The evolution of digital marketing has evolved considerably since the advent of the Internet, and it will continue to evolve in the future as well.
While the changes might seem like they happen so rapidly that we’re always struggling to keep up, digital marketing is actually changing at a more gradual pace than it seems and even if it’s hard to see, change in digital marketing happens every day.
Digital Communication
In the past, people would communicate through face-to-face interactions, phone calls, or by sending letters.
Now, communication is done through email, social media, text messaging, and instant messaging. This change in communication has led to a change in marketing practices.
Search Engine Optimization SEO
The practice of SEO has changed dramatically since it first became a thing in the late 1990s.
In the early days, SEO was all about cramming as many keywords into your website and Meta tags as possible in order to rank higher in search engine results pages SERPs.
These days, however, Google’s algorithms are a lot more sophisticated and take into account things like user experience, social signals, and content quality when determining rankings.
As a result, the focus has shifted from keyword stuffing to creating high-quality content that provides value to users and is shareable on social media.
PPC Advertising
In the early days of the evolution of digital marketing, pay-per-click PPC advertising was the primary way businesses could get in front of customers online.
Businesses would bid on keywords that potential customers were searching for and then their ad would appear next to the search results.
PPC was an effective way to reach customers, but it was also very expensive and time-consuming to manage.
Email Marketing
1. Personalization is key. In order to stand out in a crowded inbox, your emails need to be personalized for each recipient.
This means using their name, referencing their previous interactions with your brand, and tailoring the content to their specific needs and interests.
2. Mobile optimization is a must. With over half of all emails being opened on mobile devices, it’s essential that your emails are optimized for small screens.
Influencer Marketing
In the past, marketing was all about one-way communication. You would create a message and blast it out to as many people as possible, hoping that some of them would take notice.
Today, influencer marketing is all about two-way communication and building relationships.
You identify key influencers in your industry and build relationships with them so that you can get your message in front of their audience.
Content marketing
In the past, marketing practices were focused on interrupting potential customers with advertising messages. However, with the rise of digital media, that has changed.
Now, marketers are focused on creating content that potential customers will actually want to consume.
This is because people are now more likely to trust recommendations from people they know and respect than they are from brands.
As a result, the content evolution of digital marketing has become one of the most important tools in a marketer’s toolkit.
