DIGITAL-MARKETING, also known as ‘online-marketing’, ‘internet advertising’, and ‘web advertising’, is the process of using web-based sources to promote a brand, a product, or service to consumers.
Online marketing is a complex system that consists of multiple technologies, methodologies, and terminologies. The evolution in the digital marketing space has been moving extremely fast over the past decade, in fact, new developments and updates to existing tools are launched every day now. Fortunately, this wide variety of tools is available for you to grasp in order to grow your business!
But….
- What channels are actually out there?
- What benefits do these channels offer?
- Which channel best suits my business goals?
- What cost model can I expect with each channel?
These questions are very common and frequently asked by many of my clients. Indeed, with so many opportunities available out there, confusion seems almost inevitable!
This article will benefit you if either:
You are new to Digital-marketing and you wish to better understand what channels are available for you and can best suit your business.
Or,
You have already been promoting your business online and simply want to make sure that you don’t miss any opportunity for the growth and sustainability of your businesses.
In this article, we will overview the 8 marketing channels that are widely used and that you as a business owner, or manager, probably want to know about.
I like to remind to my clients that a good growth marketing plan takes into account all the traffic channels that can bring value to the business. Once it’s clear how one can capitalize on each channel, it is then time to prioritize and set a roadmap along with specific timelines.
But before we jump far ahead, let’s set the first foundations and understand each channel, how it drives traffic to your website, its advantages, and how relevant it is to your business. These key foundations will help simplify communication in any online marketing conversation and help set the ground for all of us to make educated decisions, whether it involves smaller or larger investments.
So, without further ado, ARE YOU READY TO EXPLORE…?
8 Online Marketing Channels That Every Business Should Know:
#1. Direct traffic
Unlike the other channels that we will review in this article, direct traffic isn’t the outcome of a click generated on an online website. In fact, direct traffic is when a consumer directly visits your website by simply inputting the address (URL) in the browser. Direct traffic can be the outcome of an offline source such as word of mouth, printed advertisements, business cards, radio or TV commercials, brochures, and more…It is important to understand what direct traffic is because it will most likely appear in your Google Analytics reports.
#2. Organic Search traffic
This is the (search) traffic that you progressively earn and do not pay for. Search traffic often comes through Google, Yahoo, Bing, or other local search engines. Search engines are the connection between people searching for something and the webpage helping them find it. It is easy to forget that your potential clients are not actively looking for your business, but they rather seek a solution for their needs. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is key to successfully earn more organic traffic, and to improve your ranking on search pages. Organic traffic is free, and therefore website owners desire it the most.
- Is organic traffic suitable for your business? Absolutely. For most businesses, organic traffic is the first source of traffic and sales. How to build, grow, and nurture your SEO strategy so that your business shows up first in the search results page is part of our consultancy service and we’ll be happy to guide you through every step of the way.
#3. Paid Search traffic
Also known as SEM (Search Engine Marketing) and PPC (Pay Per Click), paid search traffic is a form of ad for which website owners bid on the most valuable keywords to their brand and consumer needs. Paid search ads are displayed on search pages above organic search results and they are usually paid when someone clicks on the ad. SEM is an effective method to gain quality traffic to your website. It comes in very handy if you are looking for instant results, as opposed to organic search traffic which often takes weeks and months to evolve.
- Is paid search traffic suitable for your business? In many cases it is, especially if you are a small business and your keyword competition is against bigger and stronger businesses. Paid search is not only cost-effective, but it can also save you precious time and get you ahead of the game. Keep in mind that choosing the right keywords is what will determine your success. We at Flyit Online can provide you all the information on how to maximize your return on investment with paid search campaigns.
#4. Social networks traffic
This is the traffic that comes from social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Linkedin, and more… Most social platforms allow you to easily set up an account (private or business) and then offer you various settings to help you promote your account for free. Besides, most platforms also offer paid advertising services. The most common cost model is CPC (Cost Per Click) where you pay for each click on your ad that normally leads to your website. CPV (Cost Per View) is common on YouTube where you pay per each view of your video ad. CPM (Cost Per Mille) is used on several platforms as a more aggressive model that pays for every 1,000 ad views. Social platforms offer you the benefit of precise targeting settings that help bring your business in front of your desired audience and boost your sales opportunities. Social channels highly contribute to brand recognition and to increased consumer engagement through a variety of tactics and tricks.
- Is social traffic suitable for your business? Generally speaking – absolutely. Besides social proofing and brand recognition, social platforms are often used to re-target the audience that has shown interest in your product but yet engaged with it. Specifically speaking – which platform you should invest in, what practices are strategically right for your business, and what mistakes to avoid are just some of the answers that we provide as part of our various growth services.
#5. Email marketing traffic
This is a form of a commercial message sent to a group of email addresses which are part of an email list. Email lists are among the very important online assets that a business can have. Businesses often use email marketing to remind consumers about their brand, to encourage their existing clients or prospects to take a certain action (registration, purchase, read a blog post…), to offer promotions that enhance people’s engagement with the product, and more…
The cost model used to deliver Email marketing message varies based on your provider.
Unlike other channels where less engaging content or lower bids are filtered down, email marketing normally comes through, which consequently turns it into a powerful marketing channel.
- Is email traffic suitable for your business? From small to large businesses, in most cases email marketing will bring high value to your business. Afterall, 9.9 out of 10 people check their email at least once per day. It’s difficult to pinpoint a business for which email marketing isn’t suitable so it comes down to whether you are willing to invest the time and resources to make it work. Want to know what it takes for your business to make it work? Drop us a message and we’ll be glad to share our expert advice.
#6. Referral & Partnerships traffic
Referral traffic comes your way after your customers recommended their contacts to engage with your business. The referring person is a friend, a relative, or a trusted person for the person being referred, meaning that credibility has already been established.
Partnership traffic comes your way after an agreement has been reached between your business and at least another party. A partnership agreement ideally involves two or more parties helping each-other achieve their respective business goals.
Both referral and partnership as sources of traffic, rely on mutual benefit and trust which makes them highly effective, especially when it comes to conversion rate and engagement.
- Is referral & partnership traffic suitable for your business? Absolutely. Referrals & partnerships are highly effective in helping any kind of business expand their sales. The type of partnership, reward plan, and strategy that your business should specifically pursue in order to maximize your gains, can be discussed as part of the growth guidance we can provide to your business.
#7. Display traffic
This is a form of online paid advertising where a banner ad is displayed on a website. Banner ads are visual formats made of text, image, video, or flash. Display traffic is available through ad networks and ad servers where you can often choose between a self-serve platform, or a managed service. The cost model for display advertising varies from one platform/ad network to another. CPC (cost per click) and CPL (cost per lead) are the most common cost models whereas CPM (cost per 1 unit of thousand impressions) and CPA (cost per acquisition/action) are slightly less popular due to the risk they present for either the advertiser or publisher respectively. The main purpose of display advertising is to convey a message to consumers and encourage them to take action (subscribe, free trial, purchase …).
- Is display traffic suitable for your business? It depends. Display traffic best suits businesses with extra advertising budget seeking to further expand their reach across broader and less targeted audience. Based on your business target audience and goals, some networks will perform better than others. To learn which networks are best suited to your specific business, feel free to get in touch and we’ll gladly provide you with a customized plan as part of our consultation service.
#8. Mobile traffic
This is a form of online paid advertising which is similar to Display Traffic, but rather than targeting desktop websites, it targets mobile devices (phones and tablets). Mobile banner ads are designed for both mobile websites and mobile apps. Mobile advertisements come in different forms such as banner ads, Appstore ads, push notifications, click to call ads, and more…
The cost model for mobile advertising varies based on the platform/ad network. CPC (cost per click) and CPI (cost per install) are the most common cost models whereas CPM (cost per 1 unit of thousand impressions) and CPA (cost per acquisition/action) are slightly less popular due to the risk they present for either the advertiser or publisher respectively.
The main purpose of mobile advertising is to convey a message to consumers and encourage them to take action (subscribe, free trial, purchase …).
- Is mobile advertising suitable for your business? Similar to display advertising, mobile advertising best suits businesses with extra advertising budget seeking to further expand their reach across broader and less targeted audience. Based on your business target audience and goals, some mobile advertising solutions will perform better than others. To learn which solutions are best suited to your specific business, we’ll gladly provide you with our expert advice. You are welcome to take a look at our growth services to select the most suitable for your business.
The bottom line on digital-marketing channels
There is no doubt that as a business owner or manager, you have different marketing related decisions to make. Whether it is what marketing channels to focus on, the strategies that you choose to pursue for each channel and platform, the different resources you decide to allocate to your advertising plan, whether or not to hire a marketing team, agency, or freelancer. In fact, these debates are just the tip of the ice.
As the founder of Flyit Online, I face these decisions myself and let me reassure you that you are not alone. Digital marketing has a lot to offer which at the same time presents an opportunity as well as a challenge.
At Flyit Online I provide consultancy to small and medium businesses with one goal in mind: Growth.
By providing you with a strategic and practical plan which is tailored around your business goals, I guide your business straight through the most rewarding pathways in digital marketing. This will not only turn confusion into focus but will also save you precious time and boost your results!
Roberta D’Angelo is an online marketing expert, growth consultant, and the Founder of Flyit Online. With over 11 years of experience in online marketing and business growth strategies, Roberta has been consulting over 400 businesses worldwide, from small to large and everything in between.