2.The Beginner's Guide to Digital Marketing
The Difference Between Social Media and Digital Marketing
Hopefully now you know what digital marketing entails; email, online ads, search engine optimization, content marketing and especially social media. A common misconception is social media marketing and digital marketing are the same. They are not. We’ll tell you why.
So...They're Not the Same?
They are NOT the same. Social media marketing falls underneath the umbrella term as a type of digital marketing, but the strategy for social media marketing is different from digital marketing. Anyone narrowing their online marketing to social media is vastly limiting themselves to the rest of the internet. So let’s make sure we differentiate the two.
What’s the Purpose of Social Media?
Believe it or not, social media serves a higher purpose than pet and food pics. If you’ve read the previous chapter, you can see that having a social media presence can mean billions of dollars. In the ever-so-expanding digital world we live in, social media is a strong digital marketing tool that should not be slept on. According to Oberlo’s 2020 statistics, there are 3.5 billion active social media users, which makes up about 45% of the population.
How Can You Market
on Social Media?
Many well-known brands utilize relatable and shareable content in hopes to grow their presence and attract a new audience. The math is simple. The more interactive the content, the more interactions it will generate. These interactions spread the post across social media, which means your account has more people seeing it.
Unlike traditional outlets of digital marketing, your brand profile needs to have more than just your product info and promotions. Social media opens the door for companies to share their mission statement, morals, and directly communicate to their following.
Here are some great examples of brands utilizing great social media branding:
- PlayStation
- Chipotle
- WarbyParker
- National Geographic
So How Does Digital Marketing Differ?
Now that we see the importance and purpose of social media, let’s talk about how digital marketing differs. As previously defined, digital marketing refers to any marketing methods conducted through electronic devices. This includes online marketing efforts conducted on the internet.
If digital marketing is the tree, social media is a branch. Social media marketing is one way to digitally market your brand, but is not, and should not be, the only way you market.
Let’s use the company we used as the example in the last chapter: Nike. Nike did not achieve their large social media following purely through social media branding. Being a prominent company for so long required heavy focus in ads, search engine optimization, email marketing, and continuous content promotion. Utilizing all branches of digital marketing is how you get a beautiful, full-grown brand. And knowing the difference between social media and digital marketing is pivotal to achieving a marketing balance to your brand.
Keep reading!
There’s still so much more to learn about digital marketing!
Keep reading!
There’s still so much more to learn about digital marketing!