Have you ever felt that you needed a guide when you were struggling in your relationship? When I look back at my own relationship, I think, "If only I had a mentor to guide me, I would be in a much better position." For example, miscommunication abounds in relationships, especially when we text on mobile devices. There's no way to tell if the other person understood our message correctly - there are no body language signals to clarify meaning. Whenever I wanted to communicate something important, it was marred by miscommunication, which only increased the chaos. For this reason, and countless others, I created this chatbot. (Well, I didn't build it from scratch; Chatbase.co created this Love Guru chatbot, but I trained it and am presenting it to you.) This Love Guru listens to your relationship problems sympathetically and answers your concerns in a friendly, supportive manner. Breakup? This mentor will guide you on how to cope. Trying to patch things up? This g...
Recently, in a job interview, I was asked about my digital marketing experience. I shared everything about my work, such as handling social media, SEO, copywriting, etc., but the interviewer was actually asking if I had experience in advertising and PPC. I smacked my head in disappointment. The issue wasn’t with him—most people, including those in MNCs, equate digital marketing with advertising and PPC. They don’t realize that digital marketing is a vast field, and advertising and PPC are just two tools in the repertoire. So, I thought I’d share a post explaining why digital marketing is more than just advertising and PPC.
1. Digital Marketing as a Subset of Marketing
The term "digital marketing" suggests that it is a subset of marketing (or, to be more precise, traditional marketing). It could be defined as "marketing done through digital tools and technologies." Even though the world has shifted from offline to online mediums, digital marketing remains grounded in the principles and philosophies of traditional marketing. A marketer with comprehensive knowledge of both mediums can holistically integrate the best practices from both worlds.
2. Digital Marketing Uses Marketing Principles
Digital marketing applies the same principles used in traditional marketing. For example, the 4 Ps—Product, Price, Place, and Promotion—are just as relevant in the digital space. Whether promoting a product via a billboard, print ad, or on Facebook, the principles are the same: selecting the right niche, delivering the right message at the right time, and using the best channel to reach the audience. While digital marketing has made analytics more robust and accurate, traditional marketing also uses metrics to analyze campaigns. Understanding your target audience, crafting the right message, and analyzing customer behavior are all concepts rooted in traditional marketing that carry over into digital strategies.
3. Marketing Terms and Metrics Are the Same
Have you noticed that the terms used in marketing software are the same as those found in traditional marketing textbooks? Terms like Return on Investment (ROI), Click-Through Rate (CTR), Reach, Impressions, Conversion Rate, Open Rate, etc., are not used by coincidence. These and other marketing terms are deeply rooted in traditional marketing. In the 80s and 90s, marketers analyzed the reach and engagement of print ads. Today, a digital marketer does the same for YouTube ads.
4. Building Relationships, Not Just Posting Ads
Now we come to a common misconception that irritates me: the idea that digital marketing equals posting ads on search engines and social media. Digital marketing is a vast and multifaceted field. It starts with strategy and planning and extends through SEO, SEM, social media management, content marketing, community building, email marketing, video marketing, data analysis, and yes, advertising and PPC. The goal isn’t just to post ads and hope leads fall into your lap. The essence of marketing is creating and nurturing relationships with your audience, which can be best achieved through content marketing—strategically creating content that resonates with your audience.
5. Being a Good Digital Marketer Requires Strong Traditional Marketing Skills
A digital marketer with a sound understanding of marketing principles will always outperform one who only knows how to post ads. Traditional marketing requires a deep knowledge of consumer behavior, communication skills, market research, and data analysis. Digital marketing demands similar skills. In short, traditional marketing lays the groundwork for success in the digital world.
6. Digital Marketing Tools Are Extensions of Traditional Tools
The software and technologies used in digital marketing are extensions of the manual tools and methods used in traditional marketing. For example, the terminologies used in email marketing—such as open rate, conversion rate, tracking leads, and performance analysis—are similar to those in direct mail marketing. CRM software has evolved from manually recording customer details. Personalization, which is so crucial in digital marketing, stems from the same process of manually recording customer preferences. YouTube ads are the digital offspring of TV ads, and print ads have found a new home on social media.
Conclusion
I hope I’ve presented my case with substantive examples. To summarize: digital marketing is a subset of traditional marketing. It’s a vast domain with multiple facets, including SEO, SEM, SMM, email, video, WhatsApp marketing, etc. Traditional and digital marketing share the same principles, like the 4 Ps of marketing. The tools and technologies used in digital marketing are digital extensions of manual tools and methods. A marketer proficient in both fields can guide marketing efforts more effectively than someone skilled in only one. As they say, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
What do you think? Do you also think advertising is digital marketing? Let me know.
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