This is a huge topic, so let’s start by defining exactly what we mean when we talk about digital marketing.
Digital marketing is an umbrella term for all of your company’s online marketing efforts. 

Lots of businesses leverage digital channels such as Google search, social media, email, online advertising and their websites to connect with their current and prospective customers. Many companies focus on online (or digital) channels over offline marketing tactics because it allows them to reach their ideal target audience where they’re already spending most of their time: online.

From your website itself to your online branding assets and social media channels — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond — there’s a huge spectrum of tactics and assets that fall under the umbrella of digital marketing. Yet the best digital marketers have a clear picture of how each asset or tactic supports their overarching goals.

The internet is your gateway to people who might one day become your customers. With an online presence, you can reach far more of the right people than you can by marketing your company solely offline. And if you do it the right way, you can get in front of the people who are likely to become your customers at the right moment in their buyer’s journey.

Direct mail and cold calling are outdated tactics. We spend an increasing amount of time on the internet, and we’re constantly using our smartphones. It’s a harsh truth: most people will miss the print ad or brochure you’re trying to put in front of them because they’re too busy looking at a digital screen. Either that, or they’ve subconsciously learned to ignore anything that looks too much like an advertisement.