# What Are the 8 Types of Digital Marketing? | Capterra > Digital marketing is a multifaceted strategy that leverages various channels to build customer relations. Learn more about different types of digital marketing channels and when to use them. Source: https://www.capterra.com/resources/types-of-digital-marketing --- Small Business Digital MarketingMarketing # What Are the 8 Types of Digital Marketing? Written by: Tayla Carpenter Tayla CarpenterAuthor Tayla Carpenter is a writer specializing in software, finance, and technology topics. Her work has been featured on the websites of several leading fintech a... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/tayla-carpenter/) and edited by: Caroline Rousseau Caroline RousseauEditor Senior Content Editor Experience As a senior content editor, and formerly as a content analyst, at Capterra, I have been crafting, writing, and refining rese... [See bio & all articles](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) Published October 9, 2024 9 min read ## Learn more about different types of digital marketing channels and when to use them. Marketing is a complex business process that requires creativity and a dedicated focus on data and results. Digital marketing has heightened the need for data-driven strategies, which is quite challenging when you consider the various types of digital marketing you can use to reach your target market. Many small and midsize businesses (SMBs) attract potential customers by adopting omnichannel digital marketing methods. Whether you’re creating marketing plans or measuring their results, marketing is time-consuming. This holds even when it comes to outsourcing your marketing. Gartner reveals that the typical timeline for finding the right marketing agency is around 12 weeks.[\[1\]](#sources) The time and effort needed to identify or DIY an effective marketing solution can be a lot for a business leader to take on—especially because there are so many different kinds of digital marketing solutions and agencies. However, using this guide, you can understand the eight types of digital marketing and start figuring out which types are the best fit for your organization. We also provide helpful resources that can shrink your search time to well under the average 12-week span. ## What is digital marketing? Digital marketing aims to promote a business’s products or services by creating brand recognition and engaging with potential leads to convert them into customers. Unlike traditional marketing, which lures customers via physical campaigns, digital marketing methods earn leads via online channels and platforms, such as email marketing, social media campaigns, videos, and podcasts. While some SMBs try to handle various digital marketing types themselves, hiring a digital marketing agency may make it easier to understand the evolving technologies and algorithms involved. This enables you to save time and money and focus on other important things. One advantage of [digital marketing agencies](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-to-choose-a-digital-marketing-agency/) is they tend to have access to the latest strategies and tools. As Capterra’s 2023 Social Media Landscape survey[\*](#methodology) discovered, being on top of the most cutting-edge techniques is important. For instance, 40% of marketers surveyed say they like to try a new social media platform to keep up with competitors. If your business struggles with identifying marketing strategies that convert specific kinds of customers, digital marketing can be a powerful solution. ## What are the benefits of a strategic digital marketing approach? The various areas of digital marketing all share a common trait: they all make it easier to connect with customers, boost your brand, and optimize your return on investment (ROI). ### Reach customers wherever they are Many customers are now buying online, including B2B buyers who increasingly utilize search engines and social media platforms to research the best providers of a range of business services. Marketing your products and services online can help make your brand more accessible to target customers. An effective digital marketing strategy ensures you reach those buyers via multiple channels, which also increases your brand’s visibility. Digital marketing agencies excel at understanding where an organization’s target audience will most likely search for particular goods, software, or resources. ### Improve your company’s brand reputation You can use a mix of multiple digital marketing strategies to develop and polish your company’s brand reputation. For example, you can use social media marketing to share your company’s story and values and announce new partnerships. Boosting your online presence across digital platforms will also improve your brand reputation because it makes your company more accessible to the public. In addition, by encouraging people to consistently engage with your product and/or services, you keep your offering top of mind, which improves brand recognition. ### Increase ROI SMBs need to search for ways to increase profits as they often can’t make expansive investments, and digital marketing is a great way to reduce your overhead and boost profit margins. Hiring individual sales reps to meet leads at each stage of the sales journey is costly and time-consuming. But with digital marketing, you can circumvent elements of the traditional sales follow-up process. For example, you can engage with your target audience directly via follow-up emails, text messages, social media posts, and direct messaging all without deploying a sales rep for a face-to-face meeting. ## What are the different types of digital marketing? Digital marketing can include any marketing aspect performed online or via digital media. Professional marketing agencies focus on eight primary types of digital marketing: ### Affiliate marketing Affiliate marketing is where a company offers a partner or affiliate a commission for selling its products and/or services. The affiliate may target sales by promoting your goods or services on social media, via blogs, or leveraging videos to share how easy it is to use the offered service/product. In Capterra’s Influencer Marketing Survey[\*\*](#methodology)_,_ 75% of marketers that use influencer marketing report using [affiliate marketing](https://www.capterra.com/affiliate-software/), which is a subset of the influencer marketing strategy. Because the affiliates must use your product before selling it publicly, their believable claims generate a positive buzz around your brand. ### Social media marketing Social media marketing includes advertising, product placements, and many other aspects of [customer engagement](https://www.capterra.com/customer-engagement-software/). Digital marketing for marketers often incorporates social media marketing because it paves the way for deeper connections with target customers. Businesses can use social media to share company-related stories, run competitions, and discuss employees’ professional growth stories or other human interest pieces. Marketing agencies often ensure their social media posts follow specific brand guidelines and include trending topics to gain maximum exposure and engagement. While it may seem challenging to pick the right social media platform to promote your business, hiring an experienced digital marketing agency can help you develop a focused and efficient social media marketing strategy. And it often pays off, especially if you keep up with the latest social marketing opportunities. Capterra also found that 45% of marketers feel their company gets high value from emerging social media platforms. ### Email marketing Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of digital marketing, and it’s still effective for many SMBs. Besides attracting new leads, email marketing allows you to update your existing customer base about product changes, service upgrades, and other relevant company news. Email marketing is also pivotal in the follow-up strategies of many successful organizations. Whether you use [marketing software](https://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/) to automate your follow-up or do it manually, a timely email can be a powerful conversion tool because it engages your prospect on a meaningful, personal level. You show you are interested in their success, as well as how they can use your offering to achieve winning results. ### Content marketing Content marketing includes blogs, website content, product descriptions, ebooks, white papers, infographics, and more. Producing and sharing content that’s valuable for customers is important if you want to position your business as an industry expert. Creating content that’s helpful to your readers and website visitors is one of the most effective types of digital marketing. Strategic [content marketing](https://www.capterra.com/content-marketing-software/) can also transform your website into a go-to resource for your industry peers. You can consider providing whitepapers, how-to guides, and links to instructional videos to educate potential customers. ### Pay-per-click Pay-per-click (PPC) is a paid form of marketing or advertising where advertisers charge a company every time a visitor clicks on their ad. Google Ads is a popular form of [PPC advertising](https://www.capterra.com/ppc-software/). These ads may appear at the top of search engine results, at the bottom of a webpage, or in shopping results. Hiring a marketing agency to run PPC campaigns maximizes the profitability of paid advertising. They may advise what type of advertisement to run and which platforms may work best for your industry. They can also implement A/B testing and other methods to ensure the ads your business uses have the desired impact. ### Search engine optimization Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of [improving your website’s visibility](https://www.capterra.com/seo-software/) on search engine results pages (SERPs). It’s important to follow good SEO practices because they make your website more attractive to customers. This is because SEO experts optimize various elements of your site, such as keyword usage and placement, internal and external backlinking, and topic clusters—all of which encourage visitors to stay on your organization’s website. ### Influencer marketing Influencer marketing used to be restricted to the realm of fashion and beauty brands but has now permeated the marketing strategies of B2B and B2C businesses across many industries. Influencers promote a company’s goods or services to their broader audience, often leading to a significant increase in the number of people wanting to engage with the brand. Businesses report that [influencer marketing](https://www.capterra.com/influencer-marketing-software/) has a powerful impact on forming meaningful connections with customers. 65% of respondents report that influencer marketing builds trust and credibility with their target audiences. Further, 98% say they’re satisfied with their influencer marketing programs. While some companies merge influencer marketing with affiliate marketing, many influencers may promote your goods or services simply because they’ve had a great experience with them. ### Video marketing Video content can be more accessible than written content. Subtitles and audio descriptions make video easier to connect with, and social platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok provide businesses with many options. TikTok has been a particularly effective marketing tool in recent years. In Capterra’s 2023 TikTok and Viral Videos survey[\*\*\*](#methodology), 57% of marketers say TikTok gives them access to a younger audience, and 50% say it enhances consumer retention of product information and improves their brand reputation. ## Preparing your business for success with digital marketing While there are no hard and fast rules about which digital marketing strategy you should choose, you can optimize your efforts by effectively using multiple online channels. Here are some considerations SMBs should keep in mind as they build their digital marketing strategies: 1. **Use a mix of online channels.** In many situations, your target market uses more than one online channel, such as multiple social media platforms, email, and YouTube. 2. **Use niche digital marketing.** Identify niche markets, such as those who follow certain kinds of influencers or smaller social media outlets, like those that cater to specific kinds of animal lovers or hobby enthusiasts. 3. **Establish metrics early in your marketing strategy.** You should check the success of your strategy against metrics from day one. For instance, you should monitor your click-through rates on emails and social posts, as well as how many leads and sales they generate. 4. **Develop long-term relationships with customers by staying in touch.** Even if your solution doesn’t fit a customer’s needs right away, it may in the future. An occasional email about new product features—or just to check in—may be appreciated and lead to a sale. ## How can you leverage digital marketing software and services? Getting the most from the software and services that facilitate digital marketing is all about identifying the best fit for your goals. For instance, if you want to increase your social media presence, you should focus on software or services that specialize in this niche. You can use these resources to narrow down your options: - [Email Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/) - [All-in-One Marketing Platform Software](https://www.capterra.com/all-in-one-marketing-software/) - [Social Media Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.com/social-media-marketing-software/) - [Email Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/) - [Mobile Marketing Software](https://www.capterra.com/mobile-marketing-software/) ## Connect with more customers using digital marketing The above marketing tactics will help your business engage potential customers and create opportunities to increase sales. By hiring experienced digital marketing agencies, you can combine your industry knowledge with their creative marketing strategies and slingshot your business toward its goals. Your next step is to learn more about some specific digital marketing approaches, including social media, creative, and direct response marketing. These resources will help: - [What Is Creative Marketing? A Step-By-Step Guide](https://www.capterra.com/resources/what-is-creative-marketing/) - [Direct Response Marketing: Definition and Examples](https://www.capterra.com/resources/direct-response-marketing/) - [Elements of a Successful Social Media Strategy for Small Businesses](https://www.capterra.com/resources/elements-of-a-successful-social-media-strategy/) * * * **Methodology** \*Capterra’s 2023 Social Media Landscape survey was conducted in July 2023 among 281 U.S. respondents to explore how marketers are focusing their social media investments in an ever-fragmented social media landscape (specifically given the introduction of Meta’s new Twitter alternative Threads). Respondents were screened for marketing or advertising job roles or functions in organizations with 1 or more employees. Respondents must use Twitter or Instagram for advertising initiatives. \*\*Capterra’s 2023 Influencer Marketing Survey was conducted in January 2023 among 300 U.S. respondents to learn about company influencer marketing practices and payments. Respondents were screened to have marketing, advertising, communications, or PR job roles or functions and must work at companies that currently use influencer marketing. \*\*\*Capterra’s 2023 Tiktok and Viral Videos Survey was conducted in May 2023 among 971 Full-time employees from 18 to 65 years old. Respondents must work within the marketing or executive management departments and perform social media content creation/management, paid ad or digital marketing tasks and create video content. In addition, their companies must use at least one of the SM platforms in Q6 (those that are passing answers) for video marketing purposes. Lastly, their companies must post organic content and/or run video ads in SM with video. Sources 1. [Market Guide for Global Digital Marketing Agencies](https://www.gartner.com/document-reader/document/5215463?ref=solrAll&refval=425111753), Gartner * * * ### Was this article helpful? * * * ## About the Authors [### Tayla Carpenter](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/tayla-carpenter/) Tayla Carpenter is a writer specializing in software, finance, and technology topics. Her work has been featured on the websites of several leading fintech and tech providers, and she is a frequent contributor to Capterra. [### Caroline Rousseau](https://www.capterra.com/resources/author/caroline-rousseau/) After three years of building surveys, analyzing data, and writing her own research, Caroline has been a senior content editor since 2022. Her previous experience as an analyst converged into a skill set that allows her to help her peers develop and produce compelling content about today’s business matters. ### RELATED READING - [Marketing ROI: Prioritizing Your Next Sales and Marketing CRM Investment](https://www.capterra.com/resources/marketing-roi-strategies/) - [How Integrating Email Automation With CRM Systems Boosts Customer Engagement](https://www.capterra.com/resources/integrating-email-automation-with-crm-systems/) - [How to Develop an Omnichannel Marketing Strategy for Customer Engagement](https://www.capterra.com/resources/crm-omnichannel-marketing-strategy/) - [CRM cloud vs. on-premise: Which is better for your business?](https://www.capterra.com/resources/crm-cloud-vs-on-premise/) - [CRM Data Management Explained: From Clean Data to Customer Insights](https://www.capterra.com/resources/crm-data-management/) - [Capterra Sales and Marketing Trends 2026: CRM and AI Adoption Requires Strategic Implementation and Integration](https://www.capterra.com/resources/sales-and-marketing-software-trends/) - [Email Marketing Trends: What SMBs Need To Know To Boost Campaign Performance](https://www.capterra.com/resources/email-marketing-trends/) - [Exploring Different Types of Video Content and Their Benefits](https://www.capterra.com/resources/types-of-video-content/) - [A Marketing Pro’s Tips for Building a Loyal Email Audience](https://www.capterra.com/resources/email-marketing-tips/)