The 9 fundamentals you must know to get started in Digital Marketing

10 min readNov 30, 2020

Interested in getting started with digital marketing? Are you curious but confused from where to start learning about the basics? If yes, then this is the right reading for you!

To start off, let’s explore what marketing really is!

1. So what really is marketing?

Image source: Northern Initiatives

In most simple terms, it could mean the promotion and selling of goods and services to a target audience by businesses. However, the field of marketing is enormous and hence this definition becomes a bit narrow. After all, in today’s consumer-driven world and economy it’s not only about promotion and selling. A broadly accepted meaning is that marketing is the process of getting people interested in your company’s product or service by way of market research, analysis and understanding the interests and requirements of your target customers. Marketing continues even after the sale has been made by ensuring that they are satisfied with the product.

What do the marketing gurus say?

Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing defines marketing as “the science and art of exploring, creating and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires”. This definition reinforces that marketing starts even before the product is born. It encompasses identifying opportunities, product development, figuring out the appropriate distribution methods, pricing, customer attraction and retention.

An important point to note is that marketing is not greater than the product itself. The product is the key element of the marketing mix. A great product is easy to market and will sell itself and this also resonates with the words of the late management guru — Peter Drucker, according to whom, “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself…The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous”.

2. Brand — a misunderstood word!

Image source: abc creative blog

We all come across the word ‘brand’ very frequently and it means different things to different people. Often the meaning is wrongly equated to a company name, a logo, identity or product. Simply put, brand is a person’s perception of a product, service, experience or organization whereas branding is the process of building a strong and positive image of a company, its products and services in the minds of the customers by integrating elements such as logo design, company’s mission and a consistent theme throughout all marketing communications. Brands that are top rated are able to do so because they connect with their customers and their customers associate the product or service with positive emotions.

Do you know that Apple is the most valued brand in the world with a brand value estimated at 352 billion dollars as of 2020. Apple products focus on design, imagination and innovation and sell despite the premium pricing. The American technology giant now has a dedicated user base emotionally attached with it who wouldn’t touch other brand products as the brand exudes simplicity, innovation and luxury simultaneously.

3. It’s a lot about communication skills, folks!

Marketing communication (MC) refers to the various means and methods adopted by businesses to convey messages about their products or services to the target audience. This communication is vital as it acts like a nudge for the customers to make a purchase. The objectives of MC are to create demand and preference for the product as well as to push up the sales. A good marketing strategy is a given that the marketing communication has been done right. MC is not about fancy or flowery language but more to do with how effectively thoughts are conveyed and communicated about the product or service through various MC channels to the target market. The image below shows the elements of marketing communication.

Image source: Business Jargons

Watch some interesting video marketing campaigns of various brands here to see what message they are trying to convey and how.

https://coschedule.com/blog/best-marketing-campaign-examples/

4. Yes, you gotta understand some economics too!

You cannot ignore factors such as recession, inflation, purchasing power, demand and supply when planning and formulating your marketing strategy. For example, consider the pandemic induced recession in India where economic activity has slowed down because people have lost jobs, incomes have been slashed and consumer demand has reduced. People might not be able to afford your business’s products because their disposable income has reduced. This is true for companies that offer specialized services. These companies may face heavy losses as people prefer to buy essential goods in these situations.

When the revenue of the business is already down, the marketer has to market the product in such a way that will reflect how his or her product will add value in the lives of people when the financial situation of households is tight! For example — although air purifiers as a segment is very small but due to worsening of air quality, growing health consciousness and the increasing sensitivity to air pollution due to Covid-19, their sale has shot up and is expected to grow in future despite being a premium price product. Brands such as Dyson and Voltas are monetizing this situation to their advantage by marketing their air purifiers and offering deals such as easy returns and EMI options. Below is an image of Google ads of 3 air purifier brands.

5. Hot debate — Traditional vs. Digital marketing

Image source: pixelweavers

Traditional marketing are those marketing methods that can be used without the internet. Those ads that you see on TV, newspapers or magazines, those promotional message that you hear on the radio, those repetitive calls and messages from pushy sales persons, those fliers and coupons that you get handed on the roads or while shopping are some of the ways of traditional marketing.These methods are old and have been around in the market for decades. However, it does not mean that these methods are outdated or of little value.

Digital marketing is done through the internet. Those email campaigns that you receive every week from businesses, those ads that you see on social media such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook (clickable ads), those top search results that you see when you do a google search (Search engine optimization) are some of the ways of marketing products and services online. Since gadgets like tablets, laptops and smartphones have become a normal part of our daily lives, digital marketing has gained significant prominence.

So which one is better?

Each method has its own significance and purpose. The marketing method largely depends on the business, the product or service being offered, the target market and the budget. For example, a product/ service that has to be offered to older population or to the rural areas would lean towards traditional methods whereas when costs have to be kept relatively low, product or service caters to the younger population or if information has to be collected quickly about the audience, digital marketing would serve the best in this case.

It is also important to note that businesses do not have to stick to just traditional or digital marketing. Based on their requirements, they might use a combination of both methods to market their products in which case it becomes a matter of finding the right balance between traditional and digital. Many brands now use both methods to market their products. Tanishq, Amul, Cadbury are some of the brands employing a mix of both. Amul ads can be seen on print media such as newspaper as well as online on Facebook and Instagram.

6. The ‘Do it now’ approach — Direct Response Marketing

Image Source: Alamy

Imagine that you attend a webinar on a course that is launching soon and the host informs you that there is no other way to enroll for the course except through the link sent on the webinar chat and within a limited time frame. Or you go to a bakery that is starting some baking courses and you are informed that you have to enroll by that day itself. If you notice carefully, what is happening here is that this technique is trying to elicit an instant response from you (a prospective customer). This type of marketing triggers immediate action from prospects and is done to generate instant leads, push up sales and create revenue stream.

Direct Response Marketing has also been done by big brands such as Land Rover. In 2011, Land Rover sent an impressive and creative mail to 100 customers informing them of a new dealership opening in Liverpool, U.K. When the box was opened by the customers, a balloon floated out with tags carrying the marketing message and invitation to the event.

7. CATT marketing funnel

A marketing funnel reflects a customer’s journey with the brand. It starts from the awareness stage, after which comes the purchase stage and continues even after the sale has been done. Follow ups with customers, collecting their feedback and reviews is also part of the funnel and helps in customer retention and cross selling. The secret to an effective marketing and sales strategy of your niche is the CATT marketing funnel.

n — Niche — this is your unique product or service which you offer to the market to differentiate yourself in the market

C — Content — “Content is king”, always remember these golden words by Bill Gates. Content is what will attract people to your business and can be in the form of blogs, videos, posts, webinars, newsletters, etc.

A — Attention — Everybody wants attention and so does your business and content. This is done through SEO, paid ads, referrals, etc.

T- Trust — You have to be consistent in your communication and interaction with the customers. One of the ways to do is sending personalized emails to the prospects.

T- Transaction — This is the most important step for a business. It involves converting leads to sales for which employing sales methods becomes important such as sales call, sales webinar, etc.

Wealth= n ^ CATT

But how does one find a niche?

If you have a talent/ skill, are passionate about it and there exists a market for the same, then you have good news awaiting you! Your niche is the intersection of your talent, your passion and the market.

8. The digital cocktail — Integrated digital marketing

Just like a cocktail tastes best when two or more spirits are mixed together to make it, similarly the optimum digital marketing strategy is the one which combines or integrates multiple digital marketing methods. The image below tells us what all comes under digital marketing.

Image source: Smart Insights

The rationale behind integrating various digital marketing methods is that each strategy doesn’t have a huge impact on its own individually but when used in combination would lead to better marketing and online influence of the business.

9. You are your own brand: Personal branding

A personal brand is not just for someone who owns a business but also for influencers, business advisors, life coach, artists or anyone who wants to share his or her engaging story with the people. It is the practice of marketing people, their career, their stories and experience as brands. It is not a one time thing but an ongoing process of how people develop and promote their personal brand by showcasing and combining their skills, experiences, stories and personalities.

Image source: Arek Dvornechuck

Do you recognize these logos above in the picture? If yes, then kudos to you. If not, then kudos to Musk!

A very good example of personal branding is Elon Musk. In the world of tech, Elon Musk is a well known name. When we talk about Tesla or Space X, his name is the first thing that comes to our mind. Such powerful is his personal brand that it overshadows his own companies. A lot of us would not be able to recognize the logo of Tesla or Space X but we would recognize his picture. Musk has been able to achieve this because of his grand vision and ambition to take the human race forward by moving away from fossil-fuel driven vehicles to electric ones through his ventures.

Image source: Financial Express

So if you have a strong personal brand then you can start multiple companies or brands with that influence. However, the downside of a personal brand is that it cannot be invested in or sold.

Thus, we see that it is important to understand marketing because it is deeply rooted in human psychology. Marketers anticipate the buying behavior of consumers and then formulate the strategy. It is a vital function for every business and cannot be completely outsourced to an agency. Marketing is like an investment which will fetch your business returns such as revenue, leads, customer retention and loyalty.