A GUIDE TO DIGITAL LITERACY.

1. UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL MARKETING

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is the act of promoting and selling products and services
by leveraging online marketing tactics such as social media marketing, search
marketing, and email marketing.
If you’re new to digital marketing, it may feel overwhelming.
We get that…
But in many ways, digital marketing is no different than traditional marketing. In
both, smart organizations seek to develop mutually beneficial relationships with
prospects, leads, and customers.
Now, think about the last important purchase you made. Perhaps you
purchased a home, hired someone to fix your roof, or changed paper suppliers
at your office.
Regardless of what it was, you probably began by searching the Internet to
learn more and find your best options. Your ultimate buying decision was then
based on the reviews you read, the friends and family you consulted with, and
the solutions, features, and pricing you researched.
Today, most purchasing decisions begin online.
That being the case, an online presence is absolutely necessary—regardless of
what you sell.

And having a strong digital presence will help you in multiple ways:
• It will make it easier to create awareness and engagement both before and
after the sale.
• You can convert new buyers into rabid fans who buy more (and more
often).
• You’ll enjoy all the benefits of word-of-mouth and social sharing.
Be aware, though, the digital marketing scene is ever changing. Gurus,
podcasts, and bloggers declare a tool or tactic hot one week and dead the
next.
The truth is, today, digital marketing is less about “digital” and more
about “marketing,” largely because digital marketing has come of age. Its
fundamentals have already been established.
At DigitalMarketer, our objective is to clear the confusion about the tactics
that work and how to use them to grow your business. We stand against those
so-called gurus who promote the next “shiny object” that will reportedly kill
email marketing, digital advertising, or search engine optimization.
Here, we’re all about the fundamentals.
As you’ll see in this guide, these core disciplines of digital marketing will be
critical to your business growth today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Each
of these disciplines will be covered in a chapter of this Ultimate Guide to
Digital Marketing as shown below.