Many companies now market online, making the role of the marketer more important than ever. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 79% of marketing respondents said they intend to do more digital marketing in the next six months.

Traditional marketing, which ranges from radio ads to billboards and magazine spreads, simply adjusted to the new paradigm. Radio ads became podcast sponsorships; billboards turned into web banners; and magazine spreads changed from ink on paper to pixels on a screen.

Even established brands like Google and Amazon harnessed the power of digital marketing to grow their businesses. Now, as more and more companies dabble in online marketing, it’s important to establish a foundation of knowledge about how to conduct marketing in the digital age.

The Evolution of Online Marketing

The practice of marketing, which varies by country but generally includes advertising, brand representation, and sales, has always been about reaching as many people as possible with your message. What changed was the method of reaching those people. Thanks to the development of modern-day technologies, marketers can now target their ads based on interests and behavioral data, using platforms like Google Ad Platform or Facebook Marketing.

For example, let’s say you’re a makeup brand seeking to promote your new lipstick. With traditional broad-based marketing, you might have placed a radio ad in a local market to attract females aged 40 to 60. But with digital marketing, you can target that radio ad to appeal to females with a taste for bright lips and also to those who like romantic comedies. Your message would appear in a podcast feed for romance novel fans or in a video feed for people with an interest in makeup.

The use of cookies, which allow websites to recognize users and collect information about their browsing habits, became commonplace. Businesses used cookies to track user behavior and serve them relevant advertisements. Google and Facebook, which own the majority of the digital ad market, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous interests.

But the evolution of online marketing wasn’t limited to targeting devices. The rise of social media called for new strategies. Marketers built communities of followers, engaging with them on a regular basis via social media platforms.

Let’s say you’re a fragrance company and you want to promote your new scent. With social media, you could start a Twitter account and use the account’s handle, @fragrance_company, to engage with followers about your new scent. You can use keywords in your tweets (i.e., fragrance company, oudh, rose, etc.) to draw the right audience to your content.

The platforms kept evolving, with new ones emerging that provided even more opportunities for marketers (e.g., TikTok, which provides users with short-form videos that can be customized to include branding and advertisements). With the expansion of online marketing, traditional roles like brand managers or account executives evolved to become digital marketers, chief marketing officers, and vice presidents of marketing.

Conducting Online Marketing For Most Companies

Knowing how to market in the digital age isn’t difficult; it just requires a bit of rethinking and adjusting to new platforms. With that in mind, here are a few tips for most companies to consider when marketing online:

Get A Website.

Creating an internet portfolio isn’t as difficult as you might think. You can use tools like Squarespace or Wix to build a professionally designed website in no time at all. Or, if you’re a marketer who also dabbles in coding, you can build a custom site from scratch.

The great thing about websites is they provide a stable foundation for online marketing. You can use a tool like HubSpot to create email campaigns, which are linked to a particular URL, or you can build an eCommerce store with Shopify. When customers come to your site, you can start engaging with them via email or social media to drive sales.

Get A Twitter Account.

Another great way to build a brand online is via Twitter. Just remember that when you enter the social media world, you are competing for attention with millions of other users. Therefore, you have to stand out from the crowd to grab audiences and encourage them to listen to or follow you.

You have two options here. You can create a persona, which is an identity separate from your official account, and use it to engage with audiences. Or, you can create an identity-less account, which is often referred to as a “brand account,” and use it to engage with audiences. Your account manager will tell you which one to use based on your goals (e.g., brand or persona).

Get A Facebook Account.

You can also promote your business on Facebook. Just remember that while Facebook is the biggest social media network, it’s not the only one. Plus, you have to consider the fact that not all of your friends will be on Facebook, making your marketing content a little less accessible to some people.

Creating a Facebook page for your company isn’t as difficult as you might think. Just remember to build a solid community of fans around your brand. You can use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule and distribute your content to grow your audience. You should also consider using Facebook ads to attract potential customers.

Get A YouTube Account.

Building a community on YouTube is much easier than you might think as well. You can use a tool like Hootsuite to create videos and schedule them to post at regular intervals throughout the year. Plus, you can integrate YouTube with other platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, to expand your reach to customers.

The great thing about YouTube is it’s very accessible. Anyone can create a channel and start posting videos. You don’t need a big budget to get started. Plus, studies have shown that people are more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a branded video about it. So, by simply creating a YouTube channel for your business, you are starting the long process of marketing your products or services via video.

Get A LinkedIn Account.

LinkedIn is similar to YouTube, in that it’s very accessible and allows anyone to create an account and start posting content. However, LinkedIn is more of a professional network than a video network. If you are looking to attract customers, start a LinkedIn business page.

Just remember that LinkedIn is a highly competitive network. So, just like on YouTube, you have to create compelling content to make your profile stand out. Once you do, get ready to market on LinkedIn. Because while it’s great for networking, connecting with potential customers, and gaining valuable company information, LinkedIn is a place that people go to find information.

To find the right person or company for your needs, begin by describing your requirements. Reaching out to companies that provide what you need is the safest bet – you can always say no if they don’t fit your needs. If you’d like, you can also send an e-mail to enquiries@[company_name] to receive a response.

Why Are Companies Turning To Online Marketing?

Forbes reports that 79% of marketing respondents said they intend to do more digital marketing in the next six months, and HubSpot Blogs research shows that 40% of marketing respondents already do more digital marketing than they did a year ago.

According to a HubSpot Blogs survey, 57% of marketing executives said digital marketing grew their businesses – and 41% said it helped them move faster. Additionally, the survey found that 56% said it increased customer engagement and 39% said it helped them become more cost-effective.

With the rise of the self-service marketing revolution, companies have more control over how they market and what they present to consumers, removing the need for a team of marketers, designers, and account executives.

Additionally, a LinkedIn study found that 62% of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service through an online video. So, as companies seek to cut marketing costs and become more agile, digital marketing, particularly online video, becomes a viable option.

How to Market On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional network designed for business professionals to connect and collaborate. This means it’s a great place to find information about companies and professionals who can assist with your career. To attract potential customers to your business, create a LinkedIn business page.

Just remember that LinkedIn is a highly competitive network. You’ll have to establish yourself as an expert in your industry and provide compelling content to gain credibility.