According to Retailing Today, 81 percent of shoppers conduct online research before making a purchase. Statistics like this are making business owners like yourself ask “what is internet marketing and how can it get my business more customers?”
We have all the internet marketing answers you’re looking for.
What is Internet Marketing?
Internet marketing is the umbrella term for the types of marketing strategies that use the internet to reach consumers. Many use internet marketing interchangeably with digital marketing and online marketing.
It’s important to be able to answer the question ‘what is Internet Marketing’, even if you don’t plan on doing it yourself. Internet marketing has become the dominant form of marketing for many companies, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. The return-on-investment is unrivaled. Here are some statistics relevant to business owners:
- 78 percent of local-mobile searches lead to an offline purchase
- 72 percent of customers who conduct a local search visit a store within five miles
- 48 percent of consumers start their mobile research with a search engine
- 100 billion searches are made on Google monthly
- More Google searches happen on mobile than on desktop in the U.S.
- 30 percent of all mobile searches are location-based
Internet marketing is crucial for taking advantage of the mobile trend. There are several different types of internet marketing, all of which play a role in a successful digital marketing strategy.
What are the Types of Internet Marketing?
The following is a list of the types of internet marketing businesses and entrepreneurs use to maximize the ROI of their digital presence:
- Content marketing
- Search engine marketing
- Search engine optimization
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Influencer marketing
Content Marketing
Content marketing is the act of creating and amplifying content that is designed to generate more sales for a business. I mentioned it first because every other internet marketing strategy revolves around creating quality content on a consistent basis.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engines play a crucial role in your internet marketing plan. As I stated above, 100 billion searches are made monthly. This astronomical number has established Google as the major player when it comes to paid search advertisements. Search engine marketing refers to pay-per-click advertisements, which are displayed on the first page above the organic search results.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a marketing strategy that focuses on making sure your content ranks as high as possible in the search engine results pages of keywords relevant to your business.
On-page SEO focuses on the strategic placement of keywords throughout each piece of content, as well as things like design and page load speed. Off-page SEO amplifies your content through getting backlinks from high-authority websites and shares on social media. Study your competition and look for examples of online marketing strategies that combine paid search, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO. You need to use all three if you want to truly take advantage of search traffic.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is the digital evolution of direct mail marketing. Content marketing goes hand-in-hand with email marketing, as a common CTA for blog posts asks the reader to join the website’s email list.
Some marketers say email marketing is dead, but that simply isn’t true. According to the Radcati Group, email use will reach 3 billion users by the end of 2020. Gmail alone has 1 billion monthly active users. People are using email, so it needs to be a part of your internet marketing mix. Create a new email account and sign up for the email lists of some competitors in your niche. Analyze these examples of online marketing strategies to inspire your own email campaigns.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has become the dominant form of internet marketing over the past five years. It has given rise to influencer marketing, which we’ll discuss in a bit. First, here are some social media marketing statistics to consider:
- 76 percent of Facebook users use the platform to find content
- 92 percent of marketers consider social media to be crucial to their business
- 90 percent of young adults use social media, compared to only 12 percent ten years ago
It’s clear social media marketing is something you need to focus on. Do an analysis of your customer base and see which social media platforms they’re using. Only focus your resources on where your customers are.
Influencer Marketing
According to a survey by Collective Bias, 70 percent of consumers make purchasing decisions based on the recommendation of their peers. True influencers are the digital peers of consumers. They have a well-sized, engaged community and can help your brand tap into a new audience. There are many influencer marketing tools that help you identify and build relationships with influencers in your niche.
What are the Advantages of Internet Marketing?
While you’re now familiar with the different types of internet marketing, you still may not be convinced of its value. Here are a few advantages of internet marketing.
Internet Marketing Gives Businesses Direct Communication With Consumers
There was a high cost for businesses to get in front of the right customers when traditional advertising reigned supreme. Internet marketing lowers this cost dramatically. As a business owner, you can make a Twitter account right now and start directly communicating with members of your target audience. Social media marketing is one of the most successful types of internet marketing strategies because of this ability to converse with the consumer.
Internet Marketing Provides More Return-On-Investment
Thanks to internet marketing, it is cheaper to amplify your reach and spread brand awareness than it is with traditional marketing. The biggest advantage of internet marketing is every step of the marketing funnel is trackable. Not only does the internet make it easier to collect data, it also makes it easier to make meaning of the data. Keeping track of the right metrics allows you to make campaign adjustments in real-time.
Do you have any questions about internet marketing? leave us a comment below.
Sources:
What is Internet Marketing? A Guide to Today’s Online Marketing