What Is Digital Marketing?

If marketing creates demand, digital marketing drives the creation of demand

using the power of the Internet. The Internet is an interactive medium. It allows

for the exchange of currency, but more than that, it allows for the exchange of

value. A business on the Internet can gain value in the form of time, attention and

advocacy from the consumer. For the user, value can be added in the form of entertainment and utility. The reciprocity of the transaction is what’s important       here – in other words, the exchange is a two-way street that provides benefit to       both parties simultaneously. The Internet has changed the world in which we sell. It reaches beyond being a new channel for marketing and offers a new paradigm for the way consumers connect with brands and with each other. The online medium provides consumers with more choice, more influence and more power. Brands have new ways of selling, new products and services to sell as well as new markets in which to sell. The roles played by marketing agencies are shifting too. Traditional agencies are getting better at digital marketing, while agencies that started out as digital shops are starting to play in the above-the line space. More than ever, integrated strategies that speak to an overall brand identity are vital to achieving an organisation’s goals. However, marketing on the Internet does not necessarily mean throwing out the rule book on marketing and business foundations and principles. Instead, the Internet provides a new environment in which to build on these principles. Profit is still revenue less cost. The Internet does not change that. Brands build loyalty through users who love their products or services. Users fall in love with products and services when their experience is tailored to their needs, as opposed to serving the brand. More than any other type of marketing, digital marketing is measurable. This gives brands the opportunity to build tailored, optimised brand experiences for consumers.