If you’re a business owner that has just been introduced to digital marketing, you might be overwhelmed by all the options. And it’s understandable since they are so many techniques with different approaches, and each of these techniques takes a lot of time to understand and master. You may also be intrigued by certain methods but aren’t sure of how to implement them and if they would be a good option for your business. In this article, we’re going to run down the different types of digital marketing you can use, and some of the benefits and limitations of each.

SEO

SEO is one of the most well-known marketing methods that you can use. However, it shouldn’t be viewed as marketing, but rather a central part of having a website period. There is no point in having a website if no one sees it, and if you don’t have some visibility on Google, you’ll either become invisible or have to work twice as much to get attention.

One of the best things about SEO is that anyone can start working on improving theirs and getting results. If you understand what makes for good SEO and are able to create content that generates interest and distribute it through the right channels, then you could start building a solid foundation for your business.

Another great thing about SEO is that it’s the gift that keeps on giving. You could start a campaign today and get the benefits for years without continually having to dump money into new campaigns.

One thing about SEO, however, is that if you neglect it for too long, you will end up losing traction after a while. Even worse, some updates may pop up and you could get a taste of the infamous Google slap you may have heard about.

This is when sites that used to do great one day see some or all of their results vanish from the first pages. Some might even get de-indexed completely. This can be a nightmare if that was the cornerstone of your strategy, which is why SEO should never be the only technique you use. You simply never know what will happen with Google and other search engines, so, while you may not have to constantly keep paying for results, you will need to constantly work on your strategy, tweak, and re-tweak your website, and continue to release content.

Another thing with SEO is that results can take a lot of time before manifesting. And when they do, it can sometimes be cryptic. Evaluation success with SEO is very complex, and something you might have to work on with a professional. There’s also the fact that you may be in a niche when the big players are so strong that you will have a hard time getting visibility on the first pages, even on obscure terms.

One thing about SEO, however, is that it is great if your goal is to build brand recognition. Once people see your website near the top after running a couple of searches for things related to your niche, they will start assuming that you are a major brand that should be respected.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is, bar none, one of the most powerful digital marketing tools that you can use. With it, you could literally reach thousands, even millions, of people with one click of a button. Send the right message at the right time, and you could end up with a torrent of inquiries, sales, or traffic either on your website or in your store.

This could be a tool that you could use to generate interest for a product launch or a sale you may have at the moment. Email marketing can also be used to build a relationship with your audience. The most efficient way to use email marketing is to segment your list so you can send personalized messages based on previous interactions and make sure that you focus on providing value first.

Good email marketers work on always offering something their list wants at any given time. It may be advice or you pointing them to a resource or product you think they’ll appreciate. The more time you spend on fostering that relationship, the greater results you’ll have when you actually decide to sell something.

One thing about email marketing is that too many people assume that they can just open an auto-responder account and get started. Doing so could lead to unfocused efforts, disgruntled subscribers, and damage to your brand. More importantly, it could end up being a huge waste of time.

So, we would strongly suggest that you at least start by working with email marketing experts. You have teams like LNP Media that can not only help you with your marketing efforts but have a built-in list of interested prospects you can send your offers to. In addition, they will help you with things like crafting messages and help you create landing pages that convert. They’ll give you advanced reports and will be able to inform you on the progress of your campaigns too.

Then there’s the whole spam issue. If you didn’t collect contact information with your subscribers’ express consent, you might find yourself in violation of different laws, and the penalties can be serious. This is another reason why working with a professional team might be a good option.

There’s also the fact that a lot of your message may end up never getting to your prospects’ mailboxes. Deliverability will have a lot to do with the email marketing service you’re using. Some will use techniques to make sure that your messages get through, so deliverability should be one of the first things you should be looking at when search for a good service.

PPC

PPC is one of the most efficient digital marketing tools that you can use, but it depends on many factors. If you don’t know what PPC, it’s short for pay per click.

The way PPC works is pretty simple. You get to bid on specific search terms that might be related to your business and have your ad appear next to organic results whenever people search them. This is very powerful for a number of reasons.

The first is that you will only be paying if someone clicks on your ad and lands on your website contrarily to banner ads where you will have you pay by the number of impressions. So, you’re guaranteed that you’ll be paying for results. Another great thing about PPC is that you can start getting traffic literally minutes after you’ve started a campaign. Not many tools will allow you to do that.

One issue with PPC, however, is that it is not the best for every use or niche. It’s usually better for those who can easily quantify success through sales or conversions. If your goal is more abstract like getting traction to a blog or a piece of content, then it might not be the best option. Also, PPC can get very competitive, and depending on your niche, there might not be too many words where you would have a chance at getting good visibility that would give you the type of traffic you need.

These are some of the pros and cons of the most popular and effective online marketing methods you can use. Make sure to look into each of these options closely and see which one could benefit your business the most.