A Detailed Guide On The The Top 10 Digital Marketing Modules
Digital marketing modules are the various components of the digital marketing process that come together to create an impressive, audience-oriented online marketing strategy for the growth and development of business enterprises. Digital marketing is a multifaceted process that requires experts in each of its modules to be able to pull off a complex digital marketing campaign to yield high returns.
In this era of continuous technological advancement, it has become mandatory for digital marketers to evolve and specialize in digital marketing skills. As a result, a digital marketing campaign demands high-quality service to build and promote brands and their features in the most unique way possible. For all the digital marketers out there and people who want to start a career in digital marketing, make sure that you strive to broaden and sharpen your skills to build yourself into a T-shaped marketer.
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What is a T- Shaped Marketer?
When we talk about digital marketing modules, it becomes necessary to mention the importance of a T-shaped Marketer. T- shaped marketers are those “generalists” who not only have adequate knowledge about the various aspects of digital marketing but are also experts in some of those categories. In simple terms, the horizontal line of the ‘T’ is the basic knowledge of all the components in the digital marketing silo. The vertical line is the specialization in one or more of those modules that constitute digital marketing.
As per definition
“A marketer that has broad knowledge covering a wide range of digital tactics with in-depth knowledge in 1 or maybe 2 specific areas. “
Brian Balfour first used this term in the context of digital marketers in 2015. Since then this concept has gained immense popularity and people have started implementing this method to become successful digital marketers.
Now, the various modules of digital marketing are a vast pool of knowledge. Therefore, you need to have the motivation to learn a specialized skill and become an expert in that particular area. It doesn’t end there. Learning is just the first step to a strategic approach. You have to apply the theoretical knowledge in practice for digital marketing needs. Mere theoretical knowledge isn’t enough. Continuous practice in delivering in these modules will make you a successful digital marketer. Each of the modules in digital marketing is essential to the whole process.
Without further ado, here is the list of the 10 most important digital marketing modules.
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is one of the most important digital marketing modules. It is also one of the hardest skills to specialize in. Search Engine Optimization refers to making your content appropriate and worthy enough to be ranked on the Search Engine Results Page (s) popularly known as SERP. This process in which your article appears on the first page of a SERP is known as SEO ranking.
Google comes up with new algorithms frequently for improved consumer experience. For instance, their new algorithm BERT emphasizes delivering appropriate answers to search queries taking into account user intent.
The main elements of SEO are keyword research and then choosing the apt keyword to write your topic on. How to choose the right keywords depends on a variety of factors and most importantly the volume of search for that particular keyword phrase. After you’ve selected your keyword, you incorporate that into your article. You have to include the keyword and phrase enough times for search engines f to notice your article. Use it in your URL, in your heading and subheading making sure not to over-optimize.
In this module, you will have to promote your articles for them to come to notice. You will use different channels and similar communities to engage with. You will make sure that your post gets adequate backlinks that improve your SEO rankings. This is an overview of what an SEO module is made of. The whole process needs meticulous attention and time. Therefore, you will have to know about keyword search, Keyword stuffing, meta descriptions, slugs, and many other features of SEO. With practice, you can become a skilled SEO expert.
Read our detailed article on Google Digital Marketing Courses
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
This module refers to bidding and putting up ads on search engines and other sites for visibility. Search Engine Optimisation is deriving results through organic traffic. That takes time and patience. Therefore, it can be said, SEM is the module in digital marketing that brings your website or blog to the forefront in SERP with a nominal amount to start with, which can result in huge ROI. PPC or Pay Per Click is the major feature of Search Engine Marketing.
To specialize in SEM you will have to gain knowledge about PPC and how it works. Also, GOOGLE ADWORDS, FACEBOOK PAID ADS, YAHOO, BINGE ADS, and their alternatives that can benefit your marketing initiatives. and how to use them effectively for your business goals. There is a lot of jargon and complex terminologies that you have to be familiar with. How do you pay for these ads to leverage maximum benefit? What are the elements of an ADWORD account? Keyword research plays a vital role here as well. Keyword planner, word auction, creating innovative ad campaigns through SEM, optimizing your ads are some core skills that you need to master in this module.
Today, content marketing has become one of the most coveted skills for brands to promulgate and develop their businesses. Seth Godin who is regarded as the last word of entrepreneurship emphasizes the importance of content marketing the most. According to him, it is the only type of marketing that is relevant.
This highly in-demand module of digital marketing refers to the creation, of high-quality organic content for consumers, then publishing that content, and finally promoting it through various channels so that it reaches your target audience. The process is not as simple as it sounds on paper.
Writing is a tough job, add to it the planning and promotion phase that takes several elements into account and you have quite a task ahead of you. It has been agreed upon by experts that more time should be invested in promoting your product than actually writing and publishing it. You have to get people to read your work, visitors to come to your website or blog. Otherwise, the whole point of content is moot.
Objectives of the content, knowing your customers, tailoring your content to meet the expectations of customers in various marketing channels, curating content are just some of the expertise you need in this module. Blogging is a prerequisite for the content marketing module. You have to garner knowledge about blogs, content audits, building a target audience list to develop specialized skills as a content marketer.
Let’s look at the other elements of content marketing
Blogging is one of the vital components in trying to understand these various modules. Once you start blogging, you would need the assistance of most of the modules. With time, that would help you to better implement them in your digital marketing strategies.
Let us consider another key ingredient of a digital marketing module. Copywriting is a treasure trove for successful digital marketing. It involves writing and creating persuasive content to drive sales and gain customers in the process. Copywriting as a digital marketing module has great potential. It is a part of content writing that is done with the sole purpose of aiding sales and generating interest leading to purchase decisions. Pop-ups, banners, text on different interstitial ads, product descriptions are all examples of copywriting.
Copywriting requires the subtle art of being able to convince without coming across as pestering to your consumer. It requires a copywriter to master the skills of delineating the uniqueness of the product and how it aligns with the benefits that the consumer needs. Additionally, it should be easy to comprehend and should advise and not order the reader to take the desired action. Adding the benefit of a warranty makes the product even more preferable for the consumer. Build up a sense of urgency that impels the reader to take action. These are just some of the steps in content marketing that reap excellent benefits.
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Social Media Marketing
Social media is a crucial aspect of any digital marketing campaign. It is such an intrinsic part of the online business that any marketing campaign is incomplete without social media platforms being a major part of it. You need to know the different social media channels, even the ones that are low profile, content creation tools especially for social media, branding tools for social media, the idea behind sharing on social media, etc. One of the most important elements to consider is the time for posting messages.
Organic content has a lot of scope for success in social media. You have to determine the best time to post and disseminate important information. Consequently, marketers who specialize in social media marketing modules have to be adept at assessing key performance indicators known as KPIs. Shares, likes, and comments determine the success of your organic social media marketing. It should be able to influence readers to take an action like visiting your site or recommending your page.
Email Marketing
The email marketing module is paramount to digital marketing success. Email marketing comprises the system of sending out newsletters, welcome emails, brand stories, giveaways, Tutorials, customer journey stories, etc. Email marketing involves the building of a loyal customer base and engaging with them regularly. It also involves the segmentation of your target group according to their demands, tastes, and preferences. There are a host of email marketing tools available to marketers for effective email campaigns.
For someone starting out, it can feel overwhelming but with time and correct guidance you can grasp the workings of an email campaign well. You have to study and get familiar with email marketing terms like autoresponders, dedicated IPs, SMTP, co-branding, bounces, open rates, types of emails, etc. These are the core parts of the email marketing module that you need to focus on. Once you understand the concept of it all, apply it practically. See how you can nurture leads and make conversions with the acquired skills.
One crucial feature of emails is spam. These are redundant as well as irrelevant messages that seem to choke the inbox of consumers..the result is always detrimental to the interest of business houses. You have to learn to perform spam testing and comply with the rules and regulations concerning spam.
Social Media Advertising
There are two ways to optimize your reach and exposure through search engines, that is Search Engine Optimisation (organic) and Search Engine Marketing (paid). Likewise, there are two modules to social media as well in digital campaigns. Social Media Marketing (organic) and Social Media Advertising (paid)
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, etc are great social media platforms to showcase the unique qualities of your brand and gain followers. You have a free version and a premium version which is the paid option to get views likes and shares on social media.
To become proficient in social media advertising, you have to thoroughly understand the concept of various paid services from the channels. Facebook ADS, utilities of sponsored content, best practices for all these channels, and optimizing the business pages using the tools available at your disposal. Building and nurturing followers is a tough task for marketers today. With the attention span of people diminishing every day, you have to find creative and innovative ways to arrest the readers’ attention. Social Media Advertising helps to achieve that albeit at a price.
Analytics
The analytics module is one of the fundamental parts of digital marketing modules. Having adequate knowledge of analytics is of the essence for any digital marketer. Analytics basically deals with statistics and reports pertaining to your visitors, consumers, customers, etc. If you are a web marketer you are familiar with Google Analytics. But to have specialized knowledge of the different metrics and to become a pro at analyzing these elements, you have to possess a keen discernment of the needs of your leads and customers. To accomplish your objectives, you must learn about website traffic, its sources, AdSense, data models, how analytics work, Funnels, workflow management, heatmaps, etc. These are technical terms that a marketer needs a thorough understanding of, to consider themselves as an analytics expert.
Improving your sense of analytics is crucial to a marketer. It gives them the benefit of understanding the key demands and behavioral patterns of consumers. Understanding your consumer and creating buyer personas are key to the effective positioning of your brand. That can invariably happen with an in-depth knowledge of analytics.
Bounce rates, scroll depth, landing page rates are important for the success of any business. Why are your consumers spending time on your content, are they taking the desired actions are all parts of the analytics module. There are a lot of web analytics tools available that you need to learn about.
Marketing Automation
All digital marketers employ the use of Marketing Automation features to carry on their marketing efforts. Marketing automation is comprised of software and tools that assist business houses to schedule and post content on different marketing channels automatically. When you purchase from a site you will see automated emails updating you on your purchases, payments, and various other details. In the case of content, they help in adding the content to the sitemap, and tags and segments relevant information to display to users based on their like history.
To become a skilled marketing automation expert you need to have insight and an in-depth understanding of the whole automation process. That is, starting from the engagement of consumers, to propel potential customers to take the required action is your responsibility. The primary objective of automation marketing is to facilitate communication between consumers and brands in a trouble-free way and gain new customers. It also helps find new leads and nurture them for results. You have to learn about the types of data that helps to smooth up the process. Prior knowledge of PPC helps in understanding automation better.
Mobile Marketing
Many of you are going to read this article on your mobile devices. Need I say more? Mobile Marketing is one of the prime digital marketing modules that requires diligent care and attention. The ease of use makes them a vastly popular device to consume information. Customers consume the highest number of different content through mobile devices. Mobiles are indispensable in our lives today. No longer a luxury, it has become one of the most necessary things for the smooth running of our daily life. Evidently, mobile marketing is a potent digital solution for small and medium business houses.
A skilled mobile marketer has to be competent in handling app marketing and know all about the hacks of successful app optimization along with app monetization. Mobile Marketers have a rich profusion of information about their users. As a result, that information enables them to connect with users even more efficiently. Mobile marketing requires marketers to be aware of their consumers’ needs and empathizing with them.
For skilled mobile marketers, it is essential that they constantly improve and educate themselves on new advancements. They generally have a background in graphic and web designing, information technology, business, etc. This module requires them to collaborate with all the other areas of the business, successfully implementing cross-channel marketing initiatives that are available on mobile devices. Lastly, they should be skilled in geofencing, sending location-based relevant details to mobile users.
Inbound Marketing/integrated Marketing
Inbound marketing refers to one of those digital marketing modules that employ all the different online marketing channels wisely to accomplish your business goals. But you have to remember, that the inbound marketing module is not just integrating these channels. It is a much diverse concept that requires a marketer to be proficient in a lot of areas.
For example, landing pages, audience aggregation, lifecycle emails, engagement criteria, and demographic knowledge. Media planning, the efficacy of pillar pages and clusters, E-Commerce selling, influencer, and affiliate marketing, etc. Therefore, inbound marketing covers all of the aspects of other marketing modules. Still, it retains its own components as a different skill set. Make time and learn about inbound marketing in depth. That will help solve a lot of your digital marketing challenges.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say, that digital marketing modules are the foundation on which a brand creates a sound marketing campaign. There are numerous elements to these modules. If digital marketers specialize in these modules and implement the elements with precision, the results gained are abundant. There are several courses and certifications available online to gain knowledge about these aspects of digital marketing. You can always look into the courses for professional qualifications.
