Hello, I’m Jeeves and I will be your guide to successfully marketing a product online.

I want to explain to you the fundamentals of online marketing including:

Why Online Marketing?

You may be asking yourself, “Why should I bother with online marketing when I can get all the marketing I need from a physical store?”

The answer is that while brick-and-mortar stores still rule the roost when it comes to shopping, the web has grown to be an important part of the overall buying experience. According to HubSpot Blogs, 74% of consumers research products online before buying them in stores.

With the world shifting to an increasingly digital sphere, marketers are scrambling to keep up with the changing times. The emergence of online marketplaces like Amazon has caused a paradigm shift in how brands can engage with customers and grow their business. Prior to the advent of e-commerce, marketing budgets were primarily focused on driving store traffic and proving to retailers that your product will move on retail shelves. However, with the rise of digital marketing, the line between marketing and commerce has blurred and marketers must now prioritize focus across all platforms (online and offline).

What is Digital Marketing?

If you’re not familiar, digital marketing is basically the performance of marketing activities (mainly online) used to attract, retain and engage customers primarily through digital tools (mailchimp).

This category includes things like SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay per click), and SMM (social media marketing). While traditional marketing aimed at driving people to a retail store to make a purchase, digital marketing focuses on getting potential customers to click on a product or service and take further action (i.e. make a purchase, fill out a form, or subscribe to your newsletter).

How does SEO work?

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of improving the appearance of a website in search results. When a user types in a search query, such as “SEO firm”, the search engine looks at a variety of factors to determine which websites to show in the results.

SEO is all about making your website better than the competition at appearing in the top results for a specific key word or phrase. Better SEO means more traffic and more opportunities to convert that traffic into paying customers. A lot of SEO is based on testing and learning from analytics tools like Google Analytics.

How does PPC work?

Pay per click, or PPC, is a type of paid advertising where you only pay when someone clicks on the ad or leads to the advertiser’s website through the ad.

It is very similar to SEO in that you are trying to get visitors to your site, but the emphasis is on generating revenue rather than just getting organic traffic.

What is SMM?

Social media marketing, or SMM, is the practice of using social platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to market a product or service. It is a combination of marketing and sales in that you are attempting to attract potential customers to take action (i.e. buy a product, make a purchase, subscribe to a newsletter, etc.).

SMM can be used to target audiences with specific interests, topics, and/or hobbies. This allows you to directly connect with prospective customers, engaging them into taking action, and increasing the chance of making a purchase. Some of the more popular forms of SMM include:

• Facebook Marketing
• YouTube Marketing
• LinkedIn Marketing
• Pinterest Marketing
• Instagram Marketing
• Twitter Marketing

Why should I study SEO, PPC, and SMM?

You should study SEO, PPC, and SMM to become a better marketer because:

• SEO is used to determine the appearance of a website in search results.
• PPC is used to generate revenue for a business.
• SMM is used to attract, engage, and retain customers.
• The three combined help you reach your target audience with a digital marketing strategy.
• Analytics tools like Google Analytics and webmaster tools are essential for all three areas.
• The information gained from analyzing traffic to a website can help a business grow.

Now that you’re equipped with the basics of SEO, PPC, and SMM, let’s dive into the details.