What is Digital Marketing?

Digital Marketing is referred to as promoting brands, companies and messages using various electronic devices, interactive channels, games, communications, websites, online services and so on.

Digital media is basically a form of electronic media, data is stored in a digital device as opposed to analogue. Another description is that it is a technical aspect of storage and transmission, eg hard drives, portable or fixed, computer networking, digital camera's, video etc. The end product being something that is displayed on a screen or a device that gives off sound from a media device. Digital media is also anything you will find online, this can involve internet technology, email communications, social interaction, rich media and so on. 

These devices can be used to surf the Internet and display advertisements and buy merchandise or look for services. This involves use of web sites and e-mail to inform customers about a product, solicit their questions, generating enquiries (leads) and even accepting their orders directly through the electronic medium.

The use of the internet can increase the means of communicating a company's messages to the consumer or business attracting new prospects and customers, this is also a great medium to conduct market research.

So digital marketing is the term used to utilise all of these digital media channels, it's a slightly broader term than others such as online marketing or internet marketing, although there isn't a lot of difference as many electronic devices do connect to the internet. Of course the world of digital is always changing, and who knows what device will be out next

Here are just a few of the things that are covered under digital marketing:

• Data displayed on digital devices such as video, cameras, hand held devices, mobile phones, computers, laptops, radios, TVs etc
• Email communications, messengers, text messages
• Mobile phones, phone applications, texts
• Internet and online services, websites, blogs, databases
• Social interaction such as social networks like twitter and facebook
• Computer technology, online tools, programs, widgets, tool bars
• Graphics, creative, images, artwork 
• And so on...

There is a requirement to have a good understanding of how the internet works and understand how marketing can benefit on digital devices, although we have just skirted over the meaning of digital marketing, there is a lot more depth involved when exploring different digital marketing channels. You can get to understand some of the terminology by visiting our glossary of terms page and other FAQs explaining other forms of online marketing.