is quite broad because it includes various marketing tactics and strategies including content, social media, email, search engine traffic, paid to advertise, and so on.
However, internet marketing these days tends to lead or go hand in hand with content marketing. Because content marketing is the most effective internet marketing, for the present and the future. Content marketing is useful as a very strategic marketing approach because it focuses on creating and distributing content that is valuable, relevant, and consistent, to attract and retain a clear audience and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action to the company.
The Fundamental Differences between Physical Marketing and Internet Marketing
Marketing or selling cannot be separated from the involvement of an understanding of the prospect’s needs and the development of a product or service that will be of interest to potential buyers. This issue also includes activities such as the promotion and sale of products or services, market research, and advertising.
Over the years, physical marketing strategies have been mostly used to reach customers. However, the evolution and popularity of information technology have increased the importance of digital/online marketing activities called internet marketing.
Internet Marketing uses marketing methods that depend on the use of technology such as social networks while physical marketing depends on the ability of customers to touch or interact directly with products or services to find out about those products for real. For example, physical marketing could include individual consultations, roadside billboards, brochures, catalogs, or signage.
Even though nowadays internet marketing activities are more popular and more widely used, there are still some who decide to never use the internet and choose to do traditional marketing or physical marketing. The level of internet usage in a country and among certain demographic groups provides a good indicator to help companies identify which internet marketing techniques are the right choice.
The main advantage of Internet marketing over physical marketing is that it helps businesses develop a wider range of customers because it does not depend on physical presence or interaction alone. Also, internet marketing can encourage customers to interact directly with the business and is not limited by conventional opening times. Thus, internet marketing provides easy access for customers to interact at a convenient time and place.
Both forms of marketing are very important in the marketing process of a company. Every company must evaluate its current and future customer base before embarking on any internet marketing act.
Content, User Experience, and Platform
Content, User Experience, and platforms are the main elements of Internet marketing. Content is something that is consumed which is usually information about a product or service. Content can be product information, product prices, service fees, or sales of digital products such as books, software films, and so on.
The customer experience (user experience) is the taste produced after receiving the content presented to consumers of products and services. These experiences involve community and customer input, suggestions, and a user-friendly interface.
The platform is a series of ways for content that is packaged and then sent to customers. In the platform, there are business processes that are carried out to deliver content, the technology used for customer data collection, and the network used to deliver better content.
The relevance of Internet Marketing and Consumer Platforms
Internet Marketing encourages the use of new communication channels that close the circle between consumers and brands for a brand. User comments and ratings build transparent relationships and trust between consumers and companies. The value of consumer comment is a great way for a company to offer proof of quality and brand strength that goes beyond simply being a good image.
There are generally many types of platforms available for internet marketing or digital marketing. Several basic platforms can be used such as Google AdWords. Google AdWords is a tool offered to help businesses market their products or services on the Google search engine and related sites.
By identifying relevant keywords, Google will be able to show how often users search for these keywords. Google Adwords helps companies identify useful keywords that can be integrated into the content on websites and social media profiles which as a result can improve an organization’s ranking on search engine results pages.
Also, every company should always evaluate the Internet marketing platform. Evaluation should be carried out as it is time-consuming and resource-intensive for most companies to invest in all platforms.
The availability of multiple platforms provides options for user-friendly formats across devices to help businesses best seize business opportunities. There are many ad delivery technology solutions such as the use of social media which is quite popular using Facebook, Linked In, and email lists. Social media is a fairly popular digital tactic for interaction and engagement with consumers.
Types of Internet Marketing
Some of the most popular types of digital marketing or internet marketing in 2020 are of various types. However, the following will provide information about a small part.
1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) aims to get companies to rank higher in Google search results. These rankings can ultimately increase search engine traffic to the company’s website. To achieve this, SEO marketers research the words and phrases consumers use to find information online and use those terms in their content.
It is important to understand that one of the things that makes SEO difficult is that reliance on Google and the latest algorithms. Thus, the things that need to be done to get ranked on Google through SEO optimization are to index content, create a good link structure, pay attention to the use of keywords (Keyword), and target keywords.
2. Pay Per Click (PPC)
Pay Per Click (PPC) is a type of internet marketing that refers to paid advertising and promoted search engine results. PPC is a form of digital marketing in the short term, which means that once companies stop paying, advertising will cease to exist. Like SEO, PPC is one way to increase search traffic to online businesses.
Pay Per Click can refer to the adverts you see at the top and side of the search results page. Also, you can see advertisements while browsing the website and before playing YouTube videos. Even, for now, PPC advertising has been nibbling in advertising on mobile apps.
3. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing reaches everything companies do through social media channels easily. Almost everyone is familiar with social media and has at least one social media account. But marketers should take a social approach with an integrated and strategic approach because social media marketing goes far beyond just creating posts for social channels and responding to comments.
For marketing to be more effective, efforts must be consistently coordinated. And to keep posts consistent, there are many online tools available to automate and schedule social media posts.
Social Media Marketers should not be in a separate place from other marketing functions because they have to work with a broader company marketing team. Additionally, social media marketers and teams need to coordinate messages across all online and offline platforms so that every part of the brand tells the same story.
Consistency is necessary to measure and track campaigns so that marketing data will be recognized as an effort to encourage users to engage with brands. Thus, social media can turn users into customers.
Despite its popularity, social media marketing is much more complicated than managing a personal Facebook or Twitter profile. This activity requires a combination of creative and objective thinking as well as a data-driven strategy.
4. Content Marketing
Content Marketing uses storytelling and information to increase brand awareness whose purpose is to get readers to take action and become customers. Content marketing is useful for requesting more information, signing up for an email list, or making a purchase. Content can mean blog posts, resources such as white books and e-books, digital videos, podcasts, and so on. For details, you can read the basics of content marketing here.
In general, content marketing should be able to provide value to consumers, not just advertising a brand or trying to make a sale. Content marketing is deeply tied to building sustainable, trusting relationships with customers that have the potential to lead to multiple sales over time, and not just to make a single transaction.
Content Marketing works in symbiosis with other types of internet marketing so that it can include SEO search terms in the content of the website. The content created can be shared in the form of social media posts and email marketing publications.
Unlike methods like PPC, content marketing is an internet marketing strategy for the long term. Over time, it will continue to bring users to the website via search engines. Content marketing is a great marketing strategy for people who like writing, video production, and audio production. But just like internet marketing in general, content marketing also requires strong strategic and analytical skills.
5. Email Marketing
Email is the most popular tool in this technology world for communication between one party and another. Email is still an effective marketing technique despite the emergence of social media, mobile applications, and other channels.
Email marketing can offer many different analytical steps, with the right strategy, the percentage of recipients who open the email, and click-through will increase even more. Also, the number of recipients who open the email and click a link in the email will be more focused.
6. Mobile Marketing
This type of internet marketing with mobile marketing is focused on reaching audiences on smartphones or tablets. Mobile marketing can reach people through text messaging, social media, websites, email, and other mobile applications. Marketers can tailor special offers or content to geographic locations or times more quickly and effectively.
Apart from the several types of internet marketing above, many other types of internet marketing are quite effective in being used as a company marketing strategy such as digital marketing skills and marketing analytics. The relevance of internet marketing for 2020 and the future will certainly be more developed and provide new challenges for every company.
Mustafa Al Mahmud is the Founder of Gizmo Concept and also a professional Blogger, SEO Professional as well as Entrepreneur. He loves to travel and enjoy his free moment with family members and friends.