Digital marketing is a broad umbrella that covers numerous subcategories and niches. If your company is planning to launch an online campaign but isn’t sure which type of digital marketing will be most effective for your business, this guide is for you. There are different types of digital marketing agencies out there, each with its own specialties and areas of expertise.
The right marketing agency can make all the difference when it comes to launching an effective online campaign. Whether you need SEO specialists or help from an eCommerce email marketing agency, this guide will help you decide what kind of agency is right for you.
Digital Marketing Agency Basics
When approaching the question of “what is digital marketing?”, the first thing you should know is that “digital” means “online” — that is, the internet. Digital marketing is the process of promoting products or services online.
There are 8 common specialties used in digital marketing:
- Marketing Analytics
- Search Engine Marketing
- Social media marketing
- Pay-per-click
- Content marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Email marketing
- Affiliate marketin
Many marketing agencies choose to focus their expertise on only a few areas. But, some full-service agencies can handle all of your marketing needs because they have specialists in each area.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) or SEO Agencies
The Search Engine (as in, Google) is obviously the most important platform for any digital eCommerce marketing campaign. If your target customers can’t find your website, you might as well not have one; it’s as good as non-existent. A search engine marketing agency specializes in optimizing your website so that it appears at the top of search engine results when potential customers search for products that you offer. They will offer keyword research, metadata assessment, content writing, and more.
Social Media Marketing Agencies
Social media marketing is often overlooked as a legitimate form of digital marketing, but it’s a crucial part of any modern marketing campaign. Social media advertising agencies are the experts who will make sure your social media posts are reaching the right audiences and that they’re using the right messaging to really resonate with those audiences. Depending upon your target audience, they may help you focus your efforts on any number of different platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
PPC/Google Ads Agencies
If paid advertising is one of your marketing strategies, Google Ad agencies can help. They keep up to date on the best direct response marketing and keyword strategies to help your ad get seen by your desired customers.
Content Marketing Agencies
Content is what you publish. It may involve written materials, videos, or graphics. Content marketing agencies help to develop these materials for you. They may even help you distribute them. You’ll often see further specialization in this niche, such as copywriters who write the words, graphic designers who make the images, or videographers. They often work closely with email marketers who will promote the content.
Web Design Agencies
Web design agencies can be an umbrella term. Some specialize in creating a custom design for your website’s appearance. Others focus on developing and maintaining websites by programming their features. The difference comes down to how your website looks versus how it functions.
However, some agencies will offer website design, development, and other digital marketing services as well. These will design the look of your website, make sure everything works, and make sure that it’s optimized for search engines. You’ll get even more value if they include the services of an experienced digital copywriter to ensure the design and message work seamlessly for the best customer experience.
Email Marketing Agencies
Email marketing remains one of the digital marketing strategies that offer the highest ROI. But privacy standards, list management, and other variables can be intimidating to keep up with. An email marketing agency can help you strategically develop, implement, and track the results of email campaigns to ensure you see results. Many email marketing agencies also offer content marketing services to help ensure your success.
Inbound Marketing Agencies
These agencies don’t focus on one specific method of marketing. Instead, they specialize in a combination of strategies or tactics to generate inbound leads for your business. They help your business get found by prospects. And they work to inspire their trust and develop stronger connections with your brand so prospects become customers over time.
Conclusion
Once you decide what digital marketing strategies you want to use for your eCommerce business, whether it’s email marketing, ads, or social media, you’ll have a better idea of what kind of agency you need. From there, you can either choose an agency that has a particular area of expertise, or a full-service agency that offers more services.
