The digital world is here, and it is a regular part of our everyday lives. Not everyone got along with the fast-paced digital world in its infancy. Some resisted the change for as long as possible before having to accept the growing, all-encompassing digital spectrum. If you are one of those people who are hoping to dip your toes into the digital pool, then look no further.  Here we will give you a full-blown rundown of the basics of digital marketing, and how to get started on your journey.

In the first place, you may be wondering what digital marketing is and why you need to know about it. Simply put, digital marketing is any form of marketing or advertising that is published online. It is a way to connect with future clients in the same way as a television or newspaper ad. But, what does that mean? Marketing emails, blogging, social media post marketing, pay-per-click advertising, social media, banners, internet videos, and many other forms of online media that contribute to your marketing efforts are considered to be digital marketing. All these aspects have benefits for any and every business, even those that do not operate or perform their primary function online.

A moving and shipping company, for example, does not need to provide any service online, nor sell any products online, to benefit from digital marketing. The company benefits from an online presence that brings customers to call or contact the company for quotes, products, and services. By marketing online, said company can reach a broader audience than if it merely advertised in local papers and television commercials.

This reach can be achieved in several ways including email marketing, wherein the company sends emails giving important information and an explanation of services to clients, a blog with helpful information that potential clients may stumble upon when looking for similar products, or helpful online videos that provide potential clients with ideas and answers to product related questions. Each method, and several others, expose the viewer to the product and puts the company brand and services in a positive, trustworthy, or useful light, inspiring purchases and use of services. That, in a nutshell, is digital marketing.

Marketing online is a necessity for every business, but you may be wondering how to get started. Lucky for you, getting started is easy. The internet was made for user convenience and has thus deeply affected the way people interact with businesses and advertisements. However, just as anybody can start a blog or a social media page, so too can any business looking to create or reach an online audience. So, where should you start? The best place for a business to start would be a company website.

Company websites are a necessary way to reach customers as most people search for products and services online. You must show your customers what you are offering and provide them a means of contacting you. To start, these websites can be built fairly easily with site-builders like Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, etc. If you are completely new to the concept and don’t want to spend a lot of time learning website building, don’t worry. Graphic designers can do the work for you fairly cheaply these days. It may help to check out the websites of your competition and see what you like and dislike about them and make a note of those things for your graphic designer. You’ll want to have your logos, acronyms, trademarked name, icons, and everything else particular to your brand ready to go before you launch your website. Once you’ve got your website up, you’re ready to advertise your website and services to potential customers. After all, they’ll have to know about you before they can shop with you.

Now, this is where you get to be creative. You can make use of any form of digital marketing that suits your tastes, although some forms of marketing may be better for certain businesses. If you are selling a variety of interesting items, tools, or products, having public online videos showing and discussing the interesting aspects of your products will be greatly beneficial. Videos can be effectively utilized by any business, however. Art galleries, wholesale websites, architect firms, farmers markets, and many other businesses have found great success by producing videos for online audiences. Videos are a great way to get product or company information to your customers while advertising the product or services to them.

Social media pages are another great way to reach audiences and inspire customer engagement. Every company should have some form of social media. By providing social media content that your clients enjoy, they will “Like” and “Share” the posts, making those posts more visible to other potential clients. You can tailor your company social media anyway you choose to best reach your target demographics. Written content is also important outside of social media. Blog posts, e-books, emails, product descriptions, articles and so much more can draw in customers and keep them engaged with your content.

There are plenty of other forms of digital marketing, but these are the right places to start. Make the best of them. Refusing to accept the boon of digital marketing puts you at a huge disadvantage in the world of shared information. Join your potential clients where they are. Digital marketing helps you do just that.