In a world where technology evolves at breakneck speed and business strategies are constantly adapting, marketing in its entirety, both traditional and digital, has become an essential pillar for business success. But… What is digital marketing?
Digital marketing: What is it and how has it evolved?
Digital marketing, in its essence, is the set of strategies and actions aimed at promoting products, services or brands through digital media . These media include, but are not limited to, the company’s website, social media, email, online advertising, blog and video content, and the use of data analysis tools. It is a comprehensive (you could say holistic) approach to reaching a specific audience and converting them into loyal customers.
Digital marketing is much more than a passing trend. It is a tool that empowers companies and entrepreneurs to achieve their objectives in an increasingly digitalized world. It responds (like few others) to the “liquid” model expressed by the renowned sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, who maintains that we live in a society characterized by fluidity, uncertainty and constant change.
In this world described by Bauman there would be nothing more liquid than online marketing, where trends and technologies are constantly evolving. Yesterday’s successful strategies can quickly become obsolete, requiring agile adaptation to stay relevant. Successful digital marketing strategies rely on the ability to navigate this fluid, changing terrain and leverage flexibility and adaptability to achieve business objectives in an ever-evolving digital world.
Successful digital marketing strategies rely on the ability to navigate this fluid, changing terrain and leverage flexibility and adaptability to achieve business objectives in an ever-evolving digital world.
Claudio Heilborn, CEO & Co-founder of MD Marketing Digital
We live in a world where most people spend a ridiculous amount of time online. Whether searching for information, purchasing products or interacting on social networks: online presence is omnipresent. Digital Marketing, unlike traditional Marketing, allows companies to interact with their audience at touchpoints at the different times in which they are available to listen. It is in these moments where we have the opportunity to convert them from a simple viewer to a potential customer.
And this is where the magic of online marketing comes in: it allows you to reach the right people at the right time. Through strategies such as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), online advertising, content marketing and social networks, you can reach your potential customers as they browse the web, looking for answers or solutions to their problems.
But, for the transition from traditional marketing to digital marketing to have been possible, it was necessary to change the bases on which business strategies were based. As we understand it, online marketing was possible thanks to the evolution of the web and the way users interact with it. This evolution (or mutation) can be divided into three main stages: web 1.0, web 2.0 and web 3.0.
Web 1.0: The Static Web
In the Web 1.0 era, digital platforms were mainly static and one-way. Information was presented passively, and interaction was limited. Marketing in this period focused on exposure: showing your product or service to as many people as possible, not unlike traditional marketing. The strategies included pop-up ads and simple websites with static content, without the possibility of user communication and exposure.
Already in 2010, when everyone was wondering what marketing is, I shared my vision of the concept of digital marketing and how I understood it. In those years, where the first dawns of Web 1.0 appeared, he said “ Digital Marketing is the application of marketing strategies carried out in digital media. All the techniques of the offline world are imitated and translated to a new world .”
“ Digital Marketing is the application of marketing strategies carried out in digital media. All the techniques of the offline world are imitated and translated to a new world ”
Claudio Heilborn, CEO & Co-founder of MD Marketing Digital
Web 2.0: The Rise of Interaction
With the arrival of Web 2.0, cyberspace became a more interactive and participatory place. Facebook entered through the window and never left again, changing the game board to which we were accustomed and managed to make all the other media adapt to this new scenario, so as not to lose presence.
Before, it was unimaginable to create a company profile to increase a brand’s online visibility. Many people asked us, worried, whether advertising on a social network was not going to be counterproductive for the business.
Social networks, blogs and content platforms generated a two-way dialogue between companies and their audience. Digital marketing focused on creating online communities, generating relevant content, and actively engaging with users. Content became king, and quality and authenticity became essential.
Web 3.0: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution
Web 3.0, often called the “semantic web,” has taken evolution one step further. With the addition of artificial intelligence (AI), the web has become even more perceptive, predictive and personalized. AI enables large-scale data collection and analysis, which has revolutionized online marketing.
Today, with the dizzying emergence of AI within the reach of the mass public, a third instance of Digital Marketing is opening up, where the digital media and tools that have been developed have changed and have given a qualitative and quantitative leap to these marketing strategies. collectively called: modern digital marketing.
The evolution of the web and its impact on Digital Marketing
This evolution has had a profound impact on digital marketing. It is no longer just about reaching a large audience, but about reaching the right audience with the right message at the right time. AI has enabled the creation of intelligent chatbots that offer 24/7 customer support, dynamic content personalization based on user behavior, and real-time ad optimization.
Now, businesses can deliver highly personalized experiences, accurate recommendations, and advanced audience segmentation. Process automation has also allowed for more efficient campaign management and in-the-moment optimization. Thus, investment in digital advertising has increased exponentially, year after year, since 2021, as demonstrated by this study carried out by eMarketer:
It is demonstrated, then, that the web has gone from being static to interactive and, finally, to intelligent. This evolution has allowed (and forced) digital marketing to constantly change and reinvent itself to adapt to the needs and expectations of online consumers. We are in an exciting era where technology continues to drive innovation in the world of online marketing.
Marketing techniques must, then, change their paradigm. If before the distributors, the media and the producers were the ones who had the power of opinion, now the focus must shift to the user. People value the disinterested opinion of real users of a product, without giving as much importance to what the seller has to say about it.
In this way, potential consumers are able to search for what they want thanks to the power of search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.), and not only ask the given media if their decision is correct, they also have the possibility to read reviews, comments and ratings from other users, thus developing a point of view that is their own, based on their experiences and knowledge.
A study carried out in 2016 (at the height of Web 2.0) determined that evaluations and comments on articles have the most weight in the decision about whether to purchase an article or not. This same study carried out in 2023 determined that 55% of respondents classified search engines as the main source of information prior to purchasing a product and 31% base their decision on social networks.
Due to this great paradigm shift, Google increasingly gives more importance to this type of content and promotes the display of comments in forums in search results.
That is why a digital strategy must include all the relevant spaces where the target interacts, seeking to influence opinions and opinion leaders, improve the results of search engines, and analyzing the information that these media provide to optimize the performance of the actions taken. .
Taking all this into account, at MD Marketing Digital, we understand that online marketing is not only the set of design, creativity, profitability and analysis always seeking an ROI. It’s an exciting journey that has evolved along with the web itself, from the static days of web 1.0 to the artificial intelligence of Web 3.0.
At our online marketing agency, we have witnessed the transition from traditional marketing to digital marketing, in an interconnected and highly personalized world, and we are committed to helping you navigate this new digital landscape to achieve your business goals.
How to do digital marketing?
In this fast-paced modern world, where the boundaries between the physical and the digital are constantly blurring, online marketing stands as the knight in shining armor of successful business strategies. It is no longer enough to publish an ad in a newspaper or drive around the city with a truck with ears and covered in fur to promote your dog grooming business.
To reach your target audience it is necessary to think like your potential clients. You also need to be where they are, that is, in the vast world of online content. So, the first big secret on how to do digital marketing is to know your audience like the back of your hand. Who are they? What do they like? What worries them? Where do they spend their time online? Listening to and understanding your target audience is like discovering a treasure map: it takes you directly to your potential customers.
Listening to and understanding your target audience is like discovering a treasure map: it takes you directly to your potential customers.
Eugenia Villegas, SEO Specialist at MD Digital Marketing
Then, the next step is the creation of valuable content, since content is the star of the digital marketing theater. As we move towards Web 3.0, creating valuable and authentic content is essential. It is no longer just about selling, but about educating, entertaining and solving problems. Blogs, videos, infographics and podcasts are your magic tools. The more relevant and engaging your content is, the closer you will be to converting viewers into loyal followers.
But, to create valuable content, it will be necessary to know how your audience communicates. To do this, it will be essential that you have a solid SEO strategy. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the magic that will help you stand out in the digital jungle.
According to a survey conducted during 2023, half of digital marketers said that search engine optimization (SEO) provided great benefits to their organizations in 2022. With more than 80% of respondents reporting a positive impact overall, It is clear that this practice is key in the current panorama.
This study shows us that it is crucial to have an SEO agency to research the keywords that your audience uses to search for information and ensure that your content is properly optimized for them. This approach will improve your visibility on search engines, such as Google, making it easier for your content to be discovered.
However, it’s not just about knowing the right keywords. It is also essential to manage your social media presence strategically. If people are going to talk about you, make sure they do so in an environment controlled by your brand. Social media is the pulse of the online conversation and actively participating allows you to shape the perception of your brand.
Talking about the importance of online presence, he highlights the vital role your website plays in the realm of digital marketing. More than a simple digital showcase, your page constitutes the heart of your web presence, serving as a platform where you showcase your products or services. It is essential that it provides a unique user experience and authentically communicates the value of your business model. From web design to navigation structure, every detail becomes a crucial element to ensure that visitors find what they need and become satisfied customers, this is where the correct management of a web design company stands out.
Furthermore, the art of how to do digital marketing is incomplete without the ability to meticulously analyze. Each strategy implemented must have a clear purpose, and the only way to determine its effectiveness is by evaluating concrete results. To do this, it is essential to use data analysis tools that allow you to measure the performance of your strategies. Which aspects work effectively and which do not? From these findings, the door opens to constant learning, allowing you to continually adjust and perfect your campaigns.
What is new that digital marketing brings?
- Measurable results: This is the main and most obvious advantage that digital marketing offers. Thanks to multiple analytical tools, it allows for more precise monitoring of return on investment (ROI) than traditional marketing.
- Global reach: When we refer to global reach we mean that, with the Internet, we can reach people anywhere in the world.
- Immediacy: Digital media allows us to see the results of a campaign in real time, so we can adjust and optimize it as necessary.
- Loyalty: social networks allow us to generate stronger ties with our customers, and build a broader online community than we could in the offline world.
- Target precision: While a traditional marketing ad is printed to a large undifferentiated audience, in digital marketing we can direct ads to a specific audience, thus achieving much more efficient campaigns.
Conclusion
Going back to what we said before, in this liquid world learning never ends. And digital marketing is not exempt from changes, this discipline is much more than a business strategy: it is an art in constant evolution. By embracing the evolution of the web, from static 1.0 to web 3.0 artificial intelligence, we have witnessed how marketing has transformed to adapt to an ever-changing digital environment.
This journey has revealed to us that online marketing is a process in constant transformation, where yesterday’s successful strategies can quickly become obsolete. The key to success lies in adaptability and learning from our successes and failures.
In this fascinating environment, where creativity, audience understanding and flexibility are the tools of the contemporary digital marketing wizard, let us remember that we are exploring seas in constant transformation. Let’s use technology and interconnectivity to design valuable experiences and establish meaningful connections with our audience.
And let’s never forget what is truly important: digital marketing is an exciting journey in which the only constant is change, only those who can adapt and evolve are destined to succeed.
