Competition can be tough in the business world. Standing out is a challenge, especially when many offer similar products or services. Attracting customers is essential for growth, and marketing is key to that process. Without effective marketing, achieving maximum efficiency is nearly impossible. With 3.5 billion people using social media, digital marketing has emerged as a top choice.
How It Started?
Digital marketing services went through a very interesting span of evolution and growth through the past 3 decades and it seems like this growth is not going to stop for a while. The 21st century has slowly molded into a digital era and there has been a rapid increase in the number of internet users on various different platforms. In order to get a clearer picture of the growth of digital marketing, you need to understand its presence at different points in time in history. After the 2010s, there was a huge increase in the market of smartphones and people started shifting to being smartphone users from desktop users. Social Media started taking flight at this point and platforms such as Facebook and Twitter started gaining momentum in terms of usage and popularity.
You can witness new trends of marketing popping up every now and then and the evolution is pretty rapid. If you look into the 90s, the internet was the beginning of its existence and the first instances of digital marketing can be dated back to that period. Even though the internet was not accessible to everyone at that point in time, many people found the idea pretty fascinating. Besides, this period signifies the launch of the internet giants like Google, Amazon, and Yahoo who shaped the idea of advertising and marketing online.
To go deeper into this digital marketing evolution process, we might have to split the three decades starting from the ’90s to the 2010s and go through them one after the other.
The Kickstart in the ’90s
The 1990s marked the rise of personal computers, sparking the birth of digital marketing. During this decade, the term “digital marketing” was coined. Email began to replace traditional purchase methods, with customers emailing sellers to place orders. Internet users grew from 15 million to a staggering 70 million between 1994 and 1996. This period also introduced the first clickable banner ad, which had an impressive click-through rate.
Later during the ’90s when Google was launched, digital marketing services started getting more serious. As the pace went up, people started using invasive methods like excessive tagging and bad backlinks to gain clicks. Eventually, bad practices like these reduced as the smart engines got smarter.
The Influence of the 2000s
The 2000s saw tremendous growth in internet users, with over 360 million online by the decade’s end. LinkedIn transformed the professional networking scene, allowing companies and job seekers to connect more easily. The emergence of platforms like WordPress and MySpace took online advertising to new heights. Facebook, while initially not designed for marketing, had over 100,000 business pages by the decade’s end, changing the marketing game.
This era also introduced Google Ads, a cornerstone in online advertising that remains relevant today.
Rapid Growth in the 2010s
The past decade witnessed a Herculean growth where the number of people who used the internet shot up more than a billion. Smaller devices started gaining popularity, and smartphones took over the world. This marriage between smaller devices and the internet was a game-changer as it allowed people to browse the internet more often. Online presence was the major factor driving digital marketing and this period featured the entire world transitioning into a full-fledged “Digital Era”
As people sought after the internet for every single decision, businesses started paying attention to what people are looking into to boost sales. This led to the invention of “personalized Ad campaigns that made use of a user’s preferences and previous searches. The personalization aspect made these campaigns very successful right away.
Towards the middle of 2010s, there was a huge increase in the usage of creative platforms such as Pinterest, YouTube, etc, where individuals exhibited their content. The idea of “Influencer Marketing” came into existence and it was a big hit. Brands and Businesses started concentrating on Customer connectivity and PR, as Influencer marketing went through a drastic phase of growth.
What’s Hot Right Now?
With the onset of a new decade after 2019, the internet has witnessed over 45% growth in the number of users amounting currently to more than 3.5 billion. With numerous creative platforms like Instagram, Youtube, TikTok, etc, the internet is now filled with digital marketers of all sorts. Starting from business pages to individual influencers who promote other businesses, around 10% of the total population that uses the internet generates revenue by means of digital marketing, directly or indirectly. Facebook still holds the crown with more than 2.45 billion users and a whole lot of people make purchases of goods and services through the Ads featured on these platforms. eCommerce and online shopping have increased dramatically over the covid-19 period. Experts believe that in the next two decades, almost 95% of the entire count of purchases will be done via an online platform.
Why Digital Marketing?
The advantages of digital marketing make it really hard for anyone to not consider it. In agreement with the evolution of the internet as mentioned in the article, online presence has become almost a necessity to run a successful business. The traditional means of marketing are taking a backseat, while digital marketing is on a rise. The impact has been more than profound, and it is quite impossible to find reasons not to adopt digital marketing techniques.
Because of the said transition, many doors are opening up in the light of connecting potential business relationships. The connectivity has gotten a lot stronger than the clients feel closer to the business system, or rather a part of the system itself. Exposing people to Ads that are personalized influences potential buyers and increases the probability of them making a buy. The strength of the influence established by a business is directly proportional to the success factor and hence, investing in digital marketing is definitely a win.
Revolutionizing Businesses
It is a no-brainer that digital marketing companies have revolutionized how businesses function and they are continuing to do so. One of the primary reasons for the success of this method is that it is a lot more affordable compared to other traditional means and you can reach a wider audience. If you consider print advertising, it can be more expensive and less effective in today’s scenario. Whereas, sponsored posts and pop-up Ads can cost you a lot less and help you reach a wide audience in no time. The target demographic must be considered before choosing the type of marketing you want to do and digital marketing has proven to reach an audience of all sorts.
Besides, the internet is the most accessible marketing outlet there is, and making use of techniques like social media, content marketing, SEO, banner ads, email campaigns, and others can take your business in the direction of rapid and organic growth. You can barely find people who are not online these days, which directly strengthens the idea of “the online presence of businesses”. Having proper digital marketing strategies can help a company gain more revenue and reach without breaking any sweat.
Most people misconceive digital marketing to be complex considering the number of results it can yield. But the formula here is extremely simple. More the people who view your Ads or related content, the more profit you will be making. Having the internet at the swipe of a finger has revolutionized the world and the businesses with it.
Possible Negative Impacts and Ways To Overcome Them
As we have discussed all the “Pro Points” of digital marketing, we might as well look into the possible downsides. With digital marketing comes the pressure of thousands or even millions of people viewing your content. This can put a considerable amount of stress on business owners to make sure that the marketing content is not wrongly perceived. Marketers have to be very cautious and need to consider the scrutiny and judgment that can come along when many people view their content.
If you are considering digital marketing, it is essential that you keep yourself completely updated with what is happening around you. You need to pay attention to the demographic you are aiming at and make sure that you don’t release anything that is off-putting or offensive. We have all witnessed offensive content wreaking havoc all over the internet. Especially, if any part of your campaign features anything that is even remotely racist or sexist, then your business is going to be associated with that negative remark for a very long time. Once you put out something on a public forum, you will have to be ready to face all sorts of scrutiny.
Nonetheless, If you are running a business and are planning to outsource the work to a digital marketing company, make sure you choose a well-informed and reliable service provider. It is even better to double-check the content yourself before making it publicly available. There have been cases where companies have fallen due to poor content management and non-reliable marketing strategies. This is probably one of the reasons why many businesses are skeptical about doing a digital marketing campaign.
Any marketing strategy out there has pros and Cons, and in the case of digital marketing. The pros outweigh the cons very easily. Overall, with proper caution, there is no need for businesses to be skeptical about this strategy. For this process to be foolproof, you can even opt to do digital marketing courses and gain more grasp.
Bottom Line
Digital marketing leverages the internet to promote products and services. For businesses today, having a robust online presence is almost mandatory. The rise of influencer marketing has opened up new revenue opportunities for many. Digital marketing offers a path to attract new customers and build a strong market presence quickly and effectively.
FAQs
1. What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing encompasses online strategies to promote products or services through various digital channels like social media.
2. Why is digital marketing important?
It allows businesses to reach a wider audience efficiently, personalize marketing efforts, and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.
3. What are some common digital marketing strategies?
Key strategies include social media marketing, content marketing, email campaigns, SEO, and pay-per-click advertising.
4. How can I measure the success of my digital marketing efforts?
You can track metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, engagement levels, and return on investment (ROI) using analytics tools.
5. What are the potential risks of digital marketing?
Challenges include public scrutiny, negative feedback, and the potential for misinterpretation of content. It’s essential to manage your online reputation carefully.
