Digital marketing and inbound marketing are frequently mentioned online - but what do they actually mean? And what's the difference between the two?
Digital marketing is a broad term for any marketing done online. This includes search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social media marketing and email marketing.
Inbound marketing is customer-oriented and customer-driven. Simply put, inbound marketing starts with valuable content that your target audience wants, instead of just advertising your services. In a traditional marketing model, you would simply “spread the word” about your business through print or online ads. With inbound marketing, you instead focus on providing valuable information or items your customers can use. For example, you might start with an ebook, a quiz, a checklist or a blog that your ideal customer might find useful. You dangle that content offer to get nibbles in exchange for a form fill or phone call, and then follow-up with more direct advertising.
Digital marketing is the broad term used to describe digital content pieces used to connect with an audience. Inbound marketing is a specific, tactical marketing strategy. The key difference between digital marketing and inbound marketing is that the term digital marketing doesn't imply any strategy. Digital marketing is the how of delivering a message, not the what and why. Inbound marketing is the actual message being delivered and the purpose behind it.
If you haven't tapped into digital marketing, or if you've only tested the waters, there are a few key ways to get started:
You can start your inbound marketing journey at any time. We have an entire guide on how to do inbound marketing you can follow, but at a glance here are the key steps:
Both digital marketing and inbound marketing are ways of promoting your brand online. Digital marketing is better for brand awareness while inbound marketing is better for qualified leads. It's important to remember that inbound marketing is an arm of digital marketing and that you need to have a solid digital strategy before building an inbound marketing strategy. In an ideal world, your online marketing will consist of both digital marketing and inbound marketing efforts, often in conjunction with each other.
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If you want to grow in 2021, now's the time to iron out your marketing plan. To be prepared for budgeting this season, there should really be a digital strategy in place to aid your company in reaching their goals. In this guide, we’re going to walk you through everything you need to create a solid marketing plan.
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BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Platinum Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.