{"id":98237,"date":"2023-08-07T20:53:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T20:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/online-marketing\/"},"modified":"2023-08-07T20:53:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T20:53:00","slug":"online-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluehost.com\/blog\/en-in\/online-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Online Marketing, and Why Is It Important to a Business?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In today\u2019s competitive business landscape, you need effective ways to target your audience and maximize sales. Enter online marketing, a powerful way to reach potential customers and promote your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll explore the fundamentals of online marketing and its benefits, challenges and best practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online marketing: The basics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Online marketing (also called internet marketing, digital marketing<\/a> or electronic marketing) involves the use of web-based mediums to promote a brand and its products or services to potential customers. These mediums include social media, email, websites and search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why does online marketing matter, and why should your business take it seriously?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are over 5.18 billion<\/a> active internet users worldwide, which accounts for almost 65% of the global population. Moreover, the average internet user spends about six and a half hours online daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these people could be your ideal customers. And reaching and engaging even a small fraction of them through online marketing could transform your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How online marketing differs from traditional marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Online<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The biggest difference between online and traditional marketing lies in the mediums employed. Traditional marketing relies on offline, historical mediums (like radio, television, billboards, magazines and newspapers) to promote products and services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast, online marketing uses web-based channels (like social media, websites, search engines and email).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their differences, online and traditional marketing share the same objectives \u2014 to drive sales and boost revenue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of online marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Types<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the most common types of online marketing and how they work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Social media marketing<\/a> involves creating or publishing content and engaging in discussions on social media to create brand awareness, drive traffic and generate leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With almost 60% of the world\u2019s population<\/a> active on social media channels, using these platforms to market your brand can yield significant benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there are myriad social media channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are some of the most popular, making them perfect for internet marketing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search engine optimization (SEO )<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SEO<\/a> aims to increase website traffic through organic search engine results. It involves improving your website or online content to enhance its visibility for relevant searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, say you have an eCommerce store that sells running shoes. The goal of SEO would be for search engines to display your webpage among the top results when users search for terms like “where to buy running shoes,” \u201crunning shoe prices” or \u201cbest running shoes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greater the visibility of your website in search results, the more exposure your business will get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PPC marketing<\/a> is a type of search engine marketing (SEM) you can use to drive traffic to your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, you publish an ad on search engines (like Google or Microsoft Bing) and pay a fee every time a user clicks on the ad. These ads usually appear at the top of search results pages (SERPs) for more visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cost per click (CPC) is typically determined using a flat-rate model or a bid-based process. Currently, the average CPC on Google Ads<\/a> is between $1 and $2<\/a>. Microsoft Advertising<\/a> charges an average CPC of $0.84<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Example<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based type of marketing strategy. You reward affiliates for each customer, referral or sale brought in through their marketing efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affiliates can be individuals or other businesses that promote your products or services through various digital channels, including social media, blogs or even official affiliate websites<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through affiliate marketing, you can tap into niche markets and segments you might not reach through traditional or even other online channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Influencer marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Example<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An influencer is a digital creator with a large and active audience on social media whose voice or opinion is valued or trusted by this audience. Influencer marketing<\/a> involves collaborating with such figures to leverage their influence and popularity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can do this in several ways: <\/p>\n\n\n\n