The print media is not dead yet, and it seems to have a good amount of life left in the tank. However, almost all of the marketing that happens in today’s day and age is digital. The advent of social media has changed the industry in irreversible ways. The rise of video-based content and increased focus on branding has paved the way for new-age marketing ideologies to emerge. Artist-centric platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and even YouTube have contributed to a more inclusive marketing world that gave the audience its due.

Who calls the shots now?
Influence has undergone a paradigm shift or a redistribution of sorts. The audience chooses its influencers now, and brands have no choice but to cater to these so-called spokespersons of the public. Such a climate has fostered the evolution/segregation of digital marketing into several channels. It’s no longer just about setting up an affiliate marketing campaign. It’s no longer just about getting Instagram famous. Success on one platform doesn’t guarantee anything anymore. The advertiser’s true challenge today is curating a campaign that does well on not one, but many of the marketing channels out there. But, what does the word channel mean here anyway?

The top digital marketing channels out there:

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a versatile channel that not only serves advertising needs but also facilitates lead generation. Even though there’s a risk of going directly into the spam folder, a powerful e-mail marketing campaign runs the benefit of reaching out to the audience on a personal level. At the end of the day, effective e-mail marketing only leads to higher brand visibility.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is the place where almost 3.5 billion people engage with each other daily. There’s not even a single minute of silence on these platforms. Everybody has a voice, and all voices get heard. Some even get echoed and find their way to the ears of the masses. This sweet spot is where all social media marketing happens. In 2018, companies spent $74 billion on social media advertising. Don’t think of this statistic as just some random number out there. Entire R&D departments zeroed in on the opportunity that social media provides, and declared it worthy of the capital investment.

Search Engine Optimization

Imagine a scenario in which you plan on buying a shower curtain. Let’s also assume that you’re an avid online shopper. What’s more likely?

a) You google shower curtains and buy the product advertised on the 11th page of your search.
b) You open the product that you first set your eyes on (located in the top area of the first page of your search), and buy the product right away.

If option (a) runs true for you, you belong to a very small minority. But most people will go for option (b), and that’s exactly what makes SEO so powerful. It increases the visibility of your business on the internet. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to deduce that increased visibility equals increased growth.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Unlike the channels mentioned-above, pay-per-click advertising cannot be executed without an initial investment. In most cases, the extent to which your amp up your investment determines the success of your campaign. However, the flip side is that you exercise a very tangible amount of control on your target audience. If you play your cards right and choose the right keywords to target, PPC advertising can fetch your huge returns in a short burst of time.

Content Marketing

This digital marketing channel is perhaps the backbone of every other online advertising method. Content was, is, and will be king. Content marketing costs way less than traditional marketing. In concrete terms, Content marketing is 62% cheaper than its traditional counterpart. It doesn’t matter which platform you choose to target. As long as you keep pushing out informative and non-plagiarized content that adds value to the lives of your target audience, you will see returns. Mix up text-based content with visual mediums, and keep things original.

The list of digital marketing channels doesn’t end here. But, if you nail your strategy for the 5 channels listed here, you’ll be surprised by the results you see!