What is Online Marketing?

What is Online Marketing?

Online marketing is a broad term that encapsulates all forms of marketing and advertising that take place in an online environment.  On a macro level, Internet marketing disciplines include but are not limited to inbound marketing, content marketing, on page seo, off page seo, local search, paid search, social media marketing, mobile marketing, video marketing, lead generation, reputation management, and digital pr.  While there are numerous other forms of web marketing like display, affiliate, and email, the aforementioned list of disciplines often incorporate or utilize the other forms of internet marketing.

In the maturing world of online marketing, while successes can be achieved by pursuing one discipline, the most successful web presences start off by building a solid foundation with at least two or three.  Then, they continue to scale their successful campaigns and engage in additional online marketing strategies.  Those who think they have it all figured out with one or two online marketing strategies and stop taking chances with emerging marketing technologies tend to be left behind.

Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing combines search, social, content marketing, and several other online marketing disciplines to form campaigns that result in inbound leads and sales conversions.  As opposed to outbound and push selling, inbound marketing is a long term cost effective strategy that involves lead generation, lead nurturing, and customer buying cycle automation.   There is debate whether or not paid search and other online display advertising models can be classified as inbound marketing strategies because they involve pushing a message with paid placement.  No matter the case, a balanced attack of quick hitting paid search placements and inbound marketing strategies lead to a dynamic approach.

Content Marketing

Online content marketing involves the creation, optimization, and distribution of a wide variety of digital assets.  From articles to widgets and sophisticated creative pieces like videos and infographics, the range of assets is seemingly endless.  Depending on the intention of the content, a comprehensive content marketing  campaign will also include on page seo, off page seo, and social media marketing .

On Page SEO

On page seo relies on the optimization of internal site architecture and content.  With search engine traffic being the way that most people locate information on the Internet, on page seo is the most essential tool in the tool chest of any marketer.

Off Page SEO

Off page seo is most significant factor in search algorithms.  The value of links that point to a specific site or page provides a substantial influence the order of the SERPs.   Off page seo is usually the second step in a comprehensive seo campaign.

Local Search

As its name implies, local search refers to online marketing optimization that focuses entirely on geospecific phrases and local resource sites.  Increasingly, local search strategies involve mobile marketing strategies as local consumers can be targeted at or around the potential point of sale.

Paid Search

From Google Adwords to Bing Ads, paid search is a pay for play search advertising model that offers an immediate solution for driving relevant traffic to a website.  Paid search is the perfect complement to organic search engine optimization strategies.  It is excellent for obtaining positioning for long tail and hard to obtain keywords.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing starts with social media optimization of existing social profiles or the creation of new profiles.  In addition, social media marketing can include paid social campaigns that are similar to the operation of paid search campaigns.  More than any other online marketing discipline, social media marketing should be considered as part of the execution of any successful broader campaign.

Mobile Marketing

The hyper-growth sector of mobile marketing requires the consideration of varying screen sizes, click to call actions, and proximity based consumer solutions.  All other online marketing disciplines bear their own manifestation within the mobile Internet.  For example, on page seo for the traditional web is not necessarily the optimal set of conditions for on page mobile seo factors on a tablet device.

Video Marketing

Much like mobile, video marketing is a hyper-growth sector of web marketing.  Video offers the chance to connect with your online audience in highly compelling, personal, creative, and humorous manner.  Much like a Hollywood blockbuster, creating the strategy and achieving a true viral video marketing campaign will often result in a booming rate of traffic and ultimately an audience left wanting more.

Lead Generation

Online lead generation incorporates the use of optimized landing pages and click to call mobile technologies to capture consumers and their key data points.  Lead generation is most often accomplished using paid search models to drive consumers to the landing pages.  As this online marketing sector has matured, on page and off page seo, content marketing, social media marketing, and mobile marketing are increasingly being utilized to help accentuate the lead capture process.

Reputation Management

Celebrity individuals and corporations alike represent a brand and that brand is their value.  Reputation management is the process of protecting that developed brand value.  This online marketing discipline relies on all the other disciplines to create, optimize, and distribute as many possible digital assets related to the brand as possible.  By heavily influencing the primary related SERPs and responding in the social channels, reputation management helps to protect what matters most.

Digital PR

In a similar manner to reputation management, Digital PR draws from all the other aforementioned online marketing disciplines to gain and enhance brand exposure.  From articles and press releases to award submissions and external relationship building, Digital PR is the brand building phase of web marketing.

Online Marketing – Bringing it All Together

The most important thing in online marketing is to have a strategy in place.  That strategy can start with inbound marketing, a website and on page seo, or a simply a social media marketing program.  Paid search is an excellent way to gain much needed early traffic and conversations.  As part of this strategy which should build on itself week over week and month over month, with each achievement, add another layer of online marketing discipline.  Continue to build and scale your internet marketing campaign and test emerging technologies.  At the end of the day, other than word of mouth, internet marketing is the most cost effective form of marketing in history.