Digital Marketing Channels – An Overview

The online world is thriving with marketing possibilities. In order to make the most of it, it is crucial to understand the specific Pros & Cons of each digital marketing channel and maximize their benefits.

This article will cover the various digital marketing channels:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Pros & Cons

• PPC (Pay Per Click, advertisement in search results) Pros & Cons

• Email Marketing Pros & Cons

• Social Media Marketing Pros & Cons

The rapid evolvement of digital marketing has created a variety of options for any marketing manager to promote their brand and drive lead generation. From the costly to the frugal, from broadcasting a message to narrowcasting it, marketing managers should be well aware of all the possibilities at their disposal.

Different Channels, Different Objectives

Every channel we are about to present here can be measured by user traffic and conversion rate. It is up to the marketer to decide if they should invest on quality traffic or cast a wide net in hopes of creating brand awareness.

Of all the digital marketing channels on offer, the biggest are SEO, PPC (and the display network), email marketing, social media marketing and affiliate marketing. Utilizing some, or all, of these methods will help achieve marketing goals.

Optimizing Your Website To Increase Visibility

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the most popular digital marketing channel. What it does, in general terms, is improve a website’s visibility in search engines. This is done by modifying a site’s content, structure and code. Naturally, SEO has pros and cons.

SEO Pros

• The higher a site ranks in search results for relevant keywords, the higher amount of visitor traffic it will gain.
• Organic SEO results are trusted by web users more than sponsored, or paid, results. Therefore, they are more likely to be clicked upon.
• SEO is a great way to promote your brand and establish an online reputation that is long lasting. Results can be seen both in the short and long term, even years later.

But this long-term process also has a negative aspect.

SEO Cons

• Results cannot be seen immediately and may take months to be reached. SEO is more of a long term process and cannot be used as a resort when quick action is needed.
• Search engines use algorithms to determine results. Every time a major search engine changes its algorithms (for instance, Google’s introduction of Panda), this reflects on your brand’s position in the results. Therefore, the ranking position is conditional, and cannot be predicted.
• Because SEO work requires changes to your website, this entails relying on technical and content providers. That said, with the proper instruction, a website owner may be able to optimize their site by themselves.
• Relying on Google Analytics for measuring keyword data may be problematic, due to the fact that Google is encrypting searches (replacing the HTTP prefix with HTTPS). This means that when site owners check Google Analytics, to find out which keywords their users use, the answer to their query is “(not provided)”.

All in all, SEO is not a luxury, but rather a necessity that should be taken into account when one is designing a website.

Going Old School Online: Placing Advertisements

PPC/Display Network, includes text and image advertisements that appear either in the search results (PPC) or in websites (Display). This is considered a Push marketing technique – it is displayed to the user even if they didn’t wish to see it. It is an extremely popular marketing channel.

PPC Pros

• Paid search makes it very easy to target and track relevant audience segments. Targeting options enable you to reach an exact segment you are looking for. You can also choose to invest in quality traffic, despite it being (perhaps) smaller in quantity. For instance, investing in direct keyword terms such as “cheap flights to Barcelona” may bring less search traffic than “flights to Barcelona” or just “Barcelona”. However, those searchers will be much more prone to convert into customers.
• Creating a campaign can be done easily, within one day, and get immediate results. That is great news to a site that is either new or not generating much organic traffic.
• It is easily modifiable. You can control the budget, as well as specific display times
• Results can be measured and quantified according to certain keywords or groups.

However, there are some disadvantages to be aware of.

PPC Cons

• Using PPC can be expensive. Choosing enticing keywords has a price – the keywords that drive the most traffic are naturally those with the highest cost per click.
• This method requires constant maintenance, either daily or even several times a day. One needs to set up targets and constantly optimize them according to the data received.
• Not all users react favorably to sponsored listings or choose to click on them. There are some niches in the market in which appearing there is less appealing.

Email Marketing Is A Great Marketing Tool

Email Marketing entails the use of electronic mail to promote a product, service or brand. It can be utilized by a business to improve customer relations or to attract new customers. It is especially useful when targeting those who have shown a previous interest in you and what you have to offer. Email marketing can be great for you, just look at its pros and cons.

Email Marketing Pros

• It is low cost compared to other marketing methods.
• It allows you to reach a vast amount of people in a short amount of time.
• By collecting sign-ups, you then have key information about your potential clients and their user behavior. This is invaluable to retailers and advertisers alike.

Email Marketing Cons

• User attention is very hard to capture, especially when it comes to unsolicited mail. Getting a user to open the actual email and click the links within is not an easy task, which means a low conversion rate.
• Building a user database is very time and money consuming. Utilizing a ready-made email list may not give you the exact audience segment you require.
• One needs to be cautious not to antagonize potential customers. Some unsolicited emails and newsletters may create a problematic reputation for you and your brand.

Social Media Marketing – It’s Not Your Grandpa’s Social Call

Social Media Marketing is a hot commodity in the world of digital marketing. The blossoming of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and the rest, has given rise to this new-ish form, in which each client is different, and as a result all campaigns and levels of engagement vary heavily.

Social Media Marketing Pros

• Budget considerations. Most social media sites allow you free access and do not charge to set up a profile or post information.
• The fact that the infiltration of these networks is at its infancy make them a cheaper alternative, as far as bidding levels are concerned, to display/ppc ads.
• Ability to fine-tune targeting to reach the right audience. PPC ads on social networks such as Facebook can be finely targeted according to geo-location, gender, age group and interests.
• Ongoing brand recognition. Social media campaigns let brands get out there and stay relevant.

Social Media Marketing Cons

• Shorter visibility. Organic posts can quickly disappear as they are replaced with newer ones.
• Company and brand pages require constant administrating in order to monitor any negative comments or posts on the page from disgruntled customers or spammers.
• Sponsored posts require creativity and investment of time in order to be enticing and effective.

Keeping It Organic, SEO Wise

Each of the channels can be easily measured and analyzed through one of its features. SEO can be measured in landing page traffic, PPC by keywords, email by return reactions and interactions and social media according to user interaction.

However, maintaining good SEO must be done wisely, with constant care and tweaking, as well as close attention to the changes in search algorithm in order to always stay on top of your game. Combining this method with an investment in quality traffic is a surefire way to make the most of your digital marketing budget.

This Is How We Do It @eTraffic

At eTraffic, we truly believe in the power of organic search. Its longevity, promising an extended online reputation for your brand and service helps makes it a highly appealing option. Furthermore, the fact that it is perceived as a cleaner search result when compared to paid results, make it the preferred method of marketing.