Any type of marketing can help your business succeed. However, digital marketing has evolved to be the most successful of all. Mainly because of how accessible digital channels are compared to traditional ones. In fact, there were 5.45 billion internet users globally as of July 2024.
From email to text messages, there are many ways to use digital marketing to communicate with your target audience. Not only that but digital marketing has a lot less cost than the traditional one.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing, also called online marketing, is the promotion of brands to connect with potential customers using the Internet and other forms of digital communication.
Online video, display ads, search engine marketing, paid social ads, text messages, emails, and social media posts are all forms of digital communication.
Digital marketing is often compared to “traditional marketing”, which is naturally the complete opposite. Traditional marketing involves: magazine ads, billboards, and direct mail. Oddly enough, television is lumped in with traditional marketing.
Additionally, adopting a digital marketing strategy and an online presence allows you to use different digital channels to connect with existing customers and individuals interested in your products or services.
If you do it well, you can build an exceptional, known, and reputable brand. Also, you will be able to provide a great customer experience, bring in potential customers, and more.
The Evolution of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing began in the 1990s with the rise of the Internet and Web 1.0.
Early digital platforms had limited interactive features, so marketers were cautious about their potential.
In 1994, the first clickable banner ad marked the start of digital marketing. HotWired was one of the first to use it. The next year, Yahoo launched, attracting nearly 1 million hits in its first year, encouraging businesses to optimize websites for better search rankings.
Then by 2015, social media had become the top online activity. Unexpectedly, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram were key platforms for digital marketers all around the world.
Presently, digital marketing has become unrecognizable with new technology & platforms. For instance, TikTok prioritizes short, engaging videos.
Furthermore, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) changed how people look for information. It also enables hyper-personalized ads by analyzing consumer behavior in real-time.
Not to mention advances in analytics, powered by data science and machine learning, pushed digital marketing to new levels. Now e-marketers can dive into deeper insights.
Needless to say, to stay competitive, companies must adopt emerging platforms, create authentic content, and use AI to personalize and engage.
What is a Digital Marketer?
A digital marketer is a marketing professional who uses digital channels to promote products, services, or brands. To do that they use different online platforms and methods to reach their target audience, build brand awareness and cognition. And ultimately drive business growth. Here are some of their roles lined up:
- Use data to understand their audience.
- Identify customer problems and create content to solve them.
- Track results with (KPIs).
- Use tools like Google Analytics to measure success.
But it’s important to note that every business has different needs, sizes, and budgets, so the role of a digital marketer varies accordingly.
Types of Digital Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is characterized by its constant presence in the marketing world and ongoing interaction with consumers. For instance, 70% of marketers identify increasing brand awareness as their top goal for marketing on social media platforms.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube are recognized as the leading platforms utilized by social media marketing teams today.
Inbound Marketing
Next, inbound marketing is a strategy aimed at attracting customers by providing them with relevant and valuable content during their buying journey. To naturally draw potential customers to your business, the idea is to create content that addresses their challenges.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is another type of digital marketing that started getting traction in recent years. So, in this advertising model, a company pays third-party publishers to attract traffic or leads to its products and services. Basically, the commission fee incentivizes third-party publishers, who are affiliates, to find ways to promote the company brand.
It’s similar to influencer marketing, except that affiliates are typically focused on driving measurable actions like clicks, sign-ups, or sales, rather than building brand awareness or leveraging personal influence.
Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a strategy where companies partner with individuals who have a strong following and influence in a specific niche or community. So, these influencers promote the company’s products or services to their audience. They use their credibility, online presence ,followers to build trust and drive sales.
Moreover, unlike traditional ads, influencer marketing often feels more personal and authentic, as the promotions are integrated into the influencer’s regular content. It focuses on creating awareness, engagement, and sometimes direct conversions through the influencer’s reach.
Email marketing
Involves marketers sending timely emails to inform potential customers about sales, discounts, and product launches to large groups of individuals who have subscribed to their contact list.
Content Marketing
Content marketing engages target audiences by providing original content, including blogs, articles, and newsletters. While content can serve to market specific products and services, it is more frequently utilized to enhance brand awareness, foster trust with both new and returning customers and establish authority in a specific field.
Marketing Analytics
One of the key benefits of digital marketing is its high level of trackability and measurability. Once, coupons and similar direct mail offers were the only trackable marketing pieces available. If a customer utilized the coupon, it indicated that the message resonated.
Mobile Marketing
Any promotional activity that takes place on smartphones and other handheld devices such as tablets. Mobile marketing aims to reach an audience of mobile device users through methods such as push notifications, marketing emails, and advertisements.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a digital marketing model where an advertiser compensates a publisher every time their ads receive a click. Generally, the publisher can be a website owner, a search engine operator, or a social media platform like Facebook or Instagram.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing
Optimizing websites and content to rank higher on search engines like Google, driving organic traffic. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is fundamentally a marketing tool rather than a standalone form of marketing. It is frequently referred to as “an art and a science.“
What’s most important in SEO is the “science” part. Because it requires research and the evaluation of different contributing factors, SEO is a science aimed at achieving the highest possible ranking on a search engine results page (SERP).
Non-linear marketing
Last but not least, “nonlinear marketing”, which is a form of interactive marketing, represents a long-term strategy. A method that initially focuses on businesses gathering data about an Internet user’s online behavior and aiming for visibility across various platforms.
B2B Digital Marketing vs B2C Digital Marketing?
B2B and B2C marketing differ significantly. Business-to-business focuses on building long-term relationships with businesses. Which especially involves delivering practical content like white papers and attending industry events.
B2C marketing, on the other hand, often emphasizes short-term gains, it uses tactics like limited-time offers and emotional appeals to drive immediate purchases. B2B relies heavily on data and logic, while B2C often focuses on creating a positive emotional connection with customers.
Digital Marketing Roles you Need to Watch out for in 2025
1. Digital Marketing Managers
Digital Marketing Managers remain at the forefront of strategy execution. Because they optimize campaigns and ensure brand messaging aligns with company goals. In 2025, they’ll need expertise in marketing analytics tools and project management in marketing to lead effectively.
Main responsibilities:
- Overseeing multi-channel campaigns.
- Analyzing data to measure ROI and refine strategies.
- Staying updated with social commerce trends and content distribution strategies.
The skills required for the role:
Data-driven decision-making, collaboration, and proficiency in tools like HubSpot and Google Analytics.
2. Content Strategists and Managers
As brands compete for attention, storytelling in digital marketing and personalized messaging will take center stage. Also, content managers must craft, distribute, and optimize engaging material, from blogs to videos.
Main responsibilities:
- Planning content calendars around content marketing trends.
- Exploring video content marketing trends and leveraging AI in content creation.
- Measuring performance with content marketing automation tools.
The skills required for the role:
Creativity, audience targeting, and adaptability to evolving content platforms.
3. SEO Specialists
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) continues to evolve with new trends like SEO for voice search and local SEO trends. Specialists in this field will bridge the gap between technical SEO and user experience to maximize visibility.
Main responsibilities:
- Conducting data-driven SEO campaigns.
- Integrating SEO and content marketing strategies for cohesive efforts.
- Adapting to search engine algorithm evolution and AI-driven search changes.
The skills required for the role:
Mastery of automated SEO tools and SEO analytics tools.
4. Social Media Managers
Social media remains a cornerstone of brand engagement. By 2025, social media marketing skills will include navigating platforms like TikTok, leveraging user-generated content trends, and using social media automation tools for marketers.
Main responsibilities:
- Managing campaigns aligned with social media advertising trends.
- Analyzing performance with social media analytics roles.
- Staying ahead of augmented reality in social media marketing.
The skills required for the role:
Creativity, trend analysis, and proficiency in platforms like Sprout Social.
5. Data Analysts in Marketing
Data is the backbone of modern marketing. Analysts will focus on measuring customer experience success, conducting A/B testing and data analysis, and ensuring compliance with data privacy and marketing analytics regulations.
Main responsibilities:
- Using data visualization in marketing to present actionable insights.
- Leveraging predictive analytics in marketing to forecast trends.
- Integrating real-time data tracking in marketing for agile decision-making.
The skills required for the role:
Data literacy, technical expertise, and communication skills.
6. Influencer Marketing Managers
With the rise of micro vs. macro influencers, brands invest heavily in influencer partnerships. Managers in this space will create authentic influencer collaborations and track the ROI of influencer marketing campaigns.
Main responsibilities:
- Building long-term relationships with influencers.
- Ensuring compliance with influencer marketing compliance and guidelines.
- Leveraging platforms optimized for influencer marketing for e-commerce brands.
The skills required for the role:
Negotiation, analytics, and knowledge of influencer platforms.
7. Marketing Automation Specialists
Automation is redefining workflows. Specialists will implement top tools for digital marketing automation, enhance lead generation, and refine processes with marketing automation for small businesses.
Main responsibilities:
- Managing email marketing automation best practices.
- Aligning tools with customer journey mapping.
- Using CRM and marketing automation integration to boost efficiency.
The skills required for the role:
Technical expertise, workflow optimization, and campaign monitoring.
8. AI Marketing Specialists
The artificial intelligence era is here, and it’s not going anywhere. So, AI Marketing Specialists use AI techniques for personalization, segmentation, and data analytics. This role is fundamental for brands aiming to stay competitive in the current digital world.
Main responsibilities:
- Utilizing AI in digital marketing roles to streamline processes.
- Creating AI-generated content for marketers.
- Predicting trends with AI-driven analytics in marketing jobs.
The skills required for the role:
Machine learning, data science, and creative application of AI.
88% of marketers believe their marketing organization must increase its use of automation and AI to meet customer expectations and stay competitive.
9. Customer Experience (CX) Strategists
Brands that excel in CX will lead the pack. Strategists will enhance the personalization of the customer experience and integrate tools to improve it to raise loyalty.
Main responsibilities:
- Mapping journeys using customer segmentation with data.
- Ensuring satisfaction through customer feedback is important.
- Measuring results with customer experience metrics.
The skills required for the role:
Empathy, data interpretation, and a customer-first mindset.
10. UX/UI Designers with Marketing Expertise
The line between UX design and marketing continues to blur. Designers focused on user experience and SEO will optimize digital touchpoints for engagement.
Main responsibilities:
- Designing seamless interfaces aligned with enhancing customer experience.
- Balancing usability with SEO trends.
The skills required for the role:
User research, cross-functional collaboration, and proficiency in design tools.
By 2025, the demand for digital marketing professionals is projected to grow by 10–15% annually.
Digital marketing roles in 2025 will reflect the growing integration of technology, data, and customer-centric strategies.
In summary, professionals aiming for success must invest in future digital marketing jobs by acquiring adaptable, data-driven, and creative skills.
Keeping up with developments like artificial intelligence in social media, interactive content, and automated systems is paramount for remaining on the radar.
Artificial intelligence facilitates tailored customer experiences, interactive content enhances participation, and automation simplifies tasks while improving productivity.
Adjusting to these changes ensures continued relevance, encourages stronger ties with your audience, and improves processes for better outcomes. By remaining adaptable and testing different approaches, you can determine what best suits your business.
Whether you’re building your team or advancing your career, understanding these roles will prepare you for the future of digital marketing.
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