Comparing digital marketing to sourdough might seem like a stretch, but sourdough bread became my pandemic hobby. Many people like myself during the strict social distancing and stay-at-home measures have had to get creative when figuring out how to pass time since being with friends and going places was not an option.

Initially sourdough sounded way too complicated. Plus sourdough takes time — which during the pandemic people had lots of it. That’s where I was four years ago when I entered this online world. Facing an empty nest and wanting to be an entrepreneur required me to create my own recipe for dough, a different kind of dough.

Often times, I’m asked what is digital marketing? An article by HubSpot simply puts it as any form of marketing online. This type of marketing incorporates all efforts of a business to reach out to current and potential customers using the internet or with electronic devices. In a day and era where technology sets the pace for everything around us, businesses strive to include digital marketing in their marketing campaigns to compete at their best.

As electronics changed through the years, so have marketing strategies. Business, person, or product advertising and marketing done using digital technologies, online channels, and electronic devices are called digital or online marketing.

One significant difference between traditional and digital marketing is the channels used for these marketing campaigns. Traditional marketing uses offline channels like billboards or radio advertisements. In contrast, digital marketing uses online channels like email, blog posts, and social media to promote their products and businesses. According to business, several tactics fall under digital marketing, and they start right from the business’s website to their online branding assets.

How does digital marketing work?

A business coordinates and uses more than one channel to support a strategy you have in mind, such as sales or brand awareness. If your business goal is to earn leads, you can combine channels like emails and searches and formulate a strategy to lead to conversion. The conversion is hopefully your next sale. While each channel is effective on its own, they work best when put it all together. Therefore, if you want to get the most out of a digital marketing campaign, it’s best to incorporate multiple channels; this will surely set you apart from the rest.

Why choose digital marketing?

There are a lot of benefits that come with using digital marketing campaigns. Some of these benefits include:

  • It is cost-effective compared to traditional marketing. In digital marketing, you have complete control over the amount you spend on a campaign. If the return on investment (ROI) is not high, you can always pause the campaign anytime and save your business money that would have otherwise gone to something that is not profitable.
  • It allows you to see the results of your campaign in real-time; you can continuously measure the ROI and view all the valuable metrics like impressions, time on page, and clicks.
  • You can target your specific audience through digital marketing and send personalized marketing messages that are likely to bring high conversion.
  • There is a wide range of strategies that you can choose from.

When I started my sourdough bread journey, it wasn’t an overnight success. Both are skills which require time and patience. Most marketers don’t think their digital marketing efforts are working and can be quite stressful. There’s always a new recipe or a new strategy. You are providing your audience with content without asking anything in return. This goes on for not days or weeks, but months and years.

What are some of the types of digital marketing strategies and tactics?

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Social media marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Paid advertising
• Native advertising
• Organic advertising
• Email Marketing
• Content marketing

With this continuous advancement in technology and as the world leans more towards it, digital marketing strategies are here to stay and with the numerous benefits and a wide array of strategies to choose from. There is something for every business with digital marketing!

Does this help?

Like anything else, both digital marketing and a new bread baking hobby can be very enjoyable and rewarding. You can make the process as simple or extravagant as you like. There’s a bit of satisfaction if you look for it.

What do you think? Are you facing similar digital marketing challenges? What strategies are you using to solve them? I’d love to hear, so please contact me here. Or follow me on social media  below.